How to Crack a Crab

PDF download Download Article
PDF download Download Article

Have you picked up a delicious crab for lunch or dinner? This clawed crustacean may seem intimidating to eat at first, but it's really simple to crack open with the proper tools and techniques. We've covered everything you need to know about cracking a crab, so you can enjoy every last bit of it.

Ingredients

  • Whole cooked crab that has been dunked in an ice bath to stop the cooking process to make it easier to handle
  • Small bowls of melted butter
1

Begin by removing all the legs and claws.

PDF download Download Article
  1. Sometimes crab meat comes out of the legs and swimmer fin; you can eat that right up. [1]
    2. Advertisement
2

Throw out the legs (fins) and save only the claws.

PDF download Download Article
3

Start on the shell and the body of the crab.

PDF download Download Article
  1. The apron looks like a tab or a flap. Discard the apron; we are not going to eat that.
    2. Advertisement
4

Grab the top part and bottom part in each hand.

PDF download Download Article
  1. Be careful when taking the top shell off. Throw out the top shell. [2]
    • Ensure you clean out the inside of the crab and remove the gills, lungs, and digestive organs.
5

Break the bottom half into two halves.

PDF download Download Article
  1. You can do this using your hands or knife. Press your palm down to break the chambers and pull them apart if you decide to use your hands.
    2. Advertisement
6

Pick off the chunks of meat in the body.

PDF download Download Article
  1. You can use your fingers or thing metal seafood picks to pull the meat out. [3]
7

Crack the claws.

PDF download Download Article
  1. However, these legs have juicy and sweet meat that you can use for soups or crab cakes. To begin, take the hinged seafood cracker and hit the claws with a crab mallet, or use your knife. The easiest way to open a claw: [4]
    • Take your knife and lay it with the sharp side down on the middle of the red side of the claw.
    • Use the crab mallet to gently hit the knife until it is halfway through the claw.
    • Lastly, swivel the knife to the side. The claw will open and make it much easier to grab the crabmeat.
    • Once you have snapped the shell open, eat the meat. Make sure you avoid the cartilage.
    2. Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    How can I heat up crabs?
    Community Answer
    You can boil water and add salt. When the water is boiling, reduce the heat, add the crabs, and let cook for approximately 3 minutes.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 9 Helpful 6
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Video

      Tips

      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

      Things You'll Need

      • Seafood Scissors
      • Bowl for empty shells
      • Lots of napkins -- this will get messy!
      • Sturdy seafood/nut crackers
      • Thin metal seafood picks or small fork

      You Might Also Like

      How to
      Eat Crabs
      How to
      Cook King Crab Legs
      How to
      Cook Stone Crab Claws
      How to
      Serve Crab Sticks
      How to
      Properly Steam a Crab
      How to
      Cook Mud Crab
      How to
      Cook Blue Crabs
      How to
      Clean a Blue Crab
      How to
      Eat Dungeness Crab
      How to
      Clean a Crab Before Cooking
      The Best Way to Boil Blue Crabs
      How to
      Cook a Crab
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ https://www.southernliving.com/food/how-to/how-to-eat-blue-crab
      2. ↑ https://www.eater.com/2015/6/5/8730223/how-to-eat-crabs-baltimore
      3. ↑ https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/cooking-tips-techniques/how-to-eat-crab
      4. ↑ https://www.mantripping.com/food-and-drink/how-to-eat-blue-crab.html

      About This Article

      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 97,378 times.

      Reader Success Stories

      • James Bond

        Jan 14, 2022

        "I learned a lot in this wikiHow. I know now how to crack crabs."
        Rated this article:
      Share your story

      Did this article help you?

      Advertisement