Dungeness Crab

This Dungeness crab recipe is boiled whole and served with an Old Bay-spiked butter sauce or cocktail sauce for a simple, yet elegant, festive dinner that’s surprisingly easy to prepare.

I’m a seafood lover, and crab is my favorite of all the crustaceans and fish in the sea. I’ve got several crab recipes I love on my blog, like my steamed Alaskan King crab legs, chilled corn and crab soup, and crab and shrimp seafood cobb salad. This whole Dungeness crab recipe is such a treat. While some people prepare Dungeness crab legs, I prefer the whole crab. Preparing a whole Dungeness crab may sound intimidating, but this is the easiest crab you’ll ever make. Because I live in a land-locked state, the Dungeness crabs I can get have already been cooked, which means the crab only needs an easy warm-up before eating rather than a full immersive steaming or cooking.

Why You’ll Love It

• This Dungeness crab recipe may seem intimidating but it’s super simple to prepare!
• Whole Dungeness crab is the best way to let this sweet, tender, buttery crab meat shine
• Whether you serve this with an easy Old Bay-spiked butter sauce or cocktail sauce, this whole Dungeness crab recipe makes for a special meal

What’s in This Dungeness Crab Recipe

• Whole, cooked Dungeness crabs—get the freshest crab you can find
• Kosher salt—always, for flavor
• Salted butter—for a butter sauce
• Old Bay Seasoning—for seasoning the butter sauce
• Lemon—for the Old Bay butter sauce
• Ketchup—for making homemade cocktail sauce
• Prepared horseradish—for the cocktail sauce
• Fresh dill and parsley—for serving
• Sliced lemons and limes—for serving

Note: You’ll want to plan on about 1 crab per person, or if serving as an appetizer, 1 crab for every 2 people.

Find the complete recipe with measurements below

How to Make Dungeness Crab

If you’re working with already cooked crabs, all you need to do is gently rewarm them (which takes no time), and then prepare your sauce and or dip. Of course, if you’re lucky enough to get fresh crab straight from the ocean, here is a great video showing you how to steam a live crab with ease.

Here’s how to prepare your crab:

• Gently rewarm your crab. Simply bring a stock pot of water to boil, turn off the heat, and immerse the crabs in the hot water to gently warm. This keeps the crab from becoming overcooked (for a second time) and tough.
• Let it rest in its warm bath. Let the crab sit for about 10 minutes or until it becomes fragrant, then drain.

How to Clean Your Crab

• To serve the crab, you’ll need to clean it first. This video shows the fastest and easiest way to clean the crab and prepare it for eating.
• Use a heavy knife to pull the crab meat from the shell. After the crab has been cleaned, take the back of a heavy knife and crack the legs to make it easiest to pull the crab from the shell, no crackers are required. I use skinny crab forks to pull the meat from the shell, but you can also go au natural and use the sharp ends of the claws to pick through the inside of the shells.

How to Serve Dungeness Crab

For serving, I like to keep it easy with the dipping sauce. I make a super simple lemon-spiked salted butter with a bit of Old Bay Seasoning stirred in. Sometimes I also mix some ketchup and hot horseradish for a simple cocktail sauce option. Then for the presentation, I like to arrange the crab on a platter with fresh lemon and lime slices, parsley and dill, and dipping sauces. It’s a showstopper.

FAQ

• Which is better, Dungeness or King crab? Everyone’s tastes and preferences differ. I love both but if I had to pick a winner, I’d go with Dungeness crab. This West Coast crab is more tender, meaty, sweet, and delicate, with a particularly succulent, melt-in-your-mouth flavor and texture thanks to the fat in its shell. It also happened to be Julia Child’s favorite, which says it all right there.
• Why is Dungeness crab so expensive? Dungeness crab can be on the pricier side compared to other varieties of crab, and this is because there’s a more limited supply of these highly sought-after crabs. Dungeness crabs always feel so luxurious and are the perfect thing to serve for a special occasion. They’re the largest of the commercially harvested crabs in the world.
• How much meat is in a whole Dungeness crab? Dungeness crab has a meat-to-shell ratio of around 25%, so it’s a meatier variety of crab. A 2-lb crab will yield about ½-lb of meat.

What to Serve With Your Whole Dungeness Crab

• The BEST Creamy Coleslaw
• Easy Grilled Corn on the Cob
• Easy Cheddar Bay Biscuits
• The Best Buttery Parsley Potatoes
• Key Lime Pie

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.

5 from 13 votes

Whole Dungeness Crab Recipe

Whole Dungeness crabs are the simplest way to create a festive meal that looks totally elegant but is actually deceptively easy to prepare.

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Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Dungeness crab

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 585kcal

Ingredients 

½x1x2x3x

• 4 cooked Dungeness crabs , about 2 pounds each
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 16 tablespoons 1 cup or 2 sticks salted butter
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
• 1 lemon , juiced
• ½ cup ketchup
• 1-2 teaspoons prepared horseradish , to your taste
• Fresh dill and parsley for garnish
• Sliced lemon and limes

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil, and season with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Once the water comes to a boil, remove it from the heat. Immerse two of the crabs into the water for 5-10 minutes until the crabs are warmed through. Remove the crabs from the water and set aside to drain. Bring the water to another boil and repeat with the remaining crabs.
• Clean the crabs while the other two crabs are warming in the hot water. Crack the legs with the back of a heavy knife. Serve on a platter with fresh dill leaves, parsley, and sliced lemons and limes.
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Reduce the heat to low and skim the foam from the butter. Stir in the Old Bay Seasoning and the lemon juice. In a small bowl, mix the ketchup with the prepared horseradish. Serve the flavored butter and cocktail sauce alongside the crab.

Nutrition

Calories: 585kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 29g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 217mg | Sodium: 2903mg | Potassium: 729mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1719IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 1mg

More Recipes to Try For Special Occasions

• Grilled Lobster Tails with Smoked Paprika Butter
• Red Wine Braised Short Ribs
• Oven Roasted Chicken with Lemon Rosemary Garlic Butter
• Steamed Alaskan King Crab Legs
• Filet Mignon with Porcini Mushroom Compound Butter

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