This spicy soft shell crab is the perfect way to indulge in this seasonal treat. Don’t worry if you have never cooked soft shell crabs before. I walk you through everything from cleaning to cooking!
The best part about spring and summer just might be soft shell crab season!
If you’re new to soft shell crabs you’ll love how easy they are to make and how delicious they taste!
For this recipe, I kept it simple and lightly dusted the cleaned crabs in flour and seasoning and fried until crispy.
Since you eat this crab in full (yes, all of it including the shell!) it works great as an appetizer, a sandwich, on a salad, or served up as a simple light summertime dinner.
I served it with a sprinkle of kosher salt and a squeeze of a lemon wedge but it’s also great dipped in homemade tartar sauce.
Just remember, your crab must be fully cleaned before cooking! I will walk you through how to clean your fresh soft shell crab OR you can ask your fish monger to clean it for you.
Table of Contents
Ingredients for fried spicy soft shell crabs
- Fresh soft shell crabs – You want fresh active crabs so be sure to ask your fishmonger when the crabs were trapped and arrived at the store.
- All-purpose flour – This is used to create a light crust on the crab after it is fried.
- Seasoning – I used a mix of seasoned salt and ground cayenne pepper. This mix will create the perfect spicy seasoned crab.
- Vegetable oil – I’m using a neutral oil to fry in. Another great option is avocado oil.
- Kosher salt – Just a touch at the end to bring flavor.
- Lemon wedge – Squeezed on top for a bite of freshness.
How to pick out soft shell crab
When picking out soft shell crab you’ll want to make sure to pick crabs that are still alive! Buying crab that has been dead for a while can result in poor flavor and smell.
That is why you’ll want to pick out crabs you have seen moving.
I also find it important to ask your fishmonger when the crabs arrived at the store and how long they have been there. The good news is that soft shell crab is wildly popular and tends to not sit around for a long time.
Just a reminder, refrigerated or crabs kept on ice will move less but are still alive if you see their mouth bubbling or body moving.
How to clean soft shell crab
- Rinse your crabs under cold water to wash the shell of any dirt or debris.
- Using a SHARP pair or kitchen shears cut the face off. Position the scissors behind the eyes and cut straight across. The whole face should come off in one quick scissor. You can also use a sharp kitchen knife for this but please be sure that whatever you use is SHARP. You want to keep this humane.
- Flip the crab over to the bottom side and pull up on the middle “lever” looking piece. Gently pull it off or cut it off. This piece is called the apron.
- Flip the crab back over and lift up one side near the legs. You will see a frilly-looking piece of flesh, these are the gills. Pull out the gills until clean. Repeat on the other side.
- Optional: Rinse the crabs under water and press out the green “tamale” from the inside of the crab. The green “tamale” is the greenish-yellow stuff from the inside of the crab. You may see it when pulling out the gills.
What is soft shell crab
Soft shell crabs are simply recently molted crabs! They are caught right after molting so the whole body is soft.
Typically they are in season from May to September.
Soft-shell crabs have a softer and more delicate texture compared to hard-shell crabs. The entire crab, including the shell, is edible, making it easier to eat without the need for cracking and picking.
Storage and leftovers
This dish can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 2 days BUT seafood is best enjoyed the day it is made.
If you do decide to store it overnight simply reheat the soft shell crab in an
More seafood recipes
- Craving a New England classic? Try my Hot Lobster Roll
- Love sweet and spicy? Try my Bang Bang Shrimp Bowl
- Want to make an easy seafood classic? Try my Air Fryer Crab Cakes
- Need a fast seafood dinner? Try my 20 Minute Seafood Stew
Spicy Soft-Shell Crabs
Ingredients
- 4 soft shell crabs alive and fresh
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 4 Lemon wedges
Instructions
- Using kitchen shears cut off the “face” of the crab, right behind the eyes. You are only cutting about 1/2 inch.
- Flip the crab over to the bottom side and pull up on the middle “lever” looking piece. Cut it off. This is piece is called the apron.
- Flip the crab back over and lift up both sides, pull out the lungs.
- Rinse the crabs under water and if desired press out the green "tamale" from the inside of the crab. Not sure what in the heck is a green "tamale"? It's simply the greenish-yellow stuff from the inside of the crab.
- Pat the crabs dry and set aside while you prepare the flour and oil.
- In a small dish add flour, red cayenne pepper and seasoned salt and mix together.
- Lightly coat the crabs in flour and set aside.
- In a large 12-inch skillet add vegetable oil and set over medium high heat.
- When the oil is hot add 2 crabs and cook 4-5 minutes per side. The crabs will be done when their shell turns red and they are plump.
- Add cooked crab to a paper towel lined plate. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
- Add remaining two crabs to a the skillet and repeat.
- Serve hot or room temperature with lemon wedges.
Notes
- Look for fresh looking crabs that are active and smell fresh.
- You can ask your fish monger to clean the soft shelled crab for you if you’re not comfortable cleaning it yourself.
- Please use SHARP kitchen shears for cleaning the crab. You want to be humane.
- Use less ground cayenne pepper if you do not like spicy food.