17 Easy Blue Crab Recipes (Dishes You’ll Love)

No seafood lover can resist these blue crab recipes!

From succulent appetizers to hearty meals, blue crab is a versatile seafood you can prepare in so many scrumptious ways.

It has a buttery texture and a mildly sweet, slightly salty flavor.

It’s great in dips, perfect for bisque, and makes an epic feast for a backyard Southern-style boil. 

Grilled, baked, steamed, or boiled, you can cook it any way you like. But whatever you do, don’t forget the Old Bay!

These blue crab recipes guarantee you a fresh and tasty meal. Roll up your sleeves because it’s time for cracking crab shells!

1. Steamed Fresh Blue Crabs

The best and simplest way to enjoy blue crabs is to steam them. 

It doesn’t take long and anyone can do it. 

You’ll layer the crabs in a pot, sprinkle them with Old Bay, and add a glug of beer. Steaming will take about 20 minutes. 

In the meantime, enjoy a cold one and get ready to feast.

2. Maryland Crab Dip

Maryland crab dip will be the talk of the party!

Folks in Maryland are no strangers to crab and this recipe is proof. You get a mouthful of jumbo crab meat in each bite. 

You also get a perfectly seasoned dip that includes Old Bay and three types of cheese.

Load up a platter full of crostinis, as you’ll need it.  

3. Crab and Artichoke Dip

Another party appetizer that will disappear fast is crab and artichoke dip. It’s a crowd-pleaser that I swear by.

It’s creamy, cheesy, and fully loaded with artichoke hearts and jumbo crab meat. 

Serve it up hot with slices of crusty baguette, veggie sticks, or crackers. 

4. Easy Southern Blue Crab Cakes

Once you learn how to make crab cakes, you’ll never have to pay a pricey restaurant bill again. 

They are so incredibly simple to pull together. Better yet, they’re beaming with blue crab meat!

Slightly sweet and succulent, blue crab is perfect for crab cakes. 

Mix it with some binding ingredients and toss in mustard, hot sauce, and Worcestershire for seasoning.

Then get ready to start frying!

5. Crab Soup

You’ll swear this soup was straight from the Chesapeake Bay!

Lavishly creamy and very indulgent, this blue crab soup is perfect for a chilly day. 

Old Bay, dry sherry, and mustard are important for developing the base flavors. So is plenty of half-and-half. 

Before adding the crab, make sure you have all the shells removed. 

6. Crab Imperial

Crab imperial is a home-style dish that you can make in less than 30 minutes. 

It’s like taking a crab cake and tossing it into a casserole dish so everyone can come back for seconds. 

The creamy jumbo lump crab mixture has breadcrumbs, garlic, mayo, shallots, parsley, and then some. 

Give it a try. I think the family will love it!

7. Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

Crab stuffed mushrooms are the party appetizer that commands attention from across the room. 

These succulent morsels are oozing with blue crab, cream cheese, parmesan, and parsley.

For a little extra texture, sprinkle some breadcrumbs on top and plop them in the oven.

Depending on the guest list, you may want to double up on the batch. These go fast!

8. Louisiana Crab Boil

It wouldn’t be a proper boil without some good company and a couple of rounds of beer. 

So call up your friends, line the picnic tables with newspaper, and let’s get started!

In a ginormous pot, you throw in crab, corn ears, potatoes, sausage, and crawfish.

It would also be blasphemous not to include Old Bay.

Keep a watchful eye, as you don’t want to overcook this feast.

9. Quick and Easy Fried Crab Claws

These fried crab claws are a delicacy you don’t want to miss. 

Unlike the rest of the meat, the claws of blue crab are kind of nutty. They also taste sensational when fried. 

You need six ingredients total, which includes the battering and the frying. 

However, I like to also add in some lemon juice and the occasional cocktail sauce for dipping.

10. Crab Linguine

Looking for an easy crab pasta for tonight? Here’s one anyone can make.

A seafood pasta dinner like this would cost you big bucks at a restaurant. Luckily, you can skip the bill and have it ready in 15 minutes. 

Prepare a pan for the crab by sauteing garlic, butter, lemon juice, and white wine.

Coat the meat in all that deliciousness, then toss it in a pot of linguine. 

For a dish like this, you don’t want to skip the parmesan or the parsley.

11. Crab Bisque

Some ingredients were just made for bisque and blue crab is one of them.

This uber-creamy soup is an exquisite way to fight off the cold weather.

The sweet tender crab meat and rich broth are very comforting. 

It also has a delightful Creole seasoning, a splash of white wine, and fresh corn to break up all the fat. 

12. Crab Legs

Crack a cold one and belly up because it’s time for crab legs!

This recipe gives you four options for cooking. You can grill, steam, oven-bake, or toss them in the Instant Pot. 

Despite how you cook them, you don’t want to forget the sauce.

Lemon garlic butter is a classic dipping sauce that enhances the sweet, tender meat. 

13. Crab Toast Crostini Appetizer 

These classy crostinis are an immaculate bite. 

On top of each slice of toasted bread is jumbo lump crab mixed with mayo, Old Bay, lemon juice, and chives. 

It’s a super simple process and it only takes 7 minutes to make.

They’re a no-brainer for a party and great as a snack. I’ve also been known to turn them into a meal from time to time.

14. Steamed Maryland Blue Crabs

How do you steam blue crabs the Maryland way? 

You add a glug of light beer and white vinegar to a steamer pot, coat live crabs in Old Bay, and layer them inside.

From there, it will only take about 15 minutes. 

When it comes time for serving, give everyone an ear of corn and a side of melted butter.

Beers are optional, but in Maryland, they’re a must. 

15. Crab Mac and Cheese

If you want the most epic mac and cheese ever, you have to make this. 

Each bite of tender pasta has a mouthful of blue crab, three types of cheese, and Old Bay seasoned Ritz crackers. 

When picking out pasta shapes, choose something with some heft to it. This dish is no joke!

You can easily find an excuse to indulge in this creamy mac and cheese. 

16. Baked Crab

One of the easiest ways to prepare blue crab is to bake it in a wok. 

Simply pour in a few tablespoons of water, add the crab, and turn up the heat.

Despite the name, the crabs will turn red when fully cooked. 

The tender flaky meat is so juicy on its own that you don’t need anything. 

But if you want, a squeeze of lemon or even some melted butter turns it into a decadent delight.

Or if a full meal is what you’re after, you can’t go wrong with a side of potatoes and corn on the cob.

17. Seafood Gumbo

Gumbo is the holy grail of Creole cuisine and one of the best crab dishes hands down.

Live blue crabs, jumbo lump blue crab meat, and giant shrimp swim in a flavorful seafood broth seasoned with cajun spices. 

Canned tomatoes give the soup a layer of depth, while okra is a classic staple.

Bisquick is also important as gumbo requires a roux for thickening. 

Greatness like this takes time to build each layer. But take a bite and you’ll see it was all worth it.