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How to Eat Soft Shell Crab

We explore everything you need to know about how to eat soft shell crab, including how to prepare this seafood delicacy!

As a Maine girl, I am very used to eating things that come in shells. For a few years, my family did an annual ferry trip to a place called Cabbage Island, where we indulged in lobsters and steamed clams. I was a huge steamed clam fan as a kid, so I always managed a pretty sweet trade for the lobster I didn’t want.

(And today, I’m sitting here knowing my neighbor is selling fresh lobsters now and wondering if I should walk over there… anyway, I digress.)

Cooked Soft Shell Crab on plate
(greenwatermelon via iStock Photo)

If you’re anything like me, when you think of eating crab, you think of either the already picked, soft meat that you might then use in crab cakes or a crab salad, or the hard shell surrounding succulent crab legs, for example.

Because seafood in a shell is a huge part of my life, there are some things that just seem odd to me — which brings us to the topic of soft shell crabs and, even more specifically, how to eat soft shell crab.

It’s a little bit strange the first time you see it. But don’t worry, seafood lovers — I’ll explain everything!

How to Eat Soft Shell Crab

If you’re like me and you grew up cracking shells off some of your food, it may surprise you to discover that soft shell crab is the exception to just about all of the rules.

Soft-shell crabs are eaten with the shell still intact, but as the name implies, the shell is soft. In this case, incredibly soft! Here’s how to prepare a soft shell crab, and how to eat these soft shells. (Trigger warning: Crab is prepared while still alive. It’s not for the faint of heart — this is your chance to turn back!)

(rebeccafondren via iStock Photo)

Preparation:

The first step in preparing a live crab for consumption is “dressing” it, which in this case is taking off the parts of the crab you won’t be eating. Begin by removing the abdominal covering, also called the apron.

Next, remove the feathery gills, also referred to as the crab’s lungs, with a sharp pair of scissors. (You can easily find a YouTube video showing you exactly where the gills are.) 

Finally, use kitchen shears to remove the tail and entire face of the crab.

Once you have completed these steps, the crab is now ready to be cooked. And it’s a much different method than how you’d cook other kinds of crab

Soft crab is generally cooked whole, not cut up into pieces. At a restaurant, you’ll often see them come out still looking exactly like a whole crab!

(somdul via iStock Photo)

Frying:

The preferred method of cooking soft shell crabs — and arguably the best way — is frying them in hot oil.

After the prep described above, many chefs and cooks coat the crabs with flour and sear them in a hot pan of butter until they’re golden brown. This keeps the characteristic crunch and soft, sweet flavor intact.

Some people prefer adding Old Bay seasoning or corn meal as well. You can also make your own seafood seasoning spice mix at home! 

Eating:

This is the kind of strange part I was talking to you about. If you’ve ever cracked a lobster or shucked an oyster, it’s going to be strange new territory to bite right into an entire crab for dinner.

(Especially because, well, it still looks like a crab.)

If you can get past the somewhat odd presentation and the idea that you’re doing something totally wrong, you’ll find yourself enjoying a delightfully delicious crab cooked in a way that leaves no work for you at the dinner table.

As long as the gills, abdomen, mouth, and tail of the crab are removed, the rest is edible — the legs, body, and all! If you’re enjoying a whole crab at a restaurant, or you purchased it freshly frozen and dressed, it’s safe to assume the crab is ready to go.

What you make with it is up to you! A simple soft shell crab sandwich is a very popular approach, or fried and served on their own, maybe with some tartar sauce. You could also add it to pasta!

A whole soft shell crab on a burger bun and served with potato wedges on a cutting board
(evil_beau via iStock Photo)

What Does a Soft Shell Crab Taste Like?

If you’ve had crab before, you know it has a savory yet sweet flavor and a soft, light texture.

Soft shell crabs maintain a similar center but are also coated and fried, giving them a characteristic crunch and a buttery flavor.

Soft Shell Crab vs Hard Shell

Soft shell crabs are not a special species of crab.

Their name is literal, and it comes from the fact that they are harvested during the small window of time when they have molted and their new shell is not yet hardened. This soft-shell stage is only 2-3 hours!

All crabs molt, but blue crabs are the ones you will see commercially sold as soft shell crabs in the US. These crabs are found along the Atlantic Coast as well as the Gulf of Mexico.

Once a crab has molted, it becomes incredibly fragile. Unfortunately, this means that many soft shell crabs that are handled too soon after molting do not survive the trip to their destination. For this reason, crabbers allow the shells to harden slightly before transportation. This is also a delicate process, as they cannot allow the shell to become too hard to eat.

Crab Legs Picture
(Stock Art)

How Long is Soft Shell Crab Season?

Soft shell crabs require a lot of extra work and effort. Why?

Soft shell crabs are harvested when they are “normal” hard shell crabs, and kept in a saltwater tank. Their progress is monitored, and harvesters will look for indications of the crabs peeling.

Once the crabs have molted their old shell, they are removed from the tanks for handling and packing.

Because this is an intricate, natural process, it is almost impossible for harvesters of soft shell crabs to know when they will have crabs, as well as how many. This adds to their appeal, as they are more “rare.”

The soft-shell crab season depends on your location on the East Coast or Southern Coast but typically begins in late spring. Along the Gulf Coast, the season runs from early April to early November. In areas like South Carolina, soft shell crab season runs from late March to early June.

The timing means that you may have been able to procure fresh crab and freeze it in time to prepare it for Thanksgiving and really surprise your guests!

Raw soft shell crab on ice waiting to be cooked
(Supersmario via iStock Photo)

Where to Buy Soft-Shelled Crabs

When soft-shelled crabs are in season, they are available at local seafood markets and grocers.

They are sold either live or “dressed,” as explained above.

Live soft-shelled crabs should be kept alive until it is time to cook them, whereas dressed ones are ready to cook.

Fresh soft shelled crabs should be purchased the day you plan to cook them. Whether live or dressed, they last 1-2 days at most in the fridge. Now you have all the information you need about the variety of ways to enjoy one of your new favorite foods!

Tex Mex Crab Cakes Photo
(Serene Herrera)