A simple and delicious recipe for steaming Dungeness crabs, ensuring they are cooked perfectly every time.
Steamed Dungeness Crab
Steaming Dungeness crabs is a culinary tradition in many coastal regions. The key to perfectly cooked crab is to steam it based on its weight, ensuring the meat is tender and sweet. This recipe provides a simple and effective method for steaming Dungeness crabs, along with a guide to steaming times based on crab weight.
Ingredients
- Live Dungeness crabs (any size)
- 1–2 inches water (or water + beer/white wine, optional)
- 2–3 tbsp kosher salt
- Optional aromatics: lemon halves, bay leaves, Old Bay
Directions
- Add 1–2 inches of liquid to a large pot.
- Add salt and optional aromatics.
- Insert a steamer basket and bring the liquid to a rolling boil.
- Add live crabs using tongs, cover the pot tightly.
- Start timing once strong steam is established, not when crabs go in. Steam according to the weight table below.
- Crabs are done when shells are bright orange, legs pull away easily, and meat is opaque and aromatic.
- Transfer crabs to an ice bath for 2–3 minutes, then drain.
- To serve, remove the top shell, discard gills and viscera, and crack the crab. Serve with butter and lemon.
- Dungeness crabs vary widely in density. Overcooking by even 2–3 minutes can dry out the leg meat. Steaming by weight preserves sweetness and tenderness.
- Rule of thumb: ~7 minutes per pound, measured after the pot returns to a strong steam.
Steaming time by crab weight (Whole Crabs):
Weight Steaming Time 1.25–1.5 lb 12–14 minutes 1.75–2.0 lb 15–17 minutes 2.25–2.5 lb 18–20 minutes 2.75–3.0 lb 20–22 minutes If crabs are cleaned or halved, reduce steaming time by 30–35%:
Weight Steaming Time 1.5–2.0 lb 7-10 minutes 2.25–2.5 lb 10–12 minutes
