- Eat the entire soft shell crab if it’s “dressed” (cleaned with the inedible parts removed) and cooked! Every bit of it, including the shell and claws, is then edible.
- Soft shell crabs are most commonly deep fried or pan-seared. Eat them by themselves, on a sandwich, or cut up into strips (or any way you prefer).
- Cook soft shells the same day you purchase. Avoid crabs that smell rancid, have gone soft, or that have meat that’s any other color than white.
Do I eat the whole soft shell crab?
Yes—the entire crab is edible if it’s cleaned and cooked (shell and all!). If a soft shell crab is served to you at a restaurant or you purchase a “dressed” (killed and cleaned with the inedible parts removed) crab at a seafood market, trust that the entire crab is edible (and delicious). Soft shell crab is popularly served deep fried, but it can also come pan-seared, on a sandwich, or sliced into strips. Regardless of how it’s served, feel free to chow down on every last morsel. If you buy a live or whole crab that hasn’t been “dressed” yet, you’ll have to remove the face, apron, and gills before chowing down. Many people who are unfamiliar with soft shells are grossed out by the bug-like appearance of a whole fried crab on their plate. Once you get past the look, soft shell crab is a tasty seasonal treat! Eating a soft shell crab is easier than eating a regular blue crab since there are no shells to crack open.
Prepping & Cooking Soft Shell Crabs
Cut off the crab’s face with kitchen shears or a knife if it’s not “dressed.” If you have to prepare your soft shells yourself, cut across the front of the crab, just behind the eyes and mouth, to remove them. The face will come off in a single strip about 0.25 in (6.4 mm) wide. Since the shell is soft, you’ll be able to cut into the crab quite easily. If you purchased the crab already dressed, then you can skip this step, along with the next two steps on gill and apron removal. Instead, jump straight to the cooking instructions.
Lift the corners of the top shell to expose and remove the gills. The gills taste horrible to humans, so make sure not to forget these! They look like beige, pointy, frilly tongues on either side of the crab. Grab one by the base and pull it out with your fingers, then repeat on the other side.
Remove the crab’s apron with your hands. Flip the crab over so it’s underside is facing up. Look for a kind of belly flap called the apron—it’s long and thin on male crabs, and wider on females. Simply grab it with your fingers and pull it off the body (it’ll detach fairly easily).
Deep fry the crab for a classic, popular treat. Fill a deep fryer with oil and heat it to 365 °F (185 °C). While it’s heating, mix ½ cup (118 mL) of milk with 1 egg in one bowl, and 1 cup (120 g) flour with salt and pepper (to taste) in another. Lightly salt each crab, then dredge them through the flour. Dip them into the egg mix, press on more flour to coat both sides, then deep fry away! Fry each crab for 1-2 minutes per side until golden brown, then drain on paper towels.
Or, pan-sear the crab for a crispy, easy meal. Pour frying oil into a large saute pan so there’s about 0.25 in (6.4 mm) of oil coating the bottom, then bring it to a medium-high heat (flick a small amount of flour into the pan to test the heat—it’s ready once the flour sizzles). Dredge the crabs through flour and pat off the excess, then add them to the pan gently to avoid hot oil splashes. Fry for 3-4 minutes per side until the crab is crispy. Place the seared crabs on paper towels to let the excess oil drip off, then sprinkle with salt before serving. The crab meat is fully cooked when it’s firm, clear, and reaches an internal temperature of 145 °F (63 °C).
Serve soft shell crabs with rich, tangy sides that complement its flavor. Since the crab itself was prepared with minimal ingredients, go all out on your side dishes and desserts! If you’re feeling a vegetable to balance out that fried goodness, try some fresh, steamed greens with chopped ginger, garlic, and salt, tomatoes roasted over an open-flame grill, or fresh corn on the cob with butter and a drizzle of lime juice. Try making cheddar biscuits for a filling, savory side. For something lighter, go for fresh coleslaw or a crunchy salad. Pick a creamy, rich dessert to complement your crab perfectly. A slice of chilled lemon pie should do the trick!
Buying Fresh Soft Shell Crabs
Plan to cook soft shell crabs the same day you buy them. Browse local seafood markets or counters at large grocery stores for soft shells. Coastal markets may have live and/or “dressed” ones, while inland stores may only offer frozen ones. If you buy a live one, keep it alive as long as possible and plan to cook it right away—they’ll last one night in the fridge over ice, but that’s about it. Ask a monger to kill and clean them for you, or take them home to “dress” yourself if you’re not squeamish about it. Look at a crab’s legs to see if it’s still alive before purchasing. They move very slowly when they're cold, but you should still see some leg movement if they’re alive. If you live far inland and don’t have access to much fresh seafood, order frozen soft shells and have them shipped to you. They may have less flavor, but they’re still pre-cleaned and ready to cook.
Observe the crab’s smell, color, and texture to see if it’s gone bad. Seafood has a short shelf life, so make sure you’re buying and eating fresh, high-quality crab. Spoiled crab might smell sour, rancid, extra fishy, or like ammonia, and the smell gets worse as it cooks. If you notice a persistent or fleeting whiff of a bad smell, don’t buy that crab! Other signs of spoiled crab include: Discolored meat: Crab meat should be white—if it’s any other color, then it’s spoiled or undercooked. Bad crab meat might turn yellow, brown, gray, or even bluish. Soft, mushy, or slimy texture: Fresh crab meat is firm, juicy, and bounces back when you poke it. Bad meat is softer, doesn’t bounce back, or may be slimy if bacteria have infected it. Sour or rancid taste: If you take a bite and the meat tastes very sour, rancid, or overly fishy, it’s gone bad. Hopefully you never experience this!
What do soft shell crabs taste like?
Soft shell crab meat has a simple, sweet flavor with a hint of the sea. They taste very similar to cooked blue crabs, but with a little more complexity since you’re eating the soft shell and edible inner organs in addition to the meat. The texture is tender, flaky, and juicy (plus a satisfying crunch from the fried shell). Some compare soft shell crabs to lobster, but a bit sweeter and with a flakier texture.
Soft Shell Crab Season
Soft shell crabs are available in spring when blue crabs start molting. Soft shell crabs aren’t actually their own species—they're just blue crabs that needed a bigger shell! Blue crabs begin molting in large numbers around mid-May and continue through June and July off the US coast. In warmer, southern waters around Florida and the Gulf of Mexico, molting can begin as early as April and last through September. Blue crabs are found along the Atlantic coast of the Americas from Nova Scotia all the way to Argentina, and they molt several times throughout their life. Many people on the east coast of the US associate spring with “soft shell crab season,” especially in Maryland (which is known for its crab production). Many restaurants on the east coast put soft shells on their menus as soon as they’re available. It’s considered a spring tradition by crab enthusiasts.
How are soft shell crabs harvested?
Crabbers catch blue crabs and separate out the ones that molt. Catching soft shell crabs is the same as catching other crabs—they’re lured into a giant cage (called a crab pot) and transported into large saltwater tanks for storage and shipping. Crabbers check on the crabs constantly (about every 4-5 hours) to see if any are molting. It’s a taxing job since it might be weeks until some crabs shed their shells! Depending on how many crabs there are, they might be put in individual cages for easier observation. Once a fisherman spots a molted crab, it’s immediately removed from its tank since the new shell will harden within hours. Molted crabs are either delivered to fresh seafood markets alive or immediately rinsed, cleaned, individually packed, and frozen for distribution. Soft shell crabs are incredibly fragile and susceptible to injury or death during harvest, and it’s hard to predict when they’ll molt. This is what makes them a specialty!
Soft Shell Crab Nutrition Information
Soft shell crab is low in calories and fat, and high in protein. Before it’s cooked or fried, a 4 ounce (113 g) serving of soft shell crab has only about 95 calories and 20 grams of protein—a healthy meal! It’s also completely carbless and very low in fat, with just 0.8 grams of fat per serving. On the downside, soft shell crab is high in cholesterol (109 mg per serving) and sodium (448 mg per serving). Nutritionally, soft shells are a source of calcium (102 mg), potassium (294 mg), and a little bit of iron (0.6 mg per serving, or 3% of the recommended daily intake).
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