How to Cook and Clean Dungeness Crab

Fresh caught Dungeness crab sitting on ice.

5 from 2 votes

How to Cook and Clean Dungeness Crab

The best way to cook and clean Dungeness crab! Whether freshly caught or purchased from your favorite seafood shop or grocery store, this step-by-step tutorial will be your guide to processing your fresh crab. Do not miss the section on shaking. It will save you so much time!

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Clean & Shake15

Total Time35

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 140kcal

Author: Kristin

Equipment

Ingredients

Dungeness Crab
Water
1-2 Tablespoons Sea Salt Depending on how many crabs

Instructions

Cooking

Before cooking, place your crab on ice in a dark location like a bucket or cooler so it slows them down. This will make cooking much easier as they won't be able to move their claws and legs as fast.
Take a large burner with a large pot filled with water about halfway.
NOTE: I prefer to cook crab outside on a portable burner. That way if it boils over it's not in the house. I also cook multiple at a time and this is the fastest way.
Bring the pot to a rolling boil. You don't want the water to stop boiling when the crab is added. Make sure you have a good boil before placing the crab in.
If you have a smaller pot, cook one crab at a time. If you have a large stock pot or canning pot a few can be cooked at the same time together. Do not over crowd the pot.
Add in a few tablespoons of Kosher or sea salt and place crab in the large pot. Make sure they are fully submerged.
Cook for 7-8 minutes per pound. We cook around 15 minutes for a 6-7 inch crab.
Once done, the crab will become a bright orange color.
Carefully remove from the boiling water and place in an ice bath. This will stop the cooking process and cool it down to clean.

Cleaning

If cleaning your crab inside, make sure you have a filter in your sink drain to catch all the pieces that get removed and washed out.
Take your chilled crab and start by taking off the top shell.
Hold down one side of the legs and gently peel away the top shell and toss.
Next, you're going to use your thumb and remove both ends of the body.
Removing both these pieces will make it easier to crack in half.
Take the mandible, which consists of its jaw, and peel it away.
Next, take the apron (or bottom) of the crab and break it off.
Scrape out the lungs on both sides.
Break the body in half and gently clean out all the lung butter/mustard (the yellowish orange stuff) with running water.
You can gently tap the body against a sink or other hard surface to help break it off.
Now enjoy your fresh dungeons crab or store, freeze and save for later. Freezing instructions in the notes below.

Notes

Do you clean the crab before cooking?

We have tested cleaning the crab before cooking and after cooking.

We have found that cooking the crab first and cleaning afterwards to be a lot easier. The body is much easier to clean after it has been cooked.

Freezing Dungeness Crab:

Yes! Dungeness crab can be frozen either whole or after the meat has been removed.

If freezing whole, cool the crab after cooking, then wrap in a freezer safe plastic wrap and store in a freezer safe bag.

When ready to eat, thaw in the refrigerator over night and then follow the cleaning and shaking process.

I prefer to process all our cab at one time so when we want to put a meal together, simply remove it from the freezer, thaw and enjoy!

Shaking Dungeness crab:

Learn how to quickly remove all the meat from your fresh crab. Get more info on how to shake a crab.

Nutrition