What Is Crab, hard shell and How Can I Use It?

Here's everything worth knowing about crab, hard shell and how to pick it, what it is, how to store it, and what to use instead, plus 22 recipes to cook tonight.

Nutrition

Food group

Crab, hard shell is a member of the Finfish and Shellfish Products US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

How much does crab, hard shell weigh?

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Finfish and Shellfish Products

Recipes using crab, hard shell

There are 22 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Mary's Seafood Gumbo

Seafood gumbo loaded with shrimp, crab, and five pounds of okra smothered with tomatoes, garlic, and hot sauce. An authentic okra-thickened Cajun gumbo, no roux needed.

Kakuluwo(Crab Curry)

Kakuluwo (Sri Lankan crab curry) simmered in two stages of coconut milk with shallots, ginger, garlic, fenugreek, turmeric, curry leaves, and a finishing splash of lime. Bold, fragrant, deeply spiced.

Cheesy Fisherman's Grill

Cheesy fisherman's grill: canned salmon and fresh crab folded into a parsley-tomato béchamel, topped with parmesan, and broiled bubbling gold. A quick seafood gratin for two.

Barbecued Corn & Hard Shelled Crabs

Charcoal-grilled hard-shell crabs brushed with Thai chili paste, tomato, and garlic olive oil, served with corn grilled in the husk. A summer cookout feast with an East-meets-West kick.

Devilled Crabs

Devilled crabs with fresh-picked crab meat in a creamy mace-seasoned sauce with hard-boiled eggs, stuffed back into the shells and baked or deep-fried golden.

Grilled Maryland Soft Crabs & Seafood Marinade - Part 1 of 2

Grilled Maryland Soft Crabs & Seafood Marinade - Part 1 of 2 recipe

So Good Shrimp & Crab Spaghetti

Louisiana-style shrimp and crab spaghetti with hard-shell crabs simmered in a chili-spiked tomato sauce. Pasta cooks straight in the sauce, soaking up every drop of seafood flavor.

Liz & Tom's Crab Boil

Liz and Tom's crab boil: hard-shell crabs steamed over a citrus-and-spice broth with potatoes, corn on the cob, bay, and galangal. A summer seafood feast built for a crowd.

Steamed Blue Crabs

Live blue crabs steamed in beer, vinegar, and Old Bay-style seafood seasoning until bright red. A classic Chesapeake Bay crab feast recipe that's simple, messy, and absolutely worth it.

Sri Lanka Kakuluwo (Crab Curry)

This Sri Lankan kakuluwo simmers blanched crab in a spiced coconut gravy thickened with grated coconut and ground rice. Fenugreek, curry leaves, and lime make it unmistakably island-style.

Sri Lanka Kakuluwo

Kakuluwo is a Sri Lankan crab curry simmered in two rounds of coconut milk with fenugreek, grated coconut, and curry leaves. Messy to eat, absolutely worth every bite.

Spaghetti with Crabs

Whole hard-shell crabs simmered in a garlicky tomato sauce with red pepper flakes, cracked and tossed over spaghetti. Messy, hands-on, and worth every napkin.

Crispy Meat & Seafood Roll

Shrimp, chicken, water chestnuts, and Chinese ham wrapped in pork caul fat, deep-fried into crispy golden rolls, and served with hoisin dipping sauce. An impressive Chinese banquet appetizer with showstopping presentation.

Thai-Style Seafood Casserole with Basil

Crab, shrimp, fish, and squid braised in a clay pot with ginger, coriander root, mung bean noodles, and fresh basil in a soy-oyster sauce. A spectacular Thai seafood feast for four.

Shrimp & Crab Spaghetti

Gulf-style shrimp and crab spaghetti simmered in a rich tomato sauce with chili powder, basil, butter, and garlic. Whole crabs in the sauce make this a messy, hands-on feast.

Gumbo I

A savory and hearty dish made with succulent shrimp, juicy tomatoes and okra.

Indonesian Curried Crab

Indonesian curried crab simmers cracked whole crab in a rich coconut curry built on a fresh-ground paste of galangal, lemongrass, chili and candlenuts, balanced with sour tamarind. Fragrant, fiery, gloriously messy.

Frank's Place New Orleans Gumbo

New Orleans seafood gumbo loaded with shrimp, hard-shell crab, and shucked oysters in a roux-thickened broth with okra and the holy trinity. Served over rice, Cajun style.

Okra Seafood Gumbo

If you're having guests over, then try serving this succulent seafood dish that will have everyone giving compliments to the chef.

Maryland Crab Soup

Maryland crab soup with live blue crabs, beef stew meat, bacon, corn, tomatoes, and Old Bay. Slow-simmered Chesapeake Bay classic, sweet corn version.

Crab in Ginger Sauce

Chinese whole crab wok-fried with fresh ginger, scallions, and red pepper in a glossy sherry-soy sauce thickened with cornstarch. Messy, hands-on, and absolutely worth it.

Mahalia Jackson's Okra Gumbo

Mahalia Jackson's okra gumbo, a soulful Louisiana feast of crab, shrimp, beef, ham, sausage, and chicken in a tomato-okra base, built on a from-scratch shrimp-shell broth. Big-batch comfort, ladled over rice.

All 22 recipes