You can eat the entire soft-shell crab after it is cooked; it is crisp and tasty! My favorite food is this.
| Prep Time: | 25 mins |
| Cook Time: | 5 mins |
| Total Time: | 30 mins |
| Servings: | 4 |
Ingredients
- 4 soft-shell crabs
- 1 quart oil for frying, or as needed
- ½ cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Lift one pointed side of the top shell of one crab; pull out and discard the gills. Lower the shell and repeat on the other side. Remove the tail flap on the bottom side by twisting and pulling. Use a pair of scissors to cut behind the eyes and remove the face. Repeat to clean remaining crabs. Rinse cleaned crabs thoroughly with cold water, then dry on paper towels.
- Heat oil in a deep fryer to 365 degrees F (180 degrees C).
- Whisk together milk and egg in a shallow bowl. Combine flour, salt, and pepper in another shallow bowl. Lightly salt each crab. Dredge in flour; shake off excess. Dip into beaten egg. Lift up so excess egg drips back into the bowl. Press into flour to coat both sides.
- Working in batches if necessary, carefully lower crabs into the hot oil and fry until golden brown on one side, 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully turn and cook until golden brown on the other side, 1 to 2 minutes more. Drain on paper towels.
- Nutrition data for this recipe includes the full amount of breading ingredients. The actual amount of breading consumed will vary. We have determined the nutritional value of oil for frying based on a retention value of 10% after cooking. The exact amount will vary depending on cooking time and temperature, ingredient density, and specific type of oil used.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 358 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 25 g |
| Cholesterol | 65 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Protein | 9 g |
| Saturated Fat | 4 g |
| Sodium | 76 mg |
| Sugars | 2 g |
| Fat | 24 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
I tried a sauteed soft shell recipe in olive oil and it was good but this deep fried version was, as Guy would say, “Off the hook”. This the only way I will fix them from now on.
I didnt use the milk or flour and it was fantastic
So. . Good. Seasoned the flour, as mentioned in other reviews, and it was excellent.
I followed this recipe, which was excellent. They came out a nice golden-brown. I topped with some tartar sauce that I mixed With Old Bay seasoning. Truly Maryland all the way.
LOVE SOFT-SHELLS! My crabs were already cleaned. Other than that, I had no changes. The cooking time is perfect. Thank you WESTBRYANT for sharing your recipe!
needs WAY more spices in the flour mix but other than that easy and love the crab!
Soft shells are one of my favorite foods and I’ve tried many top rated recipes and this is by far the best! Just make sure your oil is the right temp before dropping them in.
Wow! This is an easy straightforward recipe! If you buy the crabs and have them cleaned by the fish monger this the rest takes no time. A cross between a light sauté and deep batter fried. Nice crunch and taste!
This is how we make them on the Chesapeake Bay. The egg and milk simply help the coating and seasoning stick to the crab and do not make a heavy crust or add/detract. Good cleaning instructions for anyone new to soft crabs.
As a native of Maryland, I have enjoyed the bounty of the Chesapeake Bay my whole life. I love hard and soft shell crab. This was my first time actually preparing soft shell crab. The only changes I made to this recipe was to add some Old Bay (it’s a Maryland thing)and I used egg white and light milk – very light wash. They turned out PERFECT! Everyone who indulged loved them!
Delicious! This was a hit with my friends as well as my gluten-free friends when I made it with the gluten-free flour for them. This simple recipe allows you to add creole spices for your soft shell crab po’ boys or just simple salt & pepper to pair with your favorite Asian sauce! (in the photo is a wasabi mayo)
YUM YUM, just cooked fresh softies right out of Chesapeake Bay in MD. This recipe is perfect and if you do not like it you must not be a true crab lover !!! Could eat softies everyday breakfast, lunch and dinner.. Be careful not to over cook
Pretty good but after my first attempt I sub’d Wondra Flour for Starch. Starch gave it a gummy Texture and strange taste.
My family & I love eating soft shell crab. 1st time I want to fried it myself & I’m using this recipe. It did not failed me! very glad with the outcome. I’ll using this recipe for any deep fry food!
Excellent recipe! However, we did substitute rice flour for the all-purpose flour, which made for a much lighter and fluffier crusting. Next time we are also considering Panko crumbs.
A good basic recipe, works every time. I add Old Bay and a few other little touches–Maryland style. A mix of corn meal and flour works very well, too. The details of dressing the crab are exactly right. Now that IQF soft shells are available, I can have them anytime I want.
First time to try soft shell crabs. Double dipped in flour because I like a good coating… came out great.
This is the same recipe that i use and it is spectactular! I brings out the natural flavor of the crab which is rich and sweet!
We didn’t like this a whole lot, and we love crab.
This recipe was great! I had never done anything like this before and the recipe and instructions were easy to follow and the results were delicious!
I loved this recipe — it was so simple. The only thing I added was the Old Bay Seasoning to give it a little bite.