FREE PRINTABLE RECIPE
Get the Printable Recipe PDF (Free)
Enter your email and we’ll send you the ingredients + step-by-step instructions as a clean PDF you can save to your phone.
- ✅ Printable PDF (ingredients + steps)
- ✅ Save it to your phone (no long scrolling)
- ✅ Includes cook time + servings
- ✅ Easy to follow
FAQ
Where’s the full recipe?
It’s delivered as a printable PDF so you can save it and cook without scrolling.
I didn’t get the email.
Check Spam/Promotions and search your inbox for your site name. Then click Confirm to receive the PDF.
juicy crab sauce recipe
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Halal, Dairy-free
Description
This recipe creates a rich and deeply satisfying juicy crab sauce, transforming fresh crab into a gourmet yet easy-to-prepare weeknight meal. It features a flavorful tomato-based sauce with aromatics and a creamy, zesty coconut-lime crema for garnish.
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg Dungeness or blue crab, cleaned and cracked into pieces
- 80 g unsalted butter
- 2 large shallots, finely minced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 10 g smoked paprika
- 2 g cayenne pepper, adjust to taste
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
- 40 g tomato paste
- 400 g canned crushed tomatoes
- 250 ml chicken or vegetable stock, halal-certified
- Sea salt, to taste
- 120 ml canned full-fat coconut milk
- 30 ml fresh lime juice
- 5 g lime zest
- 1 small fresh red chili, finely minced (seeds removed)
- 15 g fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- 0.5 small fresh red chili, thinly sliced (for garnish)
Instructions
- Prepare the Crab: Thoroughly clean and crack the fresh Dungeness or blue crab into manageable pieces; set them aside, ensuring all shell bits are removed.
- Saute Aromatics: In a large, wide pot or deep 10-inch skillet, melt the 80 g unsalted butter over medium heat. Add the minced shallots and cook until softened and translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
- Build the Sauce Base: Stir in the minced garlic, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute more until deeply fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic. (For a milder, kid-friendly version, omit the cayenne pepper here.)
- Deepen Flavors: Add the 40 g tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Pour in the 400 g crushed tomatoes and 250 ml chicken or vegetable stock. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Season with sea salt to taste.
- Cook the Crab: Carefully add the cracked crab pieces to the simmering sauce. Stir gently to coat all the crab. Cover the pot and cook for 8-12 minutes, or until the crab meat looks opaque and is cooked through. (If the sauce seems too thick, a splash more stock can loosen it up. For extra heat, a pinch more cayenne or hot sauce can be added now.)
- Prepare the Crema: While the crab cooks, prepare the Spicy Coconut-Lime Crema. In a small bowl, whisk together the 120 ml full-fat coconut milk, 30 ml fresh lime juice, 5 g lime zest, and finely minced red chili until smooth. Season with a pinch of sea salt and set aside.
- Finish and Serve: Once the crab is cooked and the sauce has thickened slightly, remove the pot from the heat. Ladle the crab and sauce into a wide bowl. Generously drizzle the prepared Spicy Coconut-Lime Crema over the top in a contrasting swirl pattern. Garnish with the roughly chopped fresh cilantro and a few vibrant red chili rings. Enjoy.
Notes
To store, cool leftover crab sauce completely and transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 2-3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat to prevent crab from overcooking. For dietary goals, serve over zucchini noodles or cauliflower rice for a low-carb option. Hearts of palm or artichoke hearts can substitute crab for a plant-based version (using vegetable broth).
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: General
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 380 calories
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg
Keywords: juicy crab sauce, easy dinner, healthy, family-friendly, seafood, weeknight meal, spicy, coconut lime, Dungeness crab, blue crab
