Steamed Blue Crabs
Submitted by sfischer53
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.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
30 minREADY
1 hrsSpread the newspaper, grab the mallets, and crack open some cold ones. It’s crab pickin’ time.
This is the Chesapeake way: live blue crabs layered in a big pot with a generous pour of beer and vinegar, buried under seafood seasoning and salt, then steamed under a tight lid until they turn bright, beautiful red.
Serve them hot in a pile on the table, or chill them down for picking later. Either way, have plenty of napkins and melted butter standing by.
Kitchen Tips
- A tight-fitting lid is critical; the steam is what cooks these crabs, so don’t let it escape
- Layer the crabs and seasoning in batches so the spice hits every crab evenly
- The crabs are done when they turn bright red, usually around 20 to 30 minutes
- Beer adds flavor to the steam, but water works fine if you’d rather skip the alcohol
Ingredients
Directions
Mix seasonings, vinegar and beer (or water) well.
Put one-half crabs in very large pot with rack and TIGHT fitting lid.
Pour one-half seasoning mixture over top of crabs.
Add rest of crabs and remaining liquid.
Steam, covered until crabs turn bright red in color, about 20 or 30 minutes.
Serve hot or cold.
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