What Delicious Sentinel Crab Dishes Can You Make? 14 Easy Recipes

Flower crab is a familiar seafood known for its natural sweet taste, firm meat, and high nutritional value. Not only is it easy to prepare, but flower crab can also be combined with many ingredients to create delicious dishes, suitable for everything from family meals to parties such as hotpots, stir-fries, steaming, porridge, or grilling… If you are wondering what to cook with flower crab, let’s explore 14 delicious and easy-to-make flower crab dishes in this article by Ola Squid!

1. What to cook with flower crab?

Here are suggestions for flower crab dishes that are easy to make, rich in flavor, and will surely impress anyone who tastes them:

1.1. Chili salt stir-fried flower crab

Ingredients:

• 300g flower crab claws
• 20g minced chili, 20g butter
• 20g shrimp salt, 40g sugar
• 1 ginger root, 1 garlic bulb

How to make chili salt stir-fried flower crab:

• After buying flower crab claws, wash them clean. Peel and mince the garlic, and peel and crush the ginger. Boil a pot of water with the ginger, add the claws and cook for about 7 minutes. Remove and drain, then slightly crack the claws so they can easily absorb the seasoning.
• Next, mix the shrimp salt, minced chili, and sugar with a bit of water. Boil slightly until dissolved and set aside.
• Then, sauté the minced garlic with butter in another pan, add the crab claws and stir well. When the butter has reduced, add the chili salt mixture and stir-fry until evenly coated and dry. Turn off the heat. Present on a plate, garnish with herbs, and enjoy while hot.

1.2. Tamarind stir-fried flower crab

Ingredients:

• 1kg flower crab
• 1 garlic bulb, 70g ripe tamarind
• 1.5 teaspoons tapioca starch
• 30g seasoning such as sugar, broth mix, salt…

How to prepare tamarind stir-fried flower crab:

• First, wash the flower crab, separate the carapace and keep the roe separately. Handle gently so as not to break the claws and legs, then use a mallet or knife to lightly crack the claws so the seasoning absorbs evenly. Remove the seeds from the ripe tamarind, soak in boiling water, then mash with sugar and broth mix. Strain to get the sauce. Mix the tapioca starch with a little cold water and stir well.
• Next, sauté minced garlic with oil, add the crab and stir-fry until almost cooked. Add the tamarind sauce and tapioca starch water, simmer over low heat, and stir until the sauce thickens and coats the crab evenly.
• The tamarind stir-fried flower crab should be golden, with firm meat and an attractive sweet and sour sauce. You should serve it with green chili salt or salt and pepper to enhance the flavor.

1.3. Salted egg stir-fried flower crab

Ingredients:

• 500g flower crab
• 80g vegetable butter
• 5 salted egg yolks
• 3 shallots, 1/2 garlic bulb
• 2 stalks of green onion
• 100ml cooking oil, 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• Salt, sugar, MSG, broth mix

Instructions for making salted egg stir-fried flower crab:

• First, steam the flower crab in a pot of boiling water with 1 teaspoon of salt until the crab changes color and is just cooked. Remove the abdominal flap, gills, and carapace, then cut the body in half.
• Mince the garlic, shallots, and green onions. Mash the salted egg yolks. Then, heat 100 ml of oil over medium heat and fry the crab for about 2 minutes until lightly golden. Remove and drain the oil.
• Next, sauté the garlic and shallots with oil until fragrant and golden. Add the mashed salted egg yolks, butter, oyster sauce, broth mix, sugar, and MSG, and stir well. Add the crab and stir-fry until coated with the sauce. Once the sauce thickens, turn off the heat and sprinkle with green onions.

1.4. Beer-steamed flower crab

Ingredients:

• 4 flower crabs about 1-1.2 kg
• ½ can of beer, 3 stalks of lemongrass
• 1 green chili, 1 lemon
• Salt, pepper

Simple way to prepare beer-steamed flower crab:

• Keep the ties on the crab to avoid injury, then flip it over and use a sharp knife to immobilize the crab before cutting the ties and washing it. Then use a small brush to clean the carapace, claws, and legs. Peel the outer layer of lemongrass, wash, cut into sections, and crush.
• Next, put the crab and lemongrass into a pot, pour in the beer, cover tightly, and boil for about 10-15 minutes until the crab turns a beautiful red color.
• Finally, place the crab on a plate and eat it hot with salt, pepper, green chili, and lemon. Steamed flower crab retains its fresh flavor and the aroma of beer and lemongrass, making it a light and non-greasy dish.

>>See more: How to make delicious steamed squid with beer, sweet and not fishy at home.

1.5. Flower crab noodle soup (Banh canh ghe)

Ingredients:

• 500g flower crab, 500g pork bones
• 200g shrimp, 200g straw mushrooms
• 100g fish cake, 100g blood curd
• 1kg rice flour noodles (banh canh)
• Shallots, green onions, cilantro
• Lemon, chili
• Annatto seeds, MSG, oil, sugar, broth mix, salt

How to cook flower crab noodle soup:

• Wash the pork bones, soak them in diluted salt water, and blanch them to keep the broth clear. Wash the crab and shrimp. Trim the stems of the straw mushrooms and cut them in half if large. Cut the fish cake into bite-sized pieces and fry until golden. Cut the blood curd into pieces and blanch them. Sauté the shallots until golden. Chop the green onions and cilantro, mince the chili, and slice the lemon.
• Put the flower crab and shrimp into a pot of water with 1 tablespoon of fried shallot oil and boil until cooked. Then, stir-fry the annatto seeds with oil and strain to get the yellow oil.
• Next, stew the pork bones for 45 minutes and skim off the foam. Add the straw mushrooms and season to taste. When the water boils, add the blood curd and 1 tablespoon of annatto oil, and cook for another 2 minutes. If you like a thick broth, you can mix in some tapioca starch.
• Finally, blanch the noodles, pour in the broth with the flower crab, shrimp, fish cake, and blood curd. Sprinkle with green onions and cilantro and enjoy while hot to keep the noodles chewy and the broth naturally sweet and rich.

1.6. Crispy fried baby flower crab

Ingredients:

• Baby flower crab: 400g
• Crispy frying flour: 600g
• Salt, oil, chili sauce, fish sauce, chili

Instructions for making crispy fried baby flower crab:

• After buying baby flower crabs, remove the carapaces and abdominal flaps. Soak in diluted salt water for 2-3 minutes then wash thoroughly. Next, put the crabs in a basin, add the crispy frying flour, and mix well so the crabs are coated with a fine layer of flour.
• Then heat 150 ml of cooking oil in a pan, and fry the crabs over medium heat until golden brown and cooked through. The fried baby crabs will have a golden color, be fragrant and fatty, and are perfect when dipped in chili fish sauce or chili sauce.

1.7. Soy sauce marinated flower crab

Ingredients:

• Fresh flower crab: 2kg
• Water: 2 liters
• Soy sauce: 1.4 liters
• Apple: 1 large fruit
• Onion: 2 bulbs
• Garlic: 100g, Ginger: 50g
• Fresh chili: 10g
• Dried peppers (gochujang style): 10 pieces
• Sugar: 200g

How to make soy sauce marinated flower crab:

• First, use a brush to clean the carapace, legs, and crevices of the flower crab, then wash thoroughly and drain. You can soak the crab in white wine or crushed ginger to reduce the fishy smell.
• Then put water, soy sauce, sugar, onion, apple, chili, dried peppers, garlic, and ginger into a pot. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer for 1 hour to let all the flavors out.
• Next, remove the vegetables and let the soy sauce cool completely. Place the crabs belly-up in a container, pour the soy sauce in, and press down lightly so the crabs are completely submerged. Add garlic and chili slices if you like. Marinate in the refrigerator for 3 days before serving. To preserve it longer, take the soy sauce out to boil again, let it cool completely, and pour it back in; this can keep it for up to 7 days. Note: when eating, you should remove the gills.

>> Refer more: What to cook with sea crab? See the list of 15 super attractive dishes now.

1.8. Flower crab porridge

Ingredients:

• 1 flower crab
• 60g sticky rice, 60g plain rice
• 2 shallots, ½ carrot
• ½ tablespoon oil

How to cook a simple flower crab porridge:

• First, flip the abdominal flap, immobilize the crab, then remove the ties and scrub the carapace, legs, and claws clean. Keep the 2 large claws, remove the abdominal flap and the gills. Separate the carapace, wash, and drain.
• Peel the carrot and dice it, then mince the shallots. Soak the sticky rice and plain rice for 1-2 hours, then wash them. Boil the flower crab for 10 minutes, soak in cold water for 1 minute, then extract the meat.
• Next, sauté the shallots with oil, then quickly stir-fry the crab meat over low heat and turn off the heat. Then cook the rice with 2 liters of water for about 30 minutes. Add the carrot and stir-fried crab meat, cook for another 2 minutes, then season to taste. Turn off the heat and enjoy while hot.

1.9. Flower crab soup with water spinach

Ingredients:

• 500g flower crab
• 1kg water spinach
• 3 minced garlic cloves, 2 minced shallots
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil, 1 teaspoon MSG
• ½ teaspoon salt

How to prepare flower crab soup with water spinach:

• Use a brush to clean the crab, flip the abdominal flap, immobilize it, and remove the ties. Keep the 2 large claws, remove the abdominal flap and gills, then wash and cut in half. Clean the water spinach, wash, and drain.
• Next, put a pan on the stove, sauté the minced shallots with 1 tablespoon of oil, add the crab and stir-fry until cooked, then season with MSG and salt.
• Then bring 1 liter of water to a boil, add cooking oil and minced garlic, and season to taste. Finally, add the water spinach and blanch it, then add the stir-fried crab and cook for another 5 minutes. The flower crab soup with water spinach is delicious, with a naturally sweet broth and green, nutritious vegetables.

1.10. Flower crab hotpot

Ingredients:

• 3-5 blue swimmer crabs (flower crabs)
• 1kg rice vermicelli
• 7-9 shallots, green peppercorns
• Vegetables: Malabar spinach, angled luffa
• Enoki mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, king oyster mushrooms
• Fish sauce, salt, broth mix, MSG, sugar

How to make flower crab hotpot:

• Soak the crabs in ice water to keep the claws and legs intact, then remove the carapaces, get rid of the dirty parts, and wash clean. Slice the shallots and crush the green peppercorns. Shallots and pepper help eliminate the fishy smell and make the hotpot broth more fragrant.
• Next, sauté the shallots until golden, then add the pepper and stir until fragrant. Pour the mixture into a pot of boiling water, season with salt, broth mix, fish sauce, MSG, and sugar to taste, avoiding over-seasoning to keep the natural sweetness of the crab and mushrooms.
• When the water boils, put the crabs in and cook for 5-7 minutes. Take the crabs out, dip the vegetables and mushrooms, and enjoy while hot. The flower crab hotpot has a naturally sweet broth, eye-catching red crabs, and a strong aroma of shallots and pepper.

>>See more: How to cook a delicious squid hotpot with full flavor: fresh squid, clear and sweet broth.

1.11. Stir-fried flower crab

Ingredients needed:

• 500g flower crab claws
• 10g vegetable butter, 30g garlic
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 tablespoon satay chili
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon white wine
• 5g Vietnamese coriander (rau ram), 5g ginger
• A bit of sugar, MSG
• 30ml cooking oil

How to make stir-fried flower crab:

• First, you need to wash the crab claws with diluted salt water, then wash them again with clean water. Then boil a pot 3/4 full of water with a few slices of ginger and white wine, cook the claws for 7 minutes, and remove to drain. Mince the garlic and chop the Vietnamese coriander.
• Sauté the garlic with oil until golden and fragrant, then add the melted butter. Next, add fish sauce, sugar, MSG, satay chili, and oyster sauce and stir well. Stir-fry the claws for 10 minutes over medium heat until seasoned and the sauce thickens.
• Then place the crab on a plate, sprinkle Vietnamese coriander on top, and enjoy. The butter garlic stir-fried flower crab has an eye-catching red color, a wonderful aroma, and firm, rich meat. For those who enjoy chewy textures, our flattened dried squid makes a great side dish for any seafood feast.

1.12. Flower crab in spicy soy sauce

Ingredients:

• Flower crab: 3 crabs
• Korean soybean paste: 1/2 teaspoon
• Dried anchovies: 4 pieces
• Soy sauce: 45 ml
• Korean chili paste (Gochujang): 30 g
• Chili powder: 1 tablespoon
• Minced ginger: 1/2 teaspoon
• Minced garlic, pepper: 1 teaspoon each

How to prepare flower crab in spicy soy sauce:

• First, wash the crab with diluted salt water then rinse with clean water. Keep the ties on to avoid injury, flip the flap, and poke the indentation under the belly to extend the claws and legs. Then remove the abdominal flap, gills, and any eggs outside the flap (if any). Keep only the 2 large claws, wash and drain.
• Next, put 300 ml of filtered water with dried anchovies and Korean soybean paste over low heat for 5 minutes, then remove the anchovies. Add chili paste, chili powder, soy sauce, rice wine, garlic, ginger, and pepper. Stir well to combine.
• Then pour the spicy sauce over the crab and simmer for 5-7 minutes until the sauce slightly thickens and seasons the crab evenly, turning the meat a beautiful red. Korean spicy sauce flower crab is great with hot rice or vermicelli; it’s mildly spicy, rich, and extremely attractive.

1.13. Garlic butter flower crab

Ingredients

• 1kg fresh flower crab
• 20g chili powder, 30g chili sauce
• 1 cucumber
• 50g minced garlic
• 20g Vietnamese coriander
• Fish sauce, sugar, MSG, broth mix, seasoning powder, salt, oil

Instructions on how to make garlic butter flower crab:

• Wash the crab, remove the abdominal flap and carapace, then soak in diluted salt water for 10-15 minutes to deodorize. Rinse and drain. Cut large crabs in half; leave small ones whole.
• Put the crab in a large bowl and marinate with fish sauce, seasoning powder, broth mix, sugar, MSG, chili powder, and minced garlic. Mix well and let the crab absorb the seasoning for about 15 minutes.
• Next, heat a pan with oil and sauté minced garlic until lightly golden. Add the crab and stir well over medium heat until it turns red. Remove and set aside.
• Next, add chili sauce, water, sugar, and chili powder to the pan and boil slightly. Return the crab to the pan and stir until the sauce thickens and coats the crab completely, then turn off the heat.
• Serve on a plate with sliced cucumber and Vietnamese coriander. Garlic butter flower crab tastes even better when dipped in lemon salt and pepper or sweet and sour fish sauce.

See more: What to cook with crab? Suggestions for 15 attractive crab dishes you’ll love.

1.14. Bird’s nest flower crab soup

Ingredients needed:

• 600g flower crab (2-3 crabs)
• 8g bird’s nest (1 piece)
• 2 chicken eggs, 1 sweet corn
• 500g chicken bones, 20g cornstarch
• 100g enoki mushrooms
• ½ lemon
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon rock sugar

Detailed instructions for cooking bird’s nest flower crab soup:

• First, wash the fresh crab and steam with water and lemon zest for about 20 minutes until cooked. Let it cool and extract the meat.
• Wash the chicken bones with diluted salt water, cut into pieces, and blanch in boiling water for 30-45 seconds, then drain.
• Soak the bird’s nest in cooled boiled water for 1-2 hours to soften, then tear into small strands, rinse through a sieve, and drain.
• Next, put 1.5 liters of water and chicken bones into a pot and cook over medium heat for 30-45 minutes. After 20 minutes, add the sliced corn and cook for another 10-15 minutes, then remove the bones and corn.
• Season the broth with salt and rock sugar. Then mix cornstarch with water and gradually add to the pot while stirring to create a thick consistency. Pour in the beaten eggs while stirring gently in one direction to create egg ribbons. Add enoki mushrooms, cook for about 5 minutes, and turn off the heat.
• Ladle the soup into a bowl, then place the flower crab meat and bird’s nest on top, cover, and steam for about 20 minutes.

2. Frequently Asked Questions

2.1. Is eating flower crab good for you?

Flower crab is a highly nutritious seafood and is very good for health if used appropriately. Flower crab meat contains high protein and low fat, helping to provide energy and support muscle development, making it suitable for a healthy diet. Additionally, flower crab is rich in calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, and essential vitamins such as A, B, and C, which are beneficial for bones, blood formation, and boosting the immune system.

Besides its nutritional value, flower crab is also noted for its ability to help reduce bad cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, contributing to cardiovascular protection. From a nutritional perspective, flower crab helps clear heat, supplement blood, and is good for both children and the elderly.

2.2. How many calories are in flower crab?

Flower crab is a seafood with relatively low calorie content but is very rich in nutrients. On average, 100g of whole flower crab provides about 50-60 calories, while 100g of crab meat contains about 100-110 calories. This energy level is suitable for those pursuing a healthy diet or controlling their weight.

2.3. How to distinguish between crab and flower crab

Crabs and flower crabs both belong to the crustacean family and have similar shapes; however, there are still clear differences. Flower crabs usually have flat bodies, thin carapaces, and long legs, especially a pair of slender claws; they move quickly and flexibly. The flower crab carapace is often light green, green with white spots, or slightly purple, and the meat is sweet and soft.

In contrast, mud crabs have larger, firmer bodies with thick, heavy carapaces and short, strong legs. Mud crabs move more slowly than flower crabs, and their meat is chewier and richer in flavor, often used in dishes that require a lot of meat like stir-fried crab, sauced crab, or hotpot. Additionally, mud crabs often live in brackish water, mud, or mangroves, while flower crabs mainly live in the sea.

With its naturally sweet taste and high nutritional value, flower crab can be processed into many attractive dishes, from simple ones like steamed crab or stir-fried crab with salt to more elaborate ones like garlic butter crab, tamarind crab, or bird’s nest flower crab soup. Through this article, we hope to have helped you answer the question of “what to cook with flower crab”. To discover more interesting culinary articles and delicious food suggestions to make your meals complete, don’t forget to visit olasquid.com shop right now!