Fatty Crab's Chili Crab Recipe (2024)

Recipe from Fatty Crab

Adapted by Matt Lee and Ted Lee

Updated Feb. 28, 2024

Fatty Crab's Chili Crab Recipe (1)

Total Time
About 20 minutes
Rating
4(76)
Notes
Read community notes

Matt Lee and Ted Lee snatched this recipe for chili crab from chef Zakary Pelaccio before the first Fatty Crab opened in New York. There are now locations in St. John and Hong Kong. With the restaurant, Pelaccio pays homage to a crab joint he frequented during a seven-month cooking stint in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This recipe calls for blue crabs and spices them up with chili sauce, garlic and ginger among much else. Serve with crab picks, cold beer and many napkins. —Matt Lee And Ted Lee

Featured in: The Industry; The Gambler

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have

    10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers.

    Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Print Options

    Include recipe photo

Advertisem*nt

Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 2tablespoons chili sauce, like sriracha
  • 3tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1tablespoon sugar
  • 3tablespoons rice-wine vinegar
  • 3tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1cup chopped shallots (about 8 ounces)
  • 4cloves garlic, sliced
  • 1tablespoon freshly grated ginger
  • teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1tablespoon peanut oil
  • 8blue crabs, cleaned and split, large claws slightly cracked
  • 1egg yolk, beaten
  • ½cup chopped scallions for garnishing

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

184 calories; 6 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 22 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 10 grams sugars; 12 grams protein; 1081 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Fatty Crab's Chili Crab Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    In a large bowl, whisk the chili sauce, soy sauce, sugar, rice-wine vinegar, tomato paste and sesame oil with 1¼ cups water and reserve.

  2. Step

    2

    Place the shallots, garlic, ginger and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture becomes a smooth paste. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water.

  3. Step

    3

    Heat the peanut oil in a wok over high heat, and when it shimmers, add the shallot paste and fry for 30 seconds until very fragrant. Add the crabs and ⅓ of the chili sauce, and when the liquid simmers, continue to cook for 2 minutes, shaking the pan to cover the crabs with the sauce.

  4. Step

    4

    Add the remaining chili sauce to the pan, and when it reaches a simmer, turn the heat to medium-low, cover the pan and continue to simmer vigorously about 8 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch paste, and when the liquid in the pan thickens, turn off the heat. Add the egg yolk and stir again to combine. Divide the crabs and sauce among 4 plates, sprinkle with the chopped scallions and serve immediately, with crab picks and many napkins.

Ratings

76

user ratings

Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.

Cooking Notes

LEL

What exactly does "...crabs, cleaned and split" mean? This is accomplished with live crabs?

Cary

This is great. Used 4 soft-shell crabs instead. Did not use rice wine, water worked well. No left overs.

Charlotte

Just used a third of the cornstarch slurry. Otherwise, great dish! Been awhile since I was in Singapore, but this definitely brought back the memory of a wonderful dish. Great New Year's Eve dish!

Shawn

Crabs cleaned and split means that they are already long dead, maybe even frozen . The shelves have been leveraged off, the insides are cleaned out and the the crabs are snapped in two .

Carl

What a waste of good crab! Steam them in a cup of vinegar and a cup of beer with some old bay sprinkled on the crabs in the pot. Put a trivet in the bottom of the pot so them do not boil.

AllisonT

Good. The sriracha overwhelmed, so I'll halve that and kick up the ginger next time. Hard to add cornstarch and stir with crabjs in the way, so next time I might omit cornstarch, or remove the crabs to warmed plates and then thicken the sauce. I made with soft shell crabs and served over basmati rice.

Charlotte

Just used a third of the cornstarch slurry. Otherwise, great dish! Been awhile since I was in Singapore, but this definitely brought back the memory of a wonderful dish. Great New Year's Eve dish!

William Fite

Nothing new here. Crabs have been cooked and served in this manner for decades on the Gulf Coast of Florida and in the Panhandle. Sorry, Chef Pelaccio, others beat you to it.

LEL

What exactly does "...crabs, cleaned and split" mean? This is accomplished with live crabs?

Margaret

We've done similar recipes (and will do this one) with leftover steamed or boiled blue crabs from a crab feast. Just shorten the cooking times.
To kill live crabs if you're squeamish, put them in the coldest part of the fridge or in the freezer for a little while. Or in ice water. It immobilizes them. Stab them on the underside behind the mouth and proceed.

Cary

This is great. Used 4 soft-shell crabs instead. Did not use rice wine, water worked well. No left overs.

Private notes are only visible to you.

Fatty Crab's Chili Crab Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best crab for chilli crab? ›

Live mud crab is the first and most traditional choice for the ultimate Singapore Chilli Crab eating experience. Known for their fearsomely large claws full of sweet, juicy meat, live mud crabs are sold in Australia and Asia at fish markets and large seafood shops.

Which country invented chili crab? ›

The origins of the most commonly known version of chili crab today could be traced back to the 1950s in Singapore and Malaysia. Cher Yam Tian and her husband Lim Choo Ngee began selling stir-fried crabs mixed with bottled chilli and tomato sauce from a pushcart since 1956.

What national dish is chilli crab? ›

Chilli crab is a popular seafood dish among locals and foreigners in Singapore, and consists of mud crabs deep-fried in a sweet, savoury and spicy gravy. It has been referred to in various food publications as Singapore's national seafood dish or even Singapore's national dish.

What is the famous crab dish in Singapore? ›

Chilli crab is among Singapore's greatest culinary inventions, the king of all crab dishes. It is easily available in most seafood restaurants, which typically serve it with mud crabs that have deliciously sweet and juicy flesh.

Which cooking method is best for crab? ›

One of the most popular ways to cook a crab, especially in Maryland and along the eastern shore, steaming provides an even and gentle cook for the delicate meat. The extreme heat caused by the method brings exquisite flavor into it without as much of a threat of overcooking.

Which crab has the best flavor? ›

The blue crab is among the best types of crab due to its sweetness and quality flavor. Many describe the flavor as rich and buttery. The taste of the claw meat also has a nutty flavor. You can eat the softshells, and the cooked shells turn an orangish-red.

What do you eat chilli crab with? ›

Chilli Crab has become synonymous with Singaporean cuisine. It consists of tender, juicy crab meat cooked in a spicy tomato-chili sauce and served with rice or fluffy buns on the side.

Why do people like chilli crab? ›

The dish has all the tastes of sweet, spicy, sour, salty and umami. The secret of the dish is of course the fresh Sri Lankan Mud crabs and those are then cooked in a sauce of chillies, ginger, garlic, ketchup, fermented soy beans and eggs. Dipping deep fried buns known as mantou in the sauce is a must!

How spicy is chili crab? ›

Whether they can go easy depends on if they batch cook the sauce, or if they are large enough to have a mild version. It is not so spicy that just name as Chili Crab in terms of tomato in chili base sauce. You can ask less spicy when you place the order.

What is a chilli crab bun called? ›

An easy dish to whip up, this Chilli Crab Dip is best mopped up with fried pillowy mantou buns.

What is the Flavour of chilli crab? ›

Singapore Chilli Crab is all about the addictive sauce, a mix of tomato, eggs and aromatic spices. The crab is then stir-fried in the delicious sauce and served with rice or man tou (fried buns) to soak up every last drop. A good Singapore Chilli crab should not be overwhelmingly spicy or sweet.

What is black crab food? ›

The black crab has long been central to Raizal cuisine. It is eaten boiled or stewed, accompanied by rice, in empanadas or in rondón, a traditional dish that also contains meat and fish.

What is the best crab in the world? ›

The King crab is known as the best of the best when it comes to crab meat and it is usually a delicacy and eaten on its own or with a buttery dip.

Is chilli crab expensive? ›

JUMBO Seafood ( $83-$185)

Currently, they sell their Sri Lankan mud crabs according to weight. Each crab set consists of two crabs, and the lightest crabs available are in the 800g range. Two of these can be had for $83. The heaviest are 1.6kg and cost $185 for two.

What is the most popular crab in the world? ›

Prized all over the world for their monstrous legs and sweet, tender meat – King crab outshines the rest of the pack with unparalleled size, taste and texture.

What is the best crab meat to use? ›

Lump crabmeat is best for fancy, impression-making dishes where appearance matters, like butter-poached crab or crab Louis, where you want big, fork-friendly chunks. When it comes to fine dining and restaurant-quality crab cakes, lump crabmeat is the grade of choice.

What is the best type of crab for crab cakes? ›

If you can, we highly recommend buying jumbo crab meat for your crab cakes. This meat comes from two large muscles, and is known for its bright white color and superior taste.

Which crab meat is better for crab cakes? ›

Try Jumbo Lump for Crab Cakes

Make the most of your favorite crab cake recipe by incorporating jumbo lump crab meat into your crab cakes. Using this type of crab meat will help to ensure that your crab cakes are made with a significant portion of meat versus filler ingredients such as mustard or breadcrumbs.

What is chilli crab made of? ›

Chilli crab is dish made up of stir-fried crabs cooked in a thick, savoury chilli sauce varying in levels of sweetness and spiciness, typically served with small mantou buns (fried or steamed Chinese buns).

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Clemencia Bogisich Ret

Last Updated:

Views: 6020

Rating: 5 / 5 (60 voted)

Reviews: 83% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Clemencia Bogisich Ret

Birthday: 2001-07-17

Address: Suite 794 53887 Geri Spring, West Cristentown, KY 54855

Phone: +5934435460663

Job: Central Hospitality Director

Hobby: Yoga, Electronics, Rafting, Lockpicking, Inline skating, Puzzles, scrapbook

Introduction: My name is Clemencia Bogisich Ret, I am a super, outstanding, graceful, friendly, vast, comfortable, agreeable person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.