Steamed Crabs Maryland Style
These steamed crabs are prepared Maryland style with lots of Old Bay and a few family secrets to make them extra delicious.
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Many years ago I lived on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and my dad currently lives on the Chesapeake Bay in Annapolis, MD. This is our favorite way to enjoy freshly caught blue claw crabs at home (with jumbo lump crab cakes as a very close second!).
We go out early in the morning to catch them with a simple trot line rigged up with chicken legs and a dip net, then go home, nap, and have a Maryland crab feast with cold beer, corn, potato salad and maybe a few oysters if we're lucky.
While it's more popular to boil crabs in Louisiana and other southern states, Maryland style blue crabs are typically steamed with lots of Maryland crab seasoning aka Old Bay.
Where I live in New Jersey we catch crabs in the saltier waters of the ocean and bay but they are nothing compared to the crabs caught in the brackish water of the Chesapeake. Still, with the right seasonings and cooking technique, they're just as tasty to eat.
Why this recipe works
- A simple, beginner friendly recipe that anyone can make!
- Steamed in a mixture of beer, vinegar and Old Bay for incredible flavor.
- The addition of vinegar helps to soften the crab shells which makes them easier to pick.
- Any type of crab or crab legs can be steamed Maryland style flavors.
Essential Ingredients
- Crabs - Blue Crabs are traditional, as that's the local species in the coastal waters of the Chesapeake Bay, but this technique can be applied to any type of fresh crab or frozen crab.
- Old Bay Seasoning - Aside from the crabs, Old Bay is the most essential ingredient for making Maryland Style crabs. It's a mixture of celery seed, cayenne pepper and other spices that give the crabs that iconic Chesapeake flavor. In Maryland, it's common to see homemade Old Bay seasoning or Old Bay that's been doctored up with added sea salt, mustard powder and red chili flakes.
- Vinegar - Vinegar adds amazing flavor to the crabs, but it also helps soften the shells and make them easier to pick. Plain white vinegar is all you need here, but if you don't have any, white or red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar is fine. Avoid balsamic or anything with a lot of flavor.
- Beer - National Bohemian or "Natty Bo" is traditional in Baltimore, but any basic light beer is ideal. If you're avoiding alcohol for any reason, substitute a non alcoholic beer or just plain water instead.
Male vs Female Blue Crabs
It does not matter if your crabs are male or female, but some states, like Maryland, protect the female crabs, also called sooks, and therefore they're not legal to catch and keep.
Some say the females are sweeter than male crabs, and some have roe, or eggs, attached which is a prized delicacy and an important part of she crab soup. But that since that roe has the potential to turn into more crabs, sooks are not the most sustainable option.
Male crabs, known as Jimmies, are what you will find throughout the Chesapeake region. Jimmies can grow bigger than sooks, so they're meatier and perfect for feasting.
You can tell the difference between a male crab and female crab by flipping them on their backs and looking at the apron.
Male crabs have a long pointy apron down the center while females have a larger, wider apron with a small pointed tip at the bottom. Females also have red tips at the end of their blue claws.
It's best to get crabs just before they molt, as they will be heavier and contain more meat. Crabs caught shortly after molting are lighter and have less meat, but the shells are softer and easier to pick.
Helpful Tools
- Steamer Pot - A steamer pot, with a lid, is essential for steaming crabs, otherwise they will just boil in the liquid. If you don't have a steamer pot, you can place a heat-safe rack on the bottom of the largest pot you have.
- Tongs - A sturdy pair of stainless steel, long handled tongs are helpful for both getting the crabs into the pot and out of the pot.
- Claw Crackers - While not totally necessary, a good set of claw crackers can make eating the crabs a little bit easier for your guests.
Step by step instructions
- Add equal parts beer and vinegar to the bottom of a large steamer pot, about 1 inch.
- Bring the liquid to a boil, then add a single layer of live crabs. Be careful, they'll put up a fight!
- Sprinkle the crabs liberally with Old Bay seasoning, then repeat with 2-3 more layers of crabs, but no more than 4 total. Make sure the liquid is at a rolling boil.
- Cover and steam for about 8-12 minutes, depending on size. Larger crabs (#1's) will take 12 minutes, slightly smaller crabs (#2's) about 10 minutes, and smaller crabs about 8 minutes. Set a timer.
- Line a big table with newspaper or brown paper bags, then dump the steamed crabs out on top. Repeat with the rest of your crabs until they're all used up.
- Serve immediately with extra old bay, melted butter, corn on the cob and plenty of ice cold beer.
Tips for success
- This is more of a method than an exact recipe. The quantities and cook time will vary based on the size of your pot and the size of your crabs.
- Don't overcrowd the pot with too many crabs or the crabs on the bottom will overcook while the crabs on top might undercook. It's best to work in batches. The amount will depend on the size of your crabs and the size of your pot, but keep each batch to 4 layers or less.
- Some people like to remove the backs from the crabs and lean out the lungs and guts prior to steaming. This makes them a little easier and less messy to pick, but it takes away some of their flavor and adds more work for the cook. We prefer to cook them whole because they taste better that way.
- Don't be shy with the Old Bay Seasoning. Most of it will stick to the shells and won't actually make it to the crab meat, so the more the better.
- Rinse off the crab shells after picking and save them to make a rich seafood stock, which can be used in soups and stews like lobster bisque, clam chowder and cioppino!
Faq about Steamed Crabs Maryland Style
It's best to store live crabs in a cooler, with the lid perched open so they can breathe, with a layer of damp paper towels, paper bags or old rags on top to keep them moist.
Crabs typically won't stay alive for more than 24 hours out of the water, so it's best to cook them as soon a possible.
No way! We never use claw crackers in my house. A butter knife is all you need to help you break open the crab. To crack the claws, give them a good whack with the heavy back side of the knife, or if they're soft enough, crack them with your teeth.
No, any lifeless crabs should be discarded before cooking for both safety and taste. Once a crab dies, the meat becomes mushy and off-tasting. They can also make you sick. You'll know a crab is dead when it looks lifeless and its claws hang limp.
Pick the meat out of all remaining crabs and use it to make crab cakes, a crab salad or a crab soup. if making a soup, be sure to save and use the shells for the stock as well!
Related Recipes
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Steamed Maryland Blue Crabs
Ingredients
- ¾ cup light beer
- ¾ cup plain white distilled vinegar
- Live blue claw crabs about 3-6 per person, depending on size
- Old Bay seasoning to taste, plus more for serving
- melted butter for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Add equal parts beer and vinegar to the bottom of a large steamer pot, about 1 inch.
- Bring the liquid to a boil, then add a single layer of live crabs. Be careful, they'll put up a fight!
- Sprinkle the crabs liberally with Old Bay seasoning, then repeat with 2-3 more layers of crabs, but no more than 4 total. Make sure the liquid is at a rolling boil.
- Cover and steam for about 8-12 minutes, depending on size. Larger crabs (#1's) will take 12 minutes, slightly smaller crabs (#2's) about 10 minutes, and smaller crabs about 8 minutes. Set a timer.
- Line a big table with newspaper or brown paper bags, then dump the steamed crabs out on top. Repeat with the rest of your crabs until they're all used up.
- Serve immediately with extra old bay, melted butter, corn on the cob and plenty of ice cold beer.
Notes
- This is more of a method than an exact recipe. The quantities and cook time will vary based on the size of your pot and the size of your crabs.
- Don't overcrowd the pot with too many crabs or the crabs on the bottom will overcook while the crabs on top might undercook. It's best to work in batches. The amount will depend on the size of your crabs and the size of your pot, but keep each batch to 4 layers or less.
- Some people like to remove the backs from the crabs and lean out the lungs and guts prior to steaming. This makes them a little easier and less messy to pick, but it takes away some of their flavor and adds more work for the cook. We prefer to cook them whole because they taste better that way.
- Don't be shy with the Old Bay Seasoning. Most of it will stick to the shell and won't actually make it to the crab meat, so the more the better.
Great recipe with one comment. As a Maryland native, I put Old Bay on just about everything. For steaming crabs, we usually use J.O. Spice #2. It sticks better on the crab and that's what you typically get what you order at a crab house. Steaming crabs = J.O. Spice #2. Everything else (crabcakes, shrimp, crab fries, etc.) = Old Bay.
Thanks! I used Old Bay in the recipe since J.O's is hard to find outside of the state. Also, I personally find it a bit too salty. But I should include a blurb about it!
Awesome recipe. This was my first time cooking crabs at home and they came out perfect.
Best method for crabs - the vinegar is key. I was looking for a good recipe to make crabs here in Ocean City and stumbled upon yours. They came out perfect
Just but them in the freezer if it's big enough and they go to seep my dad always did this . That way he could tuck the claws in close to the body. Also when you put the old bay on them also put rock salt on them and make sure you do it on every layer of crabs. If you want scrape the seasoning of the shell on the paper so you can dip the meat in it for more spicy flavor.
Yes! These are awesome tips - especially the freezer one! I'm personally not a fan of the rock salt, but that's just me. I think it makes them too salty, but I know it's a Maryland thing! I always leave a crab back on my plate so I can dip the meat into the seasoning. It's so much better when it's cooked on the crab rather than just sprinkled out of the can. Thanks for your comment!
First time cooking crabs and they came out perfect. Husband wasn't sure about the vinegar but it gave them incredible flavor. We'll be using this from now on - thank you!
SO glad you enjoyed them!
First off, Eleanor Q is a beauty and I love that name. And thanks for sharing all those great photos of you and the family and the oysters and the crabs... I could pick crab and drink beer and listen to good tunes on a dock like that forever and ever. Somehow I've never done a crab boil myself, and I do believe it's about time.
I LOVE them this way! It just has 'Atlantic Coast Seashore' written all over it and I would HIGHLY recommend that if you're visiting anywhere on the coast from Maryland to Massachusetts, you really need to have this on your bucket list!
Another fave of prepping blue crabs is to dunk them in a bucket of ice water for about 5 - 10 minutes. It puts them to sleep and anesthetizes them. We use rubber gloves to rip off the backs and it kills them instantly. We clean the lungs and 'innards' and saute them in a big pan with EVOO, fresh minced garlic, add a tiny amount of Better Than Bouillion and about an eighth cup water to the pan. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes, add some fresh chopped basil. Serve with spaghetti coated with the juices... omg! Mangia!!!
YUM! That sounds killer. Great tip about the ice water, too. I use that trick for lobsters but never thought about it with crabs. I pop them in the freezer for about 10 minutes before cooking. Also a cool trick with clams - it actually helps them open up faster, which keeps the meat from getting overcooked and tough.