Simple Soft Shell Crabs (Sautéed without Flour)

Soft shell crabs briefly cooked in a little bit of butter and oil look unreasonably fancy for a quick lunch or easy weeknight dinner. But serve these honorable creatures with a squeeze of lemon, and with the very first bite, the whole endeavor might just start to look like the most reasonable thing you’ve ever seen.

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Why we love this recipe

Every year, soft shell season is over in a flash. The fleeting nature of this moment makes something special into something truly spectacular. That’s why we love to prepare soft shells simply, letting their natural vibes shine through. They’re:

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Crisp outside, tender and dreamy inside
Naturally savory
Low-cal, low-carb, and gluten-free
Simple and simply perfect

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If you’ve landed here searching for baked or broiled soft shell crabs, try them sautéed instead. They crisp up beautifully when you sauté them, really leaning into their reputation as “the gourmet potato chips of the seafood world.”

I first published this recipe here in 2015. Post and recipe have been updated for clarity.

What you’ll need

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Here’s a glance at the short list of ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe.

Soft shell crabs are the same little folks you normally crack out of their hard shells. They’re a figment of a moment in time, right after they’ve grown out of their old shells and before their new ones harden. You can eat the whole darn thing (once cleaned), and it’s just the absolute best. I prefer to have the fishmonger clean them for me. Here’s how to do it on your own.
With so few ingredients, use the best ones you can get your hands on. I use a cultured, salted, grass fed butter. This sounds fancy but doesn’t have to be. Kerrygold, for example, is sold at many supermarkets. If you need to avoid butter for any reason, you can double the oil.
Safflower oil is my high-smoke-point, neutral-tasting vegetable oil of choice. You can substitute another oil that has similar properties, such as canola, sunflower, peanut, corn, or vegetable oil blend. If you prefer, you can use olive oil or another oil that suits your diet.

How to make it

Here’s what you’ll do to make a beautifully simple batch of sautéed soft shells. You can see the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post, and get all the details in the recipe card below.

Add the oil and the butter to the pan.
Give it a good swirl to coat the bottom evenly.
When the butter is melted, add the crabs shell-side down (belly up). Do your best to arrange the legs and claws so that they make contact with the pan, though it won’t be perfect. Cook for five minutes.
Flip and cook about three minutes on the other side. Be a little careful at the end — they can spatter a bit as they cook inside. Serve right away.