Soft shell crabs are Spring food. They are rich, luscious, slightly sweet, and so good you will wish you could find them more often.
Why Vietnamese Soft Shell Crab is So Amazing
Soft-shell crabs are one of my most treasured foods, so it isn’t really fair that I’m sharing these with you!
It isn’t because I don’t want to share. It is because they are hard to find, and though the soft shell crab season is just beginning, they can usually only be found at specialty markets.
Home cooks might be able to find frozen soft shells-I’ve never tried them, but I can guarantee that Vietnamese restaurants must be buying them frozen because they serve soft shell crabs year-round.
How Soft Shell Crabs Got Their Name
Soft shell crabs are crabs that are in the process of shedding their old shell as they grow a new, larger shell. They must be removed from the water before the new shell hardens. This happens every three to five days during the growth season from April to September.
My love affair with these sweet and luscious crabs began many years ago—pre–kid is how I remember it. We first discovered Vietnamese food in a sketchy part of town that isn’t so sketchy anymore; it’s actually quite colorful.
I remember reading a restaurant review about a new joint serving Vietnamese delicacies. Since we lived in the mountains then and drove by this exit to get home, we figured we’d stop. Little did we know everyone else had stopped too.
In general, Manservant and I are not waiters. We are not the patient type, but being in a part of town we weren’t yet familiar with, we decided to wait. Life has never been the same since.
What Makes Vietnamese Soft Shell Crabs So Special
Vietnamese soft shell crabs have a perfectly crunchy, light crust made with beer batter. I love this recipe and use it every time I can get my hands on these beautiful crabs.
However, this batter would also work well with shrimp!
If you have never eaten Vietnamese food, know that it is a world away from Chinese, Japanese, or even Thai.
It has French influences and even uses butter in some sauces. Fresh ingredients are played up, which is one reason I adore Vietnamese cuisine.
This unique cuisine combines sweet and spicy, salty and sour elements in a complex way.
From Take Out to Homemade
As we stood in line at the restaurant, inching forward in this hole in the wall, we slowly found ourselves standing by the kitchen, where we ogled every dish that passed under our noses.
We quickly discovered that soft shell crabs piled high on platters with fresh greens and herbs were quite popular. They looked delectable and smelled addictively good.
Upon being seated in our cozy booth, we immediately placed our order for the crabs. Now, crabs aren’t cheap, but we splurged.
Of course, crabs are still not cheap, and our budget doesn’t seem to have really changed, so they are still a splurge, but a worthy one.
Succulent sweet crabs in a crunchy light batter, wrapped in soft leaf lettuce, filled with fresh herbs, and dipped in a salty, spicy, sweet fish sauce is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Yeah, they are even better than that, whatever that may be.
So it wasn’t too long ago that I found myself in the heart of Denver, near one of the city’s gourmet markets. This is the kind of place you go when you want special meat, fish, or hard-to-find ingredients.
I decided to stop in to see what I might find for dinner and spotted the sign for soft shell crabs. At $8.99 apiece, one has to stop and think how badly one wants said crab - well, at least this one does.
Realizing Manservant was abroad and probably eating at some fancy restaurant on his expense account sealed the deal. I had them clean two and went home and fried these up.
Making Pan Fried Vietnamese Soft Shell Crabs
This recipe would be divine as a filling for soft-shell crab sandwiches. You could stuff it into a bun or use it as part of a Vietnamese banh mi.
In fact, these beer-battered soft shell crabs would make a divine soft shell crab sandwich recipe dolloped with tartar sauce or remoulade sauce and served on a soft French roll.
I served them Vietnamese style, which meant wrapping them in a lettuce leaf with various herbs. So good and so fresh and this is one way to make a somewhat healthy wrap!
Soft shells are easy to prepare. And fast. I suffered through the photo taking; I didn’t want to, but knowing I don’t make soft shells often, I wanted to show the kids my idea of a proper last meal.
This was one quick photo shoot because I didn’t want to rewarm these babes. I didn’t want to lose the crunch or the heat. I wanted to savor the salt of the sea and the sweet white crab as quickly as possible.
I just have one last thing to add. I wish I would have bought three.
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of batter or breading works best for frying soft shell crabs?
What oil should I use for frying soft shell crabs, and at what temperature?
Can I prepare soft shell crabs ahead of time before frying, and if so, what's the best way to store them?
More Vietnamese Recipes to Try
Goi Ga (Vietnamese Chicken Salad)
Grilled Pork Noodle Bowls
Vietnamese Chicken Corn Soup
I'd love to hear if you make this recipe!
Please share a review or rate the recipe,
and be sure to tag me on social!
Recipe
Vietnamese Soft Shell Crab
- Prep Time: 20 Minutes
- Cook Time: 10 Minutes
- Total Time: 30 Minutes
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
- Category: Main course/appetizer
- Method: Fry
- Cuisine: Vietnamese
Description
Fried Soft Shell Crabs are a treat. Luscious and lavish, these crabs are divine!
Ingredients
4 Jumbo soft shell crabs, cleaned
⅔ c flour
½ c cornstarch
1 ½ t baking powder
1 t ground turmeric
½ t kosher salt
⅛ t cayenne pepper
1 medium egg
1 t rice wine vinegar
1 12 oz bottle wheat beer (not a bitter beer)
Canola or peanut oil for frying
Nuoc Cham Sauce for Serving
Leaf Lettuce
Cilantro
Mint
Bean Sprouts
Instructions
Make sure your fishmonger gives you fresh soft shell crabs and that they are clean.
In a 2 c mixing cup, stir together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, turmeric, salt and cayenne.
In a larger bowl, whisk together the egg, vinegar and ½ a bottle of the beer. Using a spatula, fold the flour mixture into the beer mixture. It should have the consistency of thin pancake batter and may be a bit lumpy, so do not over mix. Add more beer if needed to achieve the desired consistency. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Make your nuoc cham sauce and get your salad plate ready. I made an additional sauce of black pepper, lots of garlic and butter. That’s pretty good, also!
When ready to fry, pour oil to a depth of 2 inches into a large skillet with high sides or a wok. Heat oil over high heat to 375. Preheat oven to 250 if you want to keep these warm and cover a baking sheet or plate with paper towels or place on a wire rack and place on a pan in the oven.
Dip crab into batter and allow the excess to drip off. Holding the crab by the shell flaps, carefully lower the bottom side of the crab - legs and body - into the hot oil. Repeat with other crabs. Cook for about 6 minutes until golden and crispy.
Drain on paper towels and keep warm in oven until all crabs are ready. Cut each crab in half and serve with sauce and salad plate. Or serve these on a burger bun or French bread!
To eat, wrap each half of the crab in a lettuce leaf, add some of the herbs, fold taco style and dip in sauce. Your life will never be the same, and these fried soft shell crabs will become on of your favorite foods, too!
Notes
Thank you Vietnamese Home Cooking.
Note: This batter would also be great for most any seafood!
Susan says
I adore soft shell crab but have never tried making them at home. What a great recipe for them!
John / Kitchen Riffs says
SO glad to see this dish again. Soft shell crabs are simply divine, and this is a neat way to prepare them. 🙂
sherry says
this looks fabulous abbe. i've had these a few times and yes they are delicious. I like prawns done this way too, where you can eat just about the whole thing except the last tiny bit of hard tail shell. hope you're keeping well.
cheers
sherry
Healthy World Cuisine says
Love soft crabs! Have not had them since living in Asia... I can imagine how crispy and succulent the crab meat is. Delicious! Hope everyone is staying well. Take Care
Juliana says
Abbe, I cannot believe that so many years passed and I yet have to try making this...they look absolutely delicious, I love soft shell crabs, I hope I get to make before you update this post again...
Have a wonderful weekend and stay safe my dear!
2sistersrecipes says
Omg we haven’t had crabs in a long time and these sound amazing Abbe! Can’t wait to get my hands on crabs so we can try your recipe! Thanks! And stay safe!! Xo Anna and Liz
Tami says
Abbe, what is the yellow sauce you have along side the Nuoc Cham? I am trying them today since I love soft shell crabs. I get mine frozen from a restaurant store.
Abbe Odenwalder says
Lucky you. It is garlic butter. I prefer the Nuoc cham.Let me know how the frozen ones work. Then I will try them too!
Tami says
Thanks, it looked like it had a mustard base to it! Never can go wrong with garlic butter! 🙂
ChgoJohn says
I am soo glad that you mentioned this post, Abbe. (I was on hiatus at the time) I've got the crabs and I will surely give it a try. Can't wait! Thank you so much!
Adam J. Holland says
I guess I missed this post when it was published. Damn me! Now I'll have to wait until these little jewels come back into season. Looks wonderful!
Amy (Savory Moments) says
This dish looks amazing! Beautiful and such a unique post.
Holly @ abakershouse.com says
I think I'm missing out-- I've never made these at home and only once have eaten soft shell crabs. They seem intimidating to make at home and you've done it masterfully!
SavoringTime in the Kitchen says
I dearly love soft shell crab but have never tried making them myself because I thought they had to be cooked live, like lobster, and I just couldn't do it. Never thought of asking the fish market to do it for me! They look absolutely delicious, Abbe!
Anu - My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says
What a stunning and impressive looking platter, Abbe. My husband loves seafood and also asian flavors. So this is a MUST make recipe for him. I am sure he will enjoy this. Thanks for this fabulous share.
Sugar et al. says
Just AH-MA-ZING! Australia is all about seafood so we eat a lot of crabs here. I have never made them at home though. Yours looks like the ones we eat in great restaurants.Perfect colour and condiments!
Juliana says
I love soft shell crab, and always order when it is available but I never made it myself...looks delicious Abbe.
Thanks for the recipe...one day I will try it!
Hope you are having a wonderful week 🙂
La Table De Nana says
Oh they look wonderful..I took pics of seafood stands in Paris..:)
Cheri Savory Spoon says
Hi Abbe, what an impressive meal. Crab is my favorite of all fish and I love how you prepared them. Love your story, way to go.
Pam says
They look delicious! We have several Vietnamese restaurants here, but have never made them at home. Thanks for the recipe!
Abbe Odenwalder says
Try them Pam. Our Vietnamese restaurants here are fabulous. Don't know about yours, but if they are on the menu, I'd go for it!
Liz Berg says
Wow, these sound fabulous! What a treat!!!
Abbe Odenwalder says
They were a treat Liz. Now I'll have to go back to the Vietnamese restaurant to get more! So much fun if you can find them in season!
Chris Scheuer says
What a fun and delicious looking splurge! I love soft shell crab but would never have thought of making them myself. Thanks!
Abbe Odenwalder says
This recipe is easy peasy! And so, so good!
Sippity Sup says
I am SO impressed by this. Just stunning! GREG
Abbe Odenwalder says
You are too kind Greg!
chefmimiblog.com says
These really look good. I've never had them, and I know I couldn't cook them myself. KInda like lobsters!
Abbe Odenwalder says
You could cook these yourself. And they are kinda like lobsters, but different. In some ways, better! I prefer them like this rather than sauteed!
Angie Schneider says
These soft shell crabs are killing me, Abbe. It has been AGES since I had some. My mouth is watering terribly!
Abbe Odenwalder says
Then consider it time Angie!
Sharon D says
This looks amazing, Abbe! I love crabs but don't cook it now although I used to. Is it silly that I've stopped cooking it for the past few years to protect my non-stick cooking pan from having scratch marks ...? ..Lol!
Abbe Odenwalder says
Very funny Sharon!
Kitchen Riffs says
Totally love soft shell crabs. Never met one I didn't like. Never tried them Vietnamese style, though -- this sounds like a really good recipe. Think I'll have them soon, so I can get in practice for my last meal. 🙂
Abbe Odenwalder says
You must try them this way. Succulent, sweet, salty, savory-these are outstanding! Those last meals are very important, John! Whether it is the last meal at the end of the day or THE LAST MEAL!
Karen Harris says
Oh you are killing me. These look wonderful!
Abbe Odenwalder says
No Karen, you are just supposed to kill the crabs! These are superb!
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert says
I haven't had them in years! Here in Virginia we can get soft shell crabs from the Chesapeake Bay area. They are much smaller and I heard there is only a 24 hour window that they remain soft. Very cool! Love this recipe and your lovely story. Enjoy!
Libby Weiner says
Loved your recipe. I,ve been wanting to make these for a long time, but afraid it was toop hard to kill the crabs . You have freed me.
Abbe Odenwalder says
I'd be eating them all the time Tricia! Thanks! And Mom, they will kill them for you! You will be freed, but they won't!