When it comes to crab cuisine what is your favorite way to enjoy that succulent crab meat? Here is our list of top 10 crab dishes to get your gears turning on your preferred way to chow down on this crustacean.

Top 10 Crab Dishes:

10) Soft Shelled Crab Sandwich

The top 10 list starts off with a tradition of the Eastern Shore, which is the soft-shelled crab sandwich. With the entire soft-shell crab battered up and fried, this meal can be enjoyed on its own or served up as a sandwich. Those crab legs hanging off the roll can be quite intimidating to some, but it is worth the experience. 

9) Crab Dip

An appetizer found on menus throughout the region. Why not kick-off your dining experience with some cheesy crab dip? Typically served with some crackers or bread for spreading, this dish is typically both creamy and cheesy.

8) Crab Balls

Crab balls are like mini-crab cakes, so they obviously make the list of best crab dishes. The best thing about these appetizers, is that most places serve them up with creamy dipping sauces. Whoever decided to turn a crab cake into finger food was on the right track, and I’m sure was quite the popular host back in their day!

7) Cream of Crab Soup

While this dish may not be the summertime go to as crab dishes, a bowl of cream of crap soup can be one of the more enjoyable crab dishes. In a good cream of crab soup, every spoon full will find lumps of crab meat. The creamy base is a perfect combination for crab meat, as found in other creamy crab dishes. Sometimes cream of crab soup is perfected with a splash of sherry. Not to be confused with Maryland Crab soup, its red vegetable base soup counterpart; which is still enjoyed as a crab dish by many.

6) Crab Imperial with Turf

Crab Imperial is a classic creamy crab dish, rich in flavor that escalates the crab meat itself. Most recipes include some blend of mayonnaise, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and crab seasoning (who are you kidding it better be Old Bay). This crab dish can be enjoyed by itself, but also makes for a great pairing. That’s why crab imperial paired with turf is Number 6 of Top 10 Crab Dishes. Some of my favorite turf pairings include a steak cut of beef (preferably filet mignon) or used as stuffing for mushrooms.

5) Crab Imperial with Surf

While crab Imperial with turf falls at Number 6 on the Top 10 Crab Dishes list, beating it at Number 5 is crab imperial with surf. I’m sure some would debate whether the surf or turf is higher on the list of best crab dishes, but this probably comes down to your enjoyment of seafood. Some of my favorite surf pairings include with a filet of rockfish caught on the Chesapeake Bay, or as a topping with lobster or shrimp.

4) Crab Cake Sandwich

A favorite go to dish is the Crab Cake Sandwich. While crab cake sandwiches may be found frequently on menus, the best crab cake sandwiches are going to include the right balance of crab meat to filler and seasoning. This ratio should be almost all crab meat, with crackers or bread used only as a binder. You will fid that the majority of crab cake sandwiches are prepared either broiled or fried, and this may be the great debated based on preference. Typically served with tartar sauce, some restaurants may offer a more unique sauce to compliment the crab cake sandwich. This crab dish is perfect for a lunch time meal or less formal dinner and is definitely a go to weekend crab dish enjoyed with a pint of beer.

3) Crab Cakes

With the infamous crab cake sandwich at Number 4, if you lose the roll and the side of fries, we find ourselves at our Number 3 crab dish, carb cakes. While the crab cake sandwich is perhaps for a more relaxed meal, crab cakes can be enjoyed during a formal dinner.  Once again, the best crab cakes need to find that perfect ratio of crab meat, filler and seasoning. Sometimes severed with a unique sauce, crab cakes truly allow one to enjoy the crab meat without too many distractions.

2) Crab Sauté

This is not an advertisement or sponsored post, but the Crab Saute at Fager’s Island fine dining in Ocean City is one of the best crab dishes that I have had. The dish include lump blue crab meat, with prosciutto, roasted garlic and lemon beurre blanc sauce. Not having seen a similar dish to this on many menus, I was trying to determine how it would be presented, but in layman terms, it’s a pile of crab meat with bits of prosciutto and a delicious lemon wine cream sauce. While not as heavy as crab imperial and highlighting the blue carb meat as the center of the dish, this crab dish makes it to the top of the list at Number 2.

1) Steamed Maryland Blue Crabs

Tried-and-true, and a permanent Number 1. Picking steamed crabs is the best way to enjoy blue crabs; preferably on a back deck with family, friends, and some cold beer. This crab dish for many is not just a meal, but a way to enjoy summer. Some of our best summer time memories are to sit back and relax with friends and family picking crabs over a few hours, sharing in fun conversation and good times!