Our Best Stone Crab Recipes
From crispy lumpia to creamy macaroni salad, these dishes celebrate the sweetness and versatility of South Florida’s favorite crustacean.
If you’ve spent time in South Florida, you’ve likely come across stone crabs. Bright orange claws gleam in glass cases at local fish markets and in heaps on restaurant tables—pre-cracked and ready for picking—at many seafood eateries. These crustaceans are unique; they’re a protected species with limited seasonal availability, and only one claw is harvested from each critter before being tossed back into the sea to regenerate their appendages and live another day. Stone crab meat is sweet and hearty, and it’s the perfect stand-in for any recipe that calls for picked crab. In many cases, the claws are best when adorned simply, similar to oysters, with just a dipping sauce or melted butter. Outside the Sunshine State, you can order stone crabs online, shipped on ice to anywhere in the U.S.
Sweet crabmeat and tender vegetables are simmered in a rich, creamy sauce, then baked beneath flaky puff pastry in this comforting dish from the legendary Miami seafood restaurant. Get the recipe >
In this Everglades classic, picked crabmeat and tender “swamp cabbage” (the local name for hearts of palm) are combined in a batter and deep-fried until crispy and golden. Get the recipe >
Tender crabmeat and crunchy vegetables are wrapped in delicate pastry, fried until crisp, and paired with a punchy dipping sauce. Get the recipe >
In this recipe, the Sunshine State’s favorite crustacean is paired with a crisp cabbage-and-carrot slaw and wrapped in soft tortillas for a fresh, bright taco that highlights the crab’s natural sweetness. Get the recipe >
This creamy, crowd-pleasing macaroni salad is lifted by a zesty local seasoning blend and crisp vegetables, making it a perfect dish for potlucks and larger group gatherings. Get the recipe >
A creamy blend of mayonnaise, mustard, worcestershire, and bottled steak sauce give this famed restaurant condiment its signature savory kick. Get the recipe >
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