Crabs in oyster sauce is a simple yet savory Asian crab dish. Cooking this recipe requires the use of alimango or mud crabs. Mud crabs lives in brackish water, and not the other kind of crab, the blue crabs that we normally use for cooking which is caught in the sea. The color of mud crabs usually sold here in the Philippines is very dark brown and the shell are thick and usually it is still alive and the claws are tied to the body to prevent you from being pinched by it’s big powerful claws. But if mud crabs aren’t available you can use large blue crabs.
To give you an idea on how it is cooked, you have to clean the crabs first by brushing the shells since those crabs live in muddy water. Then chop the crab and divide it into four pieces. Heat sesame oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Saute garlic and ginger until fragrant for 1 minute. Add in oyster sauce, water, salt and sugar. Bring to a boil then simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened. Add in the crabs and spring onion and stir cook to coat the crabs with the sauce. Cover and simmer until the crabs are cooked. To see the complete recipe with the exact measurement of ingredients, continue reading.
How to Cook Crabs in Oyster Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 3 Tbsp. ginger chopped finely
- 1/4 cup oyster sauce
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 Tbsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. rock salt
- 1 kilo mud crabs or alimango
- 1 bunch spring onion
Instructions
How to cook Crabs in Oyster Sauce:
- Prepare and clean the mud crabs by washing it in running water and using a toothbrush, clean the shells specially the abdomen, claws and feet.
- Chop and divide each crab into four pieces. Set aside.
- Heat sesame oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.
- Saute garlic and ginger until fragrant for 1 minute.
- Add in oyster sauce, water, salt and sugar.
- Bring to a boil then simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened.
- Add in the crabs and spring onion and stir cook to coat the crabs with the sauce.
- Cover and simmer until the crabs are cooked. Serve hot.
Correction: In some of the comments below, star ratings were mistakenly included. These have now been removed for transparency. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused.
The crabs here (Sydney) are usually already cooked when I buy from the grocery.
What are the steps then if the crab is already cooked, can I still cook it in oyster sauce?
Thanks in advance
You can use the cooked crab in the recipe as is. The procedure is the same. 😁
I found 1 tablespoon of salt to be too much. I ended up with crab “soup” from trying to reduce the salty taste. I used organic rock salt which was fine in consistency. Maybe the bigger size rock salt was what was needed.
Hi Marilou, try to reduce it to 1 teaspoon since the oyster sauce is already salty.
Is this the same recipe used at seaside dampa restaurants?
Hi Michelle, I’m not sure because I haven’t tasted it in seaside dampa restaurants.
im very thanks that i found your website im so happy to learn more recipes for my family,i hope that you well always have a new recipe,,thank you so much!!!more power to your program..
Hi Mary, Thanks for the kind words! Hope you come to this blog often!