Air fryer soft shell crab is an impressive but simple dish to make at home. This easy recipe includes only a handful of ingredients, and practically guarantees the most crunchy and flavorful crabs in less than 20 minutes. It's perfect for enjoying a delicious restaurant-quality meal any night of the week!
You might consider fried soft shell crabs to be a coastal dish typically found at more high end seafood restaurants. But this air fryer soft shell crab recipe is easy to make at home, no matter where you live! Want more crab recipes? Try this rock crab recipe, the crab is steamed and delicious.
Not only is it more convenient and budget-friendly to cook at home, it's also much healthier. Deep frying requires a lot of cooking oil, and is notoriously unhealthy. (Plus it is a pretty messy process that often results in oil splatters.)
Air frying, on the other hand, uses only a fraction of oil cooking spray. So you still have that terrific fried crunchiness but without the unnecessary extra fat and calories from deep frying. Even with a double breading the crabs are still much lighter than those cooked in a deep fryer.
And there is way less mess!
Here I share the simple steps to air fry the most crisp, tender and scrumptious soft shell crabs for a quick and easy dinner.
Recipe ingredients
Soft shell crabs. Fresh (or frozen and thawed) and cleaned.
Egg. Binder to make the flour and spices stick to the crab.
Milk. Thins out the egg a bit for a smooth dip-able egg wash.
Flour. We dredge the crab twice for an extra crispy coating.
Old Bay seasoning. A classic seafood spice blend that includes paprika, mustard, and pepper. It is bold but not overpowering!
Salt and pepper. Just a bit to help the flavors in the breading really pop.
How to make air fryer soft shell crab
First You will need to defrost your soft shell crabs if they are frozen. Just like any seafood crabs thaw pretty quick. The best practice is to thaw it overnight in the fridge, but for couple hours on the counter is ok too.
Clean and scrub crabs very well. They may be very fragile if they were frozen before and not fresh. Make sure wash it with cold water.
Prepare two wide plates. Whisk an egg in one and add old bay seasoning and flour in to another. First, dip the crab in the flour mixture, shake excess flour off and dip the crab in the egg mixture. Than, dredge crab in the flour mixture again.
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This process will ensure that crabs are breaded nicely. Spray the air fryer basket with olive or avocado oil spray or brush it with oil.
Gently place soft shell crabs in the basket. I was able to fit four crabs. Make sure there is space in between each crab for the hot air to circulate properly.
Generously spray crabs with oil. If you don’t have a spray you can just drizzle oil on each crab. Do not use a brush. Air fry them as directed in the recipe card in the end of this post. Once done, sprinkle with shopped green onions and enjoy by itself or with you favorite sauce!
What are soft shell crabs
Adult crabs shed their shells periodically as they grow. The crab's hard exterior molts, leaving a soft exoskeleton. This will eventually thicken and become a fresh, hard shell. But in the meantime they are prime to cook and eat whole!
Variations
- Use your favorite gluten-free flour blend for the breading.
- Easily make this a dairy-free recipe by using a plant-based nondairy milk.
- Switch up the spices! Swap Old Bay for lemon pepper seasoning, Cajun seasoning, or other blends you like. Add a pinch of crushed red pepper or cayenne for spicy heat. Or leave out any blends and use just salt and pepper to taste.
Frequently asked questions
The molting process happens to all crustaceans, and the term "soft shell" applies to any species of crab. However, the most popular and readily available species in America are the blue crab or larger Dungeness crabs.
You usually find blue crabs on the east coast and Dungeness on the west coast. Both can be found at fresh seafood markets in mid-spring through late summer.
They often are sold frozen at speciality grocery stores, too. And it's easy to ship them to your home from a reputable online distributor.
Air fryer soft shell crab has a delightful crunchy exterior and soft, tender inside. Old Bay seasoning makes the light breading super flavorful. It is deliciously smoky and full of spice, without being spicy!
The crabmeat is sweet and buttery - a yummy contrast to the crisp seasoned outside of the crab.
You should always thoroughly clean fresh crabs before they are fried. Rinse them under cold running water to get out any remaining sand or dirt. Then pat dry with a clean towel.
However, frozen packaged crabs often are clean and ready to cook. Simply thaw, pat dry, and go!
Yes, the entire crab is eaten - including the legs and shell!
Cut a piece of parchment paper to size. Then place in the bottom of the fry basket. You can also purchase readymade air fryer basket liners.
Storage
Leftovers. Store crabs in the air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Seafood doesn't stay fresh for long.
Freezer. Do not freeze air fried soft shell crabs. They will become mushy.
Reheat. Reheat in the air fryer for 2-3 minutes at your highest temperature. To make crabs crunchy again spray with oil.
You may also like...
- Air fryer frozen lasagna
- Air fryer snapper
- Baked red tilapia recipe
- Air fryer rockfish
- Steamed rainbow trout
- Air fryer grouper
- Air fryer crab sticks
Hope you will like this air fryer soft shell crab recipe as much as we do. Please rate the recipe if you made it and leave a comment below if you have any questions or suggestions.
Air Fryer Soft Shell Crab
Air fryer soft shell crab is an impressive but simple dish to make at home. This easy recipe includes only a handful of ingredients, and practically guarantees the most crunchy and flavorful crabs in less than 20 minutes. It's perfect for enjoying a delicious restaurant-quality meal any night of the week!
Ingredients
- 4 soft shell crabs (cleaned)
- 1 egg
- 1 cup flour
- ½ cup milk
- 1 tablespoon old bay seasoning
- ½ teaspoon slat
- black pepper
Instructions
- Mix egg and milk in one bowl and flour with seasoning in another.
- Dip crab in flour first, than in egg mixture and than in flour again.
- Spray air fryer basket with oil. Place crabs in the basket and generously spray with more oil.
- Cook at 380 degrees for 8 minutes.
Notes
Leftovers. Store crabs in the air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Seafood doesn't stay fresh for too long.
Freezer. Do not freeze air fried soft shell crabs. They will become mushy.
Reheat. Reheat in the air fryer for 2-3 minutes at your highest temperature. To make crabs crunchy again spray with oil.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 221Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 131mgSodium: 829mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 21g
Anne Dolan
I love soft shell crabs. I have never air fried them until today. Your recipe is awesome! The Old Bay really adds so much flavor. Thanks for the recipe, I will definitely make it again.