Tasty homemade ginger scallion crab stir fry (薑蔥炒蟹) is a classic Cantonese cuisine like steamed fish, steamed garlic shrimp, lobster yee mein, claypot rice and wonton noodle soup. Wanna know how to prepare a crab and make a Chinese ginger scallion blue crab stir fry recipe? Let's learn how to make ginger scallion crab with step by step photos and a video for your meal or feast!
Seafood lovers? You will love these spicy lemon garlic shrimp, cashew shrimp, chili garlic shrimp, scramble egg & shrimp, salt & pepper squid, lobster yee mein baked salmon and steamed whole fish recipes.
What is ginger scallion crab?
Ginger scallion crab stir fry (薑蔥炒蟹) is a classic Cantonese cuisine. This dish is very popular among Chinese seafood restaurants in the southern part of China like salt & pepper squid, lobster yee mein, steamed garlic shrimp and steamed whole fish.
In Chinese cuisine, we love to use ginger, garlic, green onion, cooking rice wine and white pepper to cook seafood. Therefore, in this ginger scallion crab recipe, the crabs are cooked with a flavorful sauce made mainly from ginger and scallions, green onions. It is simple yet incredibly tasty and full of umami flavor. This way to cook crab, allowing the natural sweetness of the crab meat to shine while infusing it with the aromatic and savory flavors of ginger and scallions.
Most of the people deep fry the crabs first then stir fry them because it helps to lock the protein and retain the juice inside the crab. Therefore, the crab meat is soft and tender. However, some like to stir fry them without deep frying because it is easier and healthier.
I remembered my mom made this dish especially during crab season and Chinese New Year. I watched her prepare fresh and alive crab. Then, she cooked a delicious and flavorful crab stir fry dish. However, when it is my turn to do it myself. It’s quite a lot of preparation work and time. Now, I understand why crab stir fry dishes are expensive in the restaurants.
What kind of crab do you use?
To make ginger scallion crab, typically we use whole crabs. Some like to use Dungeness crabs, blue crabs or other types of crabs. In this Chinese ginger and scallion crab recipe, I used blue crabs because it is easy to find at my local Asian markets and good price. Blue crabs don't have a lot of meat compared to king, queen and snow crabs. But, most of the blue crab I got at the store had roe.
How do you choose a good crab to cook?
In order to make this crab stir fry dish delicious, the flavor turned out great and enjoyable. Choosing a good crab is crucial. Always look for live crabs whenever possible. Live crabs are more likely to be fresh and have better flavor and texture than pre-cooked or frozen crabs. When the crabs claws are moving and eyes alert, they are alive and active.
Also, check the shells for any visible damage, cracks or signs of discoloration. The shells should be firm and with no soft spots. Besides, choose crabs are larger in size because it provides more meat. In addition, male crabs have meatier claws, while female crabs are known for their flavorful roe (eggs). In this ginger scallion crab stir fry recipe, the crabs are female and have lots of roe. Lastly, avoid choosing crabs that have a strong fishy or unpleasant odor as this could spoil.
How do you prepare the crabs when they are alive and active?
If they are alive and very active, refrigerate them for 1-2 hours. It helps to slow down their activity. Then, remove their claws. Cut the pointy legs. Open the shell, cut the crab in half and remove the gills, stomach. Don’t eat the gills and stomach discard them. See the video below the recipe card for details.
What are the ingredients for ginger scallion crab stir fry?
In this ginger scallion crab recipe, I used blue crabs, ginger, garlic, green onion, egg white, cornstarch, sesame oil, soy sauce, white pepper, cooking rice wine, water, salt and sugar.
Cooking tips for how to make blue crab stir fry:
Preparation for the crab:
- If the crabs are alive and very active, refrigerate them for 1-2 hours. This can help slow down their activity and make it easier to prepare them.
- First cut the claws, then pointy legs.
- After that, open the shell, take out the roe and save for later.
- Cut the flap at the back of the crab and cut it into half. Then, remove the gills and stomach on the shell. (Don’t eat the gills and stomach discard them.)
- Wash and scrub the dirt and mud.
- The preparation of live crabs is quite a work, you can always buy some that are already prepared at Asian markets.
Cooking the crab:
- Dip crab into egg white and dust with cornstarch. This can prevent the protein loss when you cook the crabs.
- Deep fry or pan fry the crabs until it changes orange red color. (Don’t need to fully cook them at this point because you will stir fry it later.)
- Stir fry fried crab with ginger, garlic and scallion. Add sauce and water, cover the lid for 2-3 minutes. After that, add the crab roe and keep stir frying them. Pour cornstarch mixture until the sauce is thickened.
- You don't have to add the roe at the end. You can use it for congee if you like.
FAQs:
When a crab changes color from greenish or brown to orange red. Because the cooked crab is orange red.
Yes, you can stir fry frozen crabs, but meat and the flavor may not be as good as fresh crab. First, you need to thaw the frozen crab well before cooking with ginger and scallion sauce. Also, you can skip the deep frying part if you use frozen crab.
Use a crab cracker, lobster cracker or a heavy knife to crack open the claws and legs. Be gentle to avoid smashing the meat inside. Once cracked, you can use a seafood pick or a small fork to pull out the meat from the shell.
Instructions for how to make ginger scallion stir fry blue crab:
How to prepare blue crab:
1. If you have alive and active crabs, I recommend putting them in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours before handling the crabs. Remove the claws and cut the pointy legs. (I used 4 blue crabs. And, some people like to use a knife to mash the claw a little bit, so it can absorb the sauce when cooking.)
2. Open the shell.
3. Take out the roe and use it later. Or, you can use to make congee.
4. Open the flap at the back of the crab and remove it. Remember to scrub the back of the crab.
5. Cut the crab into half and take out the roe (save it for later) and remove the gills (don't eat the gills).
6. Remove and discard the stomach.
7. Take out the roe on the shell and cut the front shell a little bit.
8. After all, wash and scrub the crabs to remove dirt and mud.
9. Cut 4 sticks of green onion into half and strips.
10. Peel off 5 cloves of garlic and use the knife to smash the garlic.
11. Beat 1 large egg white, then dip the crab into the egg white.
12. After, put ¼ cup of cornstarch in the container. Dust crab with cornstarch.
Cooking:
13. Pour 2 cups of vegetable oil into the wok.
14. Turn on medium low fire. Use wooden chopsticks to test if oil is hot enough. You will see some bubbles around the wooden chopsticks when the oil is hot enough. Or, use a thermometer to test oil around 350F.
15. Deep fry the leg parts, then the claws and shells.
16. Slightly deep fry the crabs until it changes to an orange red color. (Don’t need to fully cook them at this point because you will stir fry it later.)
17. Pour 1 tablespoon of sesame oil into the wok. Add 5 slices of ginger. Then, add 5 cloves of garlic. Stir fry them a little bit. (If you are worried about sesame oil being heated up, use vegetable oil to stir fry ginger and garlic. You can add some sesame oil after cooking.)
18. Then, add 4 sticks of green onion, the top part.
19. Next, put the deep fried crabs into the wok.
20. After that, add 1 tablespoon of cooking rice wine, 1.5 teaspoon of soy sauce, ¼ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of sugar, ⅛ teaspoon of white pepper and 1 cup of water. Stir it a little bit and cover the lid for 2-3 minutes.
21. The following step, put the roe into the wok. Keep stir frying the crabs.
22. In a small container, add ½ tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water. Mix it well.
23. Lastly, pour the cornstarch mixture and keep stir frying the crabs until the sauce is thickened or less sauce. Then, add the bottom part of the green onion, mix it and ready to serve.
Enjoy this delicious ginger scallion blue crab stir fry recipe! Also, check out these Hong Kong lo mein, beef with bitter melon, Chinese spinach amaranth, sweet and sour pork, lychee slush, sweet potato leaves stir fry and Asian shaved ice recipes.
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Ginger Scallion Crab
Equipment
- 1 wok
Video
Ingredients
- 4 Fresh blue crabs
- 5 slices Ginger
- 5 cloves Garlic
- 4 sticks Green onion
Deep Fry Crab:
- 1 large Egg white
- ¼ cup Cornstarch (Use for dusting the crabs)
- 2 cups Vegetable oil (For deep frying crabs)
Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon Sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon Cooking rice wine
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon White pepper
- 1.5 teaspoons Soy sauce
- 1 cup Water
Thicken sauce:
- ½ tablespoon Cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons Water
Instructions
- If you have alive and active crabs, I recommend putting them in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours before handling the crabs. Remove the claws and cut the pointy legs. (I used 4 blue crabs. And, some people like to use a knife to mash the claw a little bit, so it can absorb the sauce when cooking.)
- Open the shell.
- Take out the roe and use it later. Or, you can use to make congee.
- Open the flap at the back of the crab and remove it. Remember to scrub the back of the crab.
- Cut the crab into half and take out the roe (save it for later) and remove the gills (don't eat the gills).
- Remove and discard the stomach.
- Take out the roe on the shell and cut the front shell a little bit.
- After all, wash and scrub the crabs to remove dirt and mud.
- Cut 4 sticks of green onion into half and strips.
- Peel off 5 cloves of garlic and use the knife to smash the garlic.
- Beat 1 large egg white, then dip the crab into the egg white.
- After, put ¼ cup of cornstarch in the container. Dust crab with cornstarch.
- Pour 2 cups of vegetable oil into the wok.
- Turn on medium low fire. Use wooden chopsticks to test if oil is hot enough. You will see some bubbles around the wooden chopsticks when the oil is hot enough. Or, use a thermometer to test oil around 350F.
- Deep fry the leg parts, then the claws and shells.
- Slightly deep fry the crabs until it changes to an orange red color. (Don’t need to fully cook them at this point because you will stir fry it later.)
- Pour 1 tablespoon of sesame oil into the wok. Add 5 slices of ginger. Then, add 5 cloves of garlic. Stir fry them a little bit. (If you are worried about sesame oil being heated up, use vegetable oil to stir fry ginger and garlic. You can add some sesame oil after cooking.)
- Then, add 4 sticks of green onion, the top part.
- Next, put the deep fried crabs into the wok.
- After that, add 1 tablespoon of cooking rice wine, 1.5 teaspoon of soy sauce, ¼ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of sugar, ⅛ teaspoon of white pepper and 1 cup of water. Stir it a little bit and cover the lid for 2-3 minutes.
- The following step, put the roe into the wok. Keep stir frying the crabs.
- In a small container, add ½ tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water. Mix it well.
- Lastly, pour the cornstarch mixture and keep stir frying the crabs until the sauce is thickened or less sauce. Then, add the bottom part of the green onion, mix it and ready to serve.
Notes
Cooking tips for how to make blue crab stir fry:
Preparation for the crab:
- If the crabs are alive and very active, refrigerate them for 1-2 hours. This can help slow down their activity and make it easier to prepare them.
- First cut the claws, then pointy legs.
- After that, open the shell, take out the roe and save for later.
- Cut the flap at the back of the crab and cut it into half. Then, remove the gills and stomach on the shell. (Don’t eat the gills and stomach discard them.)
- Wash and scrub the dirt and mud.
- The preparation of live crabs is quite a work, you can always buy some that are already prepared at Asian markets.
Cooking the crab:
- Dip crab into egg white and dust with cornstarch. This can prevent the protein loss when you cook the crabs.
- Deep fry or pan fry the crabs until it changes orange red color. (Don’t need to fully cook them at this point because you will stir fry it later.)
- Stir fry fried crab with ginger, garlic and scallion. Add sauce and water, cover the lid for 2-3 minutes. After that, add the crab roe and keep stir frying them. Pour cornstarch mixture until the sauce is thickened.
- You don't have to add the roe at the end. You can use it for congee if you like.
Crys Peacher says
So do you eat the shells and all? Isn’t it too hard? I know soft shell crabs are a thing but is it the same? Any blue crabs will work for this?
Tracy O. says
We don’t eat the shell because it is hard, but we like to lick it because of the sauce and crab roe.
Any uncooked crab or blue crabs can stir fry with ginger and scallion.