Singaporean chili crab dish (Printable View)

Whole crab cooked in spicy tomato chili sauce, complemented by fresh herbs and served with steamed buns or rice.

# What You'll Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 2 whole live mud crabs (3.3 lb total), cleaned and cut into pieces

→ Sauce Base

02 - 3 tbsp vegetable oil
03 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
04 - 5 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 3 red chilies, deseeded and chopped
06 - 2 bird’s eye chilies, chopped (adjust to taste)
07 - 0.8 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced

→ Sauce

08 - 8.5 fl oz tomato ketchup
09 - 2 tbsp chili sauce (e.g., Sriracha or sambal oelek)
10 - 1 tbsp sugar
11 - 1 tbsp soy sauce
12 - 1 tsp fish sauce
13 - 8.5 fl oz chicken or seafood stock
14 - 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water
15 - 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

→ Garnish

16 - 2 spring onions, sliced
17 - Fresh cilantro, chopped
18 - Lime wedges, to serve

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat vegetable oil in a large wok or deep pan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté for 2 minutes until softened.
02 - Incorporate minced garlic, ginger, red chilies, and bird’s eye chilies. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes until aromatic.
03 - Add crab pieces and toss to coat with aromatics. Stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes until shells turn red.
04 - Pour in tomato ketchup, chili sauce, sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, and stock. Stir thoroughly to blend flavors.
05 - Bring sauce to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes, turning crab occasionally until fully cooked.
06 - Add cornstarch slurry while stirring to slightly thicken the sauce.
07 - Slowly drizzle beaten eggs into the simmering sauce, stirring gently to form silky ribbons.
08 - Remove from heat. Garnish with sliced spring onions, chopped cilantro, and serve immediately with lime wedges alongside steamed mantou or rice.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sauce is that perfect balance of tangy, spicy, and sweet that makes you want to soak up every last drop with a bun.
  • Whole crabs stay succulent and actually taste like the sea, not like they've been sitting in a pot of murky liquid.
  • It's a dish that forces you to slow down—there's no eating this quickly or cleanly, and somehow that's exactly the point.
02 -
  • Don't add the eggs while the sauce is violently boiling, or they'll scramble into a mess instead of creating those silky ribbons—a gentle bubble is your friend.
  • If you can't find live crabs, frozen ones work, but thaw them completely first or you'll extend the cooking time and end up with rubbery meat; the sauce won't save you from that mistake.
03 -
  • Have everything prepped and within arm's reach before you start cooking; this moves quickly once it begins, and stopping mid-flow to chop ginger is the fastest way to burn something.
  • If your sauce breaks or looks greasy, a touch more stock and a whisper more cornstarch slurry will restore its glossy elegance.
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