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–+ servings
soft shell crab sandwiches with lettuce, tomato, tartar sauce and pickle chips on a white plate.
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5 from 26 votes

Soft Shell Crab Sandwiches

My ultimate soft shell crab sandwich is crispy, crunchy and so very flavorful. This easy to make sandwich takes less than 20 minutes to make.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time7 minutes
Total Time17 minutes
Course: sandwich
Cuisine: American
Servings: 2
Calories: 373kcal
Author: Chef Dennis Littley

Ingredients

  • 2 soft shell crabs
  • 1 cup all-puropse flour
  • 2 teaspoon old bay seasoning
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ⅓ cup buttermilk or whole milk
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce optional - more or less to taste
  • 1 tablespoon Italian parsley optional - finely chopped
  • frying oil
  • 2 hamburger buns
  • lettuce leaves
  • 2 large tomato slices
  • 2 tablespoon tartar sauce my recipe for homemade tartar sauce
  • 4 pickle chips sweet or dill chips

Instructions

  • Thaw the soft shell crabs if frozen.
  • Pat dry the soft shell crabs with paper towels.
  • Add the all-purpose flour, old bay seasoning, and black pepper to a shallow bowl. Mix well to combine.
  • Add the buttermilk (or whole milk), egg, hot sauce, and chopped Italian parsley to a shallow bowl and whisk to combine.
    I added the chopped parsley thinking I was making a batter more than an egg wash. It didn't show through the breading as I hoped it would, so feel free to leave out the parsley.
  • Dredge the crab in the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess.
  • Dip the floured crab into the egg batter to fully coat in the eggwash. Let any excess drip off.
  • Place the egg-washed crab into the seasoned flour for a second coating of flour. Shake off excess flour.
  • Add one inch of cooking oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering (approx 325 degrees F), add the breaded soft shell crabs to the pan.
  • Cook the crabs in the hot oil for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown and crispy.
  • Drain the fried crabs on paper towels.
  • Add lettuce leaves, and a thick tomato slice to the bottom of a hamburger bun.
  • Place the fried soft shell crab on top of the tomato slice and top with tarter sauce and pickle chips. Add the top of the bun and enjoy!
    I like bread and butter chips, but you can use dill chips if you prefer.

Nutrition

Calories: 373kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 122mg | Sodium: 635mg | Potassium: 298mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 703IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 166mg | Iron: 4mg