Eating a whole crab – how to open and clean it

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated: October 2026 | Crab is one of our favorite foods in the fall. Peter grew up eating crab, and when I met him, he taught me how to open, clean, and eat a whole crab. Since then, I've been hooked – it's one of the absolute tastiest things I know!

But a whole crab on your plate can feel like a small project if you've never done it before. Where do you start, and which parts should you eat? Here we show you step by step how to do it. The guide is for a whole boiled crab shell, the kind of crab usually sold in Swedish fish counters.

You will need

Fall is a great time for a crab dinner. Buy a whole cooked crab per person, or half if the crabs are large and you have plenty of toppings. Feel free to ask the staff at the fish counter for help choosing a well-stuffed crab. You can also ask if they can share it for you. Here are some good things to have:

• A sturdy knife and a cutting board if you are going to cut the crab yourself
• One seafood fork or one crab stick per person
• A shellfish cracker or nutcracker for the claws
• A large bowl for peels and other leftovers
• Napkins – it can get a little messy!

We like to serve crab with bread or crackers, cheese and preferably a glass of beer or white wine. And of course, the courtier's sauce. For us, it's a must!

READ ALSO: Facts about crabs – 25 interesting things

How to eat a whole crab – step by step

1. Split the crab

Place the crab on its back on a sturdy cutting board. Fold up and break off the flat tail flap on the underside.

Then split the crab lengthwise with a sturdy knife. The shell is hard, so work carefully and keep your fingers out of the way. If you want to skip this step, you can ask the fishmonger to split the crab when you buy it.

We always get a little excited when the crab is opened. We are happiest when it is well filled with meat and preferably has roe too!

2. Break off the legs and claws

Break off the legs and claws from your crab half and place them on the side of the plate. You will take care of them a little later.

3. Loosen the skin and remove inedible parts

Separate the body part from the large outer shell. Remove the gills, which look like light or grayish, elongated flaps on the sides of the body. Also remove the mouthparts and stomach at the front.

Clean off the soft, greenish-brown or yellowish-brown crabmeat according to the Swedish National Food Administration's advice. Place the shells and cleaned parts in the bowl for leftovers.

4. Peel the flesh from the body

Save the white meat and any roe and place it on the plate. The body part contains several small compartments with hard partitions. This is where a lot of fine white crab meat is hidden, so don't throw away the whole part by mistake!

Carefully break it apart and use the crab stick to access the meat. Take your time and remove small pieces of shell as you go.

5. Take care of the meat in the bones and claws

Now it's time for the bones and claws that you set aside. Break the bones at the joints and scoop out the meat with the crab stick.

Crack the hard shells of the claws with a shellfish cracker or nutcracker. Try to crack the shell without crushing it into too small pieces, this will make it easier to get the meat out and keep it free of shell debris. The claws usually offer really nice pieces!

6. Serve with your favorite side dishes

Now you hopefully have a lovely pile of crab meat and maybe roe on your plate. Check one last time that no hard pieces of shell have been left behind. We like to mix the meat and roe a little and eat with plenty of courtier's sauce. Bread or crackers and cheese are also a good part of our crab dinner.

It takes a while to eat a whole crab, but that's part of what we love so much. Sitting at the table for a long time, talking and picking at the delicious meat is a real autumn treat for us!

Good accessories for crab

We prefer to eat crab with a housekeeper's sauce, bread or crackers and cheese. If you want to vary the sauce, you can try aioli or lemon mayonnaise. Lemon wedges and a simple green salad are also good.

Crab also fits well on a seafood platter or buffet with things like shrimp, lobster, and mussels. Half a crab per person can be plenty, depending on the size and what else is being served.

But for us, crab is the star. A long dinner where we sit and talk, tinker and enjoy is one of the best things we know about autumn!

READ MORE: Luxurious seafood buffet at home – tips, menu and inspiration