Chilli crab

Crab stir-fried in a thick, sweet, tangy tomato-chili sauce with egg ribbons, eaten with fried or steamed buns to mop up the sauce.

Chilli crab

Chilli crab-02: megawatts86, CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Where it comes from

Chilli crab was created in Singapore in the 1950s and became one of its signature dishes. The sauce is sweeter than spicy and wonderfully messy to eat with your hands.

Explore the cuisine of Singapore.

Recipe

Make Chilli crab at home

Serves 2-4Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 lb crab (or 1.5 lb large shrimp), cleaned and cut
  • 3 tbsp oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2-inch ginger, minced
  • 3 red chilies, chopped
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 2 tbsp chili sauce
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 cup stock
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • Cornstarch slurry
  • Buns for dipping

How it's made

  1. Heat oil in a wok and fry garlic, ginger, and chilies until fragrant.
  2. Stir in ketchup, chili sauce, and sugar and cook 2 minutes.
  3. Add the stock and bring to a simmer.
  4. Add the crab, cover, and cook 8-10 minutes until the shell turns red and meat is cooked.
  5. Stir in the cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce.
  6. Drizzle in the beaten egg while stirring slowly to form ribbons.
  7. Finish with lime juice and serve with warm buns.

Variations

  • Black pepper crab
  • Butter crab
  • Chili prawns

Cook’s tip: Crack the claws before cooking so the sauce reaches the meat.

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About this page

Description and method written by Intercontinental Chef. Home-style method; quantities are a starting point, so adjust to taste.

Photo credit
  • Chilli crab-02: megawatts86, CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)