Southern Crab Beignets.
It's hard to find the words to describe how delicious this recipe is. But we'll try.
Crunchy on the outside with a luxurious crab meat-filled inside. The flavor and texture is simply out of this world.
HOW TO MAKE SOUTHERN CRAB BEIGNETS AT HOME
We just can't rave about these Southern Crab Beignets enough! And they are really very easy to make!
The ingredients are New Orleans at its very best. Go with the freshest crab you can find.
If you really want to impress, go with lump crab meat. It'll cost you a bit more, but it delivers each crab beignet with full-on crab taste.
All the other ingredients complement the crab beautifully, and give just enough Cajun heat to make it worthwhile.
What we love about these crab beignets is that they stay so nice and tender on the inside.
All the flavors meld together so nicely, and as we said, it's all about the crab.
Oh, yes!By the way, if you think these look good, you'd probably also love Bacon Parmesan Cheese Puffs
And just a minute or two in some hot oil produces the most amazingly crisp and crunchy exterior, and yet still the most tender, succulent crab mixture on the inside.
One word of warning, these do not last long at all when placed on a table in front of hungry guests. They are usually the first to go.
They are that good.
OTHER AMAZING CRAB DISHES TO TRY
Crab-Stuffed Shrimp
Jumbo Lump Crab au Gratin
Southern-Style Crab Cakes
Sautéed Soft-Shell Crabs
Homemade Crab Rangoon
But in the meantime, you've got to make a batch of these Southern Crab Beignets!
And, did we mention how creamy, crabby and ridiculously delicious the inside is? Oh we did? Well, we want to make sure you believed us.
I mean, just look these babies and tell us you are not getting yourself worked into a frenzy ready to whip up a batch as soon as humanly possible?!
Look at that!
We love to serve these amazing appetizers with a creamy White Remoulade Sauce. (Link to recipe is included below)
Now, let's get onto to making this Southern Crab Beignets recipe!
Southern Crab Beignets
Video
Ingredients
- 1 lb blue crab meat or any good-quality crab meat
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoon Creole mustard or, coarse grain mustard
- 2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup thinly sliced scallions
- ¼ cup finely diced red onion
- 1 ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
- Canola oil for frying
- 1 cup White Remoulade Sauce
Instructions
- Put the crabmeat in a bowl and use your hands to pick the meat free of any shells. Do this at least twice.
- In a medium bow, whisk the eggs until they're light and foamy and then whisk in the mayonnaise and mustard.
- Use a wooden spoon to stir in the lemon juice, scallions, red onion, salt, black pepper, and cayenne.
- Fold in the Panko and then gently fold in the crabmeat so it doesn't get broken up from too much mixing. The batter should be just thick enough to barely hold together when frying. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to help it firm up further.
- In a large, deep skillet or pot, heat 2 inces of canola oil to 350 F.
- Using 2 medium-sized spoons, drop a few spoonfuls of the crab mixture at a time into the oil and fry until a nice golden brown color forms on the outside, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the beignets to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat with the remaining batter, frying in batches so as not to crowd the pan.
- You can keep the cooked beignets warm in a 200 F oven, if desired.
- Serve with White Remoulade Sauce.
Nutrition
This recipe is adapted from Chef Donald Link | Real Cajun.
Michelle Shimp says
Let’s say this together…. Rum-a-laud!
Now you got it!! Love you guys… keep it coming….
~m
Kris Longwell says
LOL! Practice makes perfect!!!! Thank you again, Michelle!!! You are the BEST!!!!! xoxo
Nancy M says
I LOVE these! But....You are correct, they are best served hot out of the fryer. I took these to a party last summer, and by the time I got there, they'd lost a bit of their luster (though still good, just not as good). My question is: I want to make these tonight, but it's just for me, and I have a 16 oz tub of Philip's crab. Can I mix them and make a few tonight, more tomorrow, and possibly share the remaining mix the following day?
Kris Longwell says
Hi Nancy! Mix it together and the fry up just enough for you what you need for this evening. Refrigerate what you don't use, and then make more tomorrow, even the next day. Easy peezy!!! Let us know how they turn out!!! Best, Kris & Wesley
Nancy M says
Thank you so much for your quick reply! I will take your advice and ENJOY the ones I can make tonight!!
Kris Longwell says
Awesome! Enjoy!!!
Nancy Martin says
Thank you again for your last reply! Next question: can the freshly made balls be frozen to be fried later?
Kris Longwell says
Hi Nancy, Absolutely! Let them thaw and then fry them up! We've never tried to fry them while they are frozen, so I can't advise on that...but, if you let them thaw, you should have no problem!
Alayne says
We really enjoy these crab baguettes. The flavoring was spectacular, and you were so right about the mustard! I paired them with my own tartar sauce, which on a whim added that same mustard. Delicious!!!
Kris Longwell says
Woo hoo! We are so so glad you made the crab beignets and had such great success with them! Paired with homemade tartar sauce (with mustard) is perfection! Thank you so so much for sharing! Please stay in touch! Best, Kris & Wesley