It’s hard to find the words to describe how delicious this Southern Crab Beignets recipe is. But we’ll try.
Crunchy on the outside with a luxuriously crab meat-filled inside. The flavor and texture is simply out of this world.
We just can’t rave about these Southern Crab Beignets enough! And they are really very easy to make!
Watch us show you how simple, how much fun, and how delicious these amazing balls of yumminess actually are 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 compliment 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, its all about the crab.
Oh, yes!
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.
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
Ingredients
- 1 lb blue crab meat or any good-quality crab meat
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp Creole mustard or, coarse grain mustard
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
- 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
- 1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp 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
These were easy to make and tasty, too. Two or three comments: they are probably not the best appetizer for a larger crowd as the crab is quite costly (at least where I live in land-locked North-Central Florida.) That notwithstanding- just be sure to fry them at the lowest temp possible as they are delicate and brown up quickly. I detest “hot” food, but no worries here. I found myself adding some “zip” to the rather bland remoulade sauce. Experiment a little with the seasonings and you will have a hit.
This recipe easily multiplied. I made 140 of these for my fraternity. I did add a bit more panko because they set in the refrigerator overnight. Amazing! Not a single one survived the meal.
Hi Tina!! Wow!! 140!! That’s amazing! And we are so thrilled they were a hit. Sounds like you made them masterfully! Congrats!! And thanks so much for letting us know. That means the world to us! Please stay in touch! Kris & Wesley
Really? I’m the only person who had too much moisture with 2 eggs, cup of mayo and crab with only 1 c. Panko to make a beignet? I made the mixture a day in advance. Fried just before serving. It barely held together.
So sorry you didn’t have success with these, Marilee! They are developed to be soft in the middle, and not too heavy with the Panko as a binder. But you could certainly increase the the bread crumbs to 1 1/2 cups. Another way we like to prepare these is after chilling the mixture for at least 30 minutes, roll the beignets into 1″ to 1 1/2″ balls, and then roll again in the Panko. This gives an extra ‘crunch’ for the beignets. Best, Kris & Wesley
traductio français “” french ?? thanck you !!”” merci
Could this be adapted for the air fryer?
Absolutely! I would use them in the air fryer the way you would any other typical fried dish. I have never air fried these before, but I’ve developed recipes for an air fryer cook before, and I’m sure these would do very well.
Can you roll them in a ball? That’s what it looks like in the picture. Thanks
Absolutely! They are best when rolled into a ball! Hope you enjoy them! Kris & Wesley
So pretty and simple! Thanks for sharing this
Thank you so much, Helen!! xo
Cant wait to try this recipe.
Hi Gabrielle! We love these savory beignets. Let us know if you make them and what you think! xo Kris & Wesley
Just have to say I’m from Baltimore, MD & of course we “know” our crab fixings are the best, lol. Your recipe is enticing & I am going to make this for my 5 adult sons who were born & raised in Baltimore. We are are all lovers of Chesapeake Bay blue crabs, but now live 60 miles northwest of Chicago; so crabs are quite the treat. I can’t wait to try this recipe.
Hi Lore!! We absolutely LOVE Baltimore and you can’t get much better than Chesapeake Bay blue crabs! The best. We love blue crabs down in Louisiana, too. We really think you’ll like this recipe. The crab is so flavorful. Let us know if you make it and how it turns out! Thanks so much! Kris & Wesley
Very detailed step by step instructions I am no cook but I am surely going to try this one.
Thanks much…
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I was thinking of having a N’awlins/Mardi Gras themed Girls’ Night…..these would be perfect!! Sounds like it would be good as a crab cake too!
Yes and yes! These are similar to crab cakes. They would be perfect for a N’awlins/Mardi Gras Girls’ Night! We just might crash the party!! Let us know if you make ’em and what you think. xo Kris & Wesley
Do you think they can be baked instead of fried?
Hi Chandra! I’m sure they can be. I have never baked them, but I know they can be. I would say bake them for 40 to 50 minutes, until nice and crisp on the outside. We’ll be making these again before too long, so I’ll try baking a batch and let you know!! Best, Kris.
Would Greek yogurt work instead of mayo?
Hi Susan,
Oh sure, the flavor will be a little different than if you used mayo…but the beignets will still bind together nicely and fry perfectly. Let us know how they turn out!! Best, Kris & Wesley
Do you think these can be put together ahead of time and frozen or even fried and then frozen?
HI Cathy! I have definitely made the batter and then froze it, then let it thaw a few weeks later, made the balls and then fried them, and they were amazing. I haven’t tried frying them up, and then freezing. My hunch is they would still be really good. You could probably heat them in a 400 F oven for about 20 minutes, and I’d think they would turn out really nice. You’ve got me curious about that…I may give it a try and let you know. Or, if you try it before me, be sure to let us all know. No matter what, these things are incredibly delicious. A Loon family favorite for sure!! Stay in touch! Kris.
I’m looking forward to making this soon. Right now I’m in St. John’s, Newfoundland for the first time to explore firstly the local seafood. Crab being my favourite.
That sounds amazing, Wayne! Crab is definitely at the top of our list. These crab beignets are really delicious. Enjoy St. John’s…we’re jealous! And let us know how the crab beignets turn out! Best, Kris & Welsey