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 luxuriously 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!
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! 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
Jumbo Lump Crab au Gratin
Crab and Spinach Dumplings
Lump Crab and Tomato Salad
Sautéed Soft-Shell Crabs
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
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 look amazing! Wondering if they’d work in an air fryer?
Hi Blair! Absolutely!
What were the temp and time for the air fryer please?
Hi Marie, set your air fryer to 350°F and cook for 5 minutes. Open the basket, and carefully turn them over. Close the basket and bake for another 5 minutes. We’ve not made these in an air-fryer before, but this timing and temp should work. However, maybe test one first, you might need to increase the cook time. Hope this helps! Let us know how they turn out!
These look amazing I was just wondering can you bake them in the oven instead of oil?
Hi Lin! You can bake them, however, they may lose their shape a bit. We would recommend baking for 30 minutes at 375, flipping them half way through. Keep an eye on them so they don’t get too brown on the outside. Let us know if you make them and how they turn out!! Best, Kris & Wesley
These are fabulous! Has anyone tried to freeze them and just re-heat later?
I have scallops in the freezer. Do you think they will work for this recipe?
Hi Lin, that’s a good question. I can’t say that I’ve tried scallops in this recipe, but they have a similar texture as crab, once broken up. My guess is that they would work just fine, after you shred them somewhat. Let us know if you make them and how it turns out!! Good luck and all the best, Kris & Wesley
Can you prepare them the night before keep in fridge and cook next day
I want to make these. Here in Ohio, we don’t get fresh crabmeat, including fresh crabs. Do you have a recommendation for canned crabmeat or is that a huge no-no?
Hi Jacki! You’ll still get great results with canned crab. You can find good-quality canned in the seafood section of your favorite supermarket. Even Chicken of the Sea has a premium canned option. These are so flavorful, you’ll still get wonderful results. Let us know if you make them and what you think!! Best, Kris & Wesley
Can you prepare these the night before then bake the next day?
Hi Sherry! Sure! Just keep them refrigerated. They should bake up nicely!! Let us know if you try them and how they turn out!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
I’ve cooked these crab Beignets twice and they are absolutely wonderful. My dinner guest loved them and said they were the best they had ever eaten. The recipe is well prepared and easy to follow.
Thanks
Alvin
Hello did theses beignets tonight and they were delicious.
Woo hooo!! That’s so awesome to hear, Maria!! So so glad you enjoyed the crab beignets! And thank you so much for letting us know and the great review! That means the world to us!! All the best, Kris & Wesley