Save The first time I properly tasted chili crab was at a hawker stall in Singapore, watching the cook's wok dance with flames while she tossed crabs that clicked and clattered against the sides. The aroma alone—garlic, chilies, and something tangy and sweet—made me forget to breathe. Years later, I recreated it in my own kitchen, and the moment that sauce hit the hot wok, I was transported right back to that humid evening, sitting on a plastic stool, napkins piling up around me.
I made this for my partner on a random Tuesday when they'd had a terrible day at work, and I watched their whole face change when they cracked open the first piece of crab and got hit with that sauce. We barely spoke—just reached across the table, grabbed pieces, slurped sauce off our fingers, and forgot about everything else for an hour. Sometimes the best meals aren't fancy, they're just the ones that remind you why you love someone.
Ingredients
- 2 whole live mud crabs (about 1.5 kg total), cleaned and cut into pieces: Mud crabs have sweeter, more delicate meat than blue swimmer crabs, and their shells absorb the sauce beautifully—ask your fishmonger to clean and crack them for you if you're squeamish about the live part.
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil: Use a neutral oil that can handle high heat without smoking; this is your base for building flavor.
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped: The onion dissolves into the sauce and adds a subtle sweetness that balances the heat.
- 5 cloves garlic, minced: Don't skip the garlic—this is where half the soul of the dish lives.
- 3 red chilies, deseeded and chopped: Red chilies give color and a gentler heat than birds eye chilies, so keep the seeds in if you want more kick.
- 2 birds eye chilies, chopped (adjust to taste): These little dynamite sticks are searingly hot, so taste as you go and add more only if you're brave.
- 2 cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced: Fresh ginger cuts through the richness of the crab and adds a brightness that powdered ginger can never match.
- 250 ml tomato ketchup: Yes, regular ketchup—it's the secret ingredient that gives this sauce its trademark sweetness and depth.
- 2 tbsp chili sauce (such as Sriracha or sambal oelek): This is your heat anchor; sambal oelek gives a more authentic flavor than Sriracha, but use what you can find.
- 1 tbsp sugar: A touch of sugar rounds out the sauce and keeps it from tasting one-dimensional.
- 1 tbsp soy sauce: This adds umami and a subtle saltiness that brings everything into focus.
- 1 tsp fish sauce: It smells funky in the bottle but transforms the sauce into something complex and deeply savory.
- 250 ml chicken or seafood stock: Stock keeps the sauce silky and prevents it from reducing too much and burning on the bottom of the pan.
- 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water: This thickens the sauce just enough so it clings to the crab instead of pooling at the bottom.
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten: The eggs create those gorgeous ribbons and add a luxurious texture that makes people think you've spent hours on this.
- 2 spring onions, sliced: Spring onions brighten the dish at the last moment and add a fresh, sharp note.
- Fresh cilantro, chopped: Cilantro is optional if you're one of those people who thinks it tastes like soap, but it adds a herbal freshness that rounds out all the heat.
- Lime wedges, to serve: A squeeze of lime right before eating cuts through the richness and makes everything taste cleaner and brighter.
Instructions
- Get your mise en place ready:
- Chop everything before you turn on the heat—once the wok gets going, there's no time to stop and mince garlic. Lay out your ingredients in small bowls so you can grab them without hesitation.
- Heat the oil and start building the aromatics:
- Get the oil shimmering hot, then add the onion and let it soften for a couple of minutes until it turns translucent and smells sweet. This is your flavor foundation.
- Wake up the garlic, ginger, and chilies:
- Add them all at once and stir constantly for 2 to 3 minutes—you want the kitchen to fill with that incredible spiced aroma, and you'll see wisps of steam rising from the pan. Don't let anything brown or it'll turn bitter.
- Toss in the crab and coat it in the aromatics:
- The pieces should sizzle when they hit the pan; stir and turn them for 3 to 4 minutes until the shell starts blushing red and the crab releases its moisture into the pan. You'll smell the sea mingling with the spices.
- Build the sauce:
- Pour in the ketchup, chili sauce, sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, and stock all at once, stirring as you go so everything combines into a glossy, reddish sauce that coats each piece of crab. Give it a good taste at this point—this is your last chance to adjust the heat or sweetness.
- Let it simmer and the crab finish cooking:
- Bring everything to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium and let it bubble away uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes, turning the crab pieces occasionally so they cook evenly and get coated in sauce. The shells will turn a deeper red and the meat will become opaque.
- Thicken the sauce with the cornstarch slurry:
- Stir the cornstarch mixture one more time so it's smooth, then pour it into the simmering sauce and stir constantly for about a minute until everything tightens up and the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
- Swirl in the eggs and finish:
- Lower the heat so the sauce is barely bubbling, then slowly drizzle in the beaten eggs while stirring gently in one direction—you'll create those silky ribbons that make the dish look elegant and taste incredibly rich. Stop stirring and let it sit for 10 seconds.
- Plate and serve:
- Transfer everything to a large serving bowl or plate, scatter the spring onions and cilantro on top, tuck lime wedges alongside, and bring it to the table immediately so the sauce is still glossy and hot. Have plenty of napkins ready.
Save I remember my grandmother watching me make this dish for the first time, quietly correcting my technique without making me feel foolish. When she tasted it, she smiled and said it reminded her of her first date in Singapore, decades ago. That's when I understood that some dishes carry stories inside them, and every time you make them, you're keeping those stories alive.
Why The Sauce Is Everything
The sauce is what transforms plain crab into something transcendent. It's a balance of sweet, sour, spicy, and umami—nothing overpowers anything else, they're just all there at once, creating something greater than themselves. The ketchup sounds like a shortcut, but it's actually genius: it adds body and sweetness and color without requiring you to reduce tomatoes for an hour. I learned this watching a hawker vendor, and it changed how I thought about cooking. A good cook knows the rules well enough to break them intelligently.
How To Choose Your Crabs
Live mud crabs are ideal, but they're not always easy to find depending on where you live. Blue swimmer crabs work beautifully and are easier to source; they're slightly smaller and have a bit more brine to them, which some people actually prefer. Dungeness crabs are sweeter and meatier, so if that's what your fishmonger has, grab them—the sauce will coat them just as well. The key is getting fresh crabs that smell like the sea and have some weight to them; avoid anything that smells fishy or ammonia-like, because that means they're already past their prime.
Serving Suggestions And What To Drink
This dish demands something to soak up all that sauce, so serve it with steamed mantou (those pillowy Chinese buns), plain steamed rice, or flatbread. The buns are traditional and honestly the best choice—they're soft and neutral enough to absorb the sauce without competing with it. As for drinks, cold beer or a crisp white wine cuts through the richness and heat perfectly. Avoid anything too heavy or sweet, because you want something that refreshes your palate between bites rather than coating it further.
- Pro tip: If you can't find mantou, toasted bread or even warm flour tortillas do the job in a pinch.
- Serve on a large platter so people can reach and share instead of plating individually—it feels more communal and fun.
- Have extra napkins visible and within arm's reach; this is not an elegant dish, it's a glorious, saucy mess.
Save This dish is loud and messy and communal in the best way possible. It's the kind of meal that brings people together, gets everyone's hands dirty, and leaves everyone grinning and satisfied at the end.
Recipe FAQs
- → What type of crab is best for this dish?
Fresh whole mud crabs are preferred, but blue swimmer or Dungeness crabs can be excellent substitutes to maintain flavor and texture.
- → How can I adjust the spiciness level?
Modify the number of birds eye chilies or remove seeds from red chilies to control heat without sacrificing flavor balance.
- → What sides pair well with this dish?
Steamed buns (mantou) or plain rice complement the tangy, spicy sauce and help soak up its rich flavors.
- → How is the sauce thickened?
A mixture of cornstarch and water is stirred in near the end of cooking to create a slightly thickened, glossy sauce.
- → What role do eggs play in the sauce?
Beaten eggs are slowly drizzled into the hot sauce, forming delicate, silky ribbons that add texture and richness.
- → Are there common allergens in this dish?
The dish contains shellfish, eggs, soy, and fish-based ingredients; check all components carefully if allergies are a concern.