How Long to Cook Dungeness Crab
It takes less than a half-hour to boil Dungeness crab, but the exact amount of time will depend on the size of the crab. On average, a 1½-to-2½-pound crab will need to cook for 15 minutes, while a 3-pound crab will need about 20 minutes. If you aren't sure how big your crab is, it's better to start with a shorter cooking time: An undercooked crab can be cooked more, but an overcooked crab becomes rubbery and unsalvageable. The best way to cook crab is to plunge your Dungeness crab headfirst into boiling water, then cover the pan and reduce the heat to a simmer. You can tell if your crab is cooked if the shell turns bright orange and the cooked meat is opaque. Then, you can eat the crab as it is with drawn butter or pick out the meat to add to a crab cake recipe.