Crabs are steamed at high temperatures and quickly frozen in a blast chiller upon harvesting, usually on the boat that caught them. Market-form frozen and stuffed crab goes through a process of thawing, stuffing, cooking and refreezing before producers make them available to the consumer, and, unlike non-stuffed seafood, must be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit for safe consumption.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remove the stuffed crab from storage and place it on a sheet pan. Allow a minimum of one inch of spacing if cooking more than one stuffed crab. Do not thaw the crab prior to cooking.
Cook the frozen stuffed crab for 45 minutes or until it has a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees F. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends cooking frozen and stuffed proteins to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees F, as the filling can introduce bacteria not eliminated at lower temperatures. Insert a probe thermometer into the thickest portion of the crab’s stuffing to gauge its temperature.
References
- "The Professional Chef 8th Edition"; The Culinary Institute of America; 2006
- Cook Frozen Crab: Beautiful Recipes and More
Writer Bio
A.J. Andrews' work has appeared in Food and Wine, Fricote and "BBC Good Food." He lives in Europe where he bakes with wild yeast, milks goats for cheese and prepares for the Court of Master Sommeliers level II exam. Andrews received formal training at Le Cordon Bleu.