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This Dungeness crab eggs Benedict is made with crab legs, poached eggs, and a creamy yogurt sauce, and is perfect for brunch!
Who loves crab!?
I do, I do!
Who wishes they could eat crab all the time?
Me, me, meeee!
If you, like me, find yourself with a craving for these crustaceous (and creepy-looking!) sea-creatures, you aren’t alone!
After you decide that you MUST EAT CRAB, and proceed to douse piece after piece in decadent, rich butter, you may decide that you… still want more crab!!!
In fact, I’m nearly positive that’s what will happen.
Somewhere in the back of your brain, though, you may start to wonder if there’s a healthier way to eat crab.
A Dungeness crab recipe that’s crab-tastic and crab-licious, but also that’s butter-free!
Warning– I make no promises to stop the corny crab jokes.
Healthy(ish) crab recipes definitely exist! I love crab fries, crab nachos, crab omelettes, grilled King crab salad, King crab Louie salad, and of course, this crab eggs benedict.
This Dungeness crab eggs Benedict is light and flavorful, and oh so delicious. Even without butter sauce.
What Does Dungeness Crab Look Like?
A Dungeness crab is the crab that you probably see in your mind when you think of “a crab.”
In other words, it looks like the little crab emoji on your cell phone.
Preparing Dungeness Crab Legs
Frozen crab legs come precooked. That means that you simply need to heat them up, not cook them all the way through.
For this recipe, we’re steaming the crab legs. You’ll need a large lidded pot and a metal vegetable steamer basket.
Bring about a half-inch of water to a boil in the bottom of the pot, set the steamer basket inside the pot, add your crab legs, and cover the pot.
Steam them for 5 minutes for thawed the legs or 10 minutes for frozen legs.
Then, plunge them into a bowl of cold water to stop them from overcooking. Next, you’re ready to crack open the shells.
How to Crack Crab Legs
There are lots of different techniques for cracking open crab legs.
You can use a seafood cracker, a nutcracker, the back of a wooden spoon, or even the palm of your hand to crush the shells.
I prefer to cut through the shells with kitchen shears.
Whatever your preferred technique, you’ll want to crack open the shells and remove the meat.
If you need more help prepping the crab, check out this tutorial on how to steam and crack crab legs.
Once you’ve removed the crab meat, make sure to save the shells to make homemade seafood stock.
Can I Use Canned Crab Instead?
You can, just note that it likely won’t be Dungeness.
It’ll still be delicious though.
How to Make Dungeness Crab Eggs Benedict
Once you’ve prepared the crab (which can be done ahead of time), do few final steps.
I make the sauce, toast bread, and slice the avocado while making perfectly poached eggs.
Finally, assemble your Dungeness crab eggs Benedict, serve them with the yogurt sauce, and dig in to your crab-tastic breakfast!
What If I Want a Traditional Hollandaise instead of yogurt?
Were you hoping to see a traditional, buttery Hollandaise sauce? If so, I admire your buttery-optimism.
Simply swap out my yogurt sauce for Hollandaise. This easy hollandaise from Pinch Me I’m Eating is a little “lemon-forward,” and should work well with the crab.
Dungeness Crab Eggs Benedict
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Ingredients
Crab Eggs Benedict:
- 6 ounces Dungeness crab legs (~3 crab legs)
- 2 eggs
- 1 English muffin, toasted
- ½ avocado, thinly sliced
- 1 green onion, diced (for garnish, optional)
Creamy Yogurt Sauce:
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- pinch salt, to taste
Instructions
Steaming the Crab Legs:
- In a large pot, bring ½" water to a boil. Set a metal vegetable steamer inside the pot. Add crab legs (they should not be touching the water), and cover pot. Steam 4-6 minutes for thawed legs, or 10-12 minutes for frozen legs. After crab legs are done steaming, set them in a bowl of icy water to stop them from cooking further.
Removing Crab Meat:
- Use a crab cracker to remove crab meat from shells, or use a chef’s knife and kitchen shears. (Check the Recipe Notes for a tutorial link.)
Poaching the Eggs:
- Bring about 3″ water to boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to a simmer.
- Set a mesh sieve in sink or over a bowl, and crack 1 egg into sieve. Allow egg to drain for a few seconds, and then carefully pour egg into the water. Repeat for each egg. Simmer eggs 3-5 minutes, depending on desired doneness. Remove eggs from water with a slotted spoon. Set eggs on a paper towel to get rid of excess water.
Making the Creamy Yogurt Sauce:
- Add all ingredients for the sauce into a bowl and mix. Salt to taste.
Assembling the Crab Eggs Benedict:
- Assemble your Eggs Benedict by layering one slice of the English muffin, half the avocado, half the crab meat, and then repeat with the rest of the bread, avocado, and crab meat.
- Add a small spoonful of the yogurt sauce on top of the crab meat to help hold it together. Top each stack with a poached egg, and more sauce on top.
- Garnish with green onion if desired. Serve immediately.
I can’t tell you how much I love this recipe. I love crab and can’t wait to try it. Your eggs look absolutely perfect!
Aw thank you! And try the mesh sieve technique for your eggs- they look perfect every time!!!
Totally love the look of this dish. Adding the mustard to the yogurt makes for a tangy sauce that works with both the crab and the eggs. YUM!
Thanks Peter! I love that mustard sauce- I use it all the time! YUM!
Yummy yummy! Not having crab often enough, now I am craving it badly, especially in a wonderful eggs benny like that! Have to tell Loreto, my husband, he is the “eggs benedict guy”!
Thanks!!! I don’t get to eat it as often as I like either- it’s such a delicious treat though!
Your poached eggs do look pretty darn perfect. I want to make these the next time I go crabbing!
Yessss do it!
The first time I had Crab Eggs Benedict was at a brunch in college, and I fell in love. Those were no where near as gorgeous as yours are, though! What a stunningly impressive addition to a breakfast or brunch table. I love that you’ve made a healthier alternative to hollandaise, too! It must be perfect with the crab and poached eggs. I am so hungry for these right now!
Thanks Amanda! It’s a lot prettier with crab legs than it is with lump crabmeat from a can, that’s for sure! Enjoy!!