Singapore Chili Crab Recipe

Name: Singapore Chili Crab
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 2 crabs
Cuisine: Singaporean
Ingredients: 2 live mud crabs (about 1.5 kg total), cleaned and cut into pieces; 3 tablespoons vegetable oil; 6 cloves garlic, minced; 2 shallots, finely chopped; 1 thumb-sized ginger, peeled and julienned; 4 red bird's eye chilies, finely chopped (adjust to taste); 1/2 cup tomato ketchup; 2 tablespoons chili sauce (e.g., Sriracha or Thai sweet chili sauce); 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 1 tablespoon fish sauce; 1 tablespoon sugar; 1 cup chicken or seafood stock; 1 egg, lightly beaten; 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons water (slurry); Fresh cilantro leaves for garnish

Singaporean · Main course · 45 min total

Singapore Chili Crab recipe videos

A classic Singaporean seafood dish featuring whole crab stir-fried in a sweet, savory, and spicy chili-tomato sauce. This recipe brings the iconic hawker center flavor to your home kitchen.

20
min prep

25
min cook

2
servings

480
kcal/serving

Ingredients

2 live mud crabs (about 1.5 kg total), cleaned and cut into pieces
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 thumb-sized ginger, peeled and julienned
4 red bird's eye chilies, finely chopped (adjust to taste)
1/2 cup tomato ketchup
2 tablespoons chili sauce (e.g., Sriracha or Thai sweet chili sauce)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup chicken or seafood stock
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons water (slurry)
Fresh cilantro leaves for garnish

Instructions

Heat vegetable oil in a large wok or deep skillet over high heat. Add garlic, shallots, ginger, and chilies; stir-fry for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add crab pieces and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes until shells turn bright red.
In a small bowl, mix together tomato ketchup, chili sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, and sugar. Pour the sauce mixture over the crab and stir well to coat.
Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 10-12 minutes until crab is cooked through.
Uncover and increase heat to high. Drizzle in the beaten egg while stirring gently to create egg ribbons. Cook for 1 minute.
Add cornstarch slurry gradually, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency (about 1-2 minutes).
Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with fresh cilantro, and serve immediately with steamed rice or crusty bread.

Tips

For the best flavor, use live mud crabs; if unavailable, frozen crab sections can be substituted.
Adjust the number of chilies to suit your spice preference.
This dish is traditionally eaten with steamed mantou (Chinese buns) to soak up the sauce.
Leftover sauce can be refrigerated and used as a dip for seafood or vegetables.

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