Cajun Crab Rolls

Make these Cajun Crab Rolls for a quick and easy dinner. You can also make the cajun crab salad ahead of time so it’s ready to be put into rolls!

How to Clean and Break Down a Dungeness Crab

The first step when making anything with crab meat is breaking down your crab. You can steam your crab yourself or you can purchase it already cooked.

Learn how to break down the crab yourself by checking out this video. When you have your cleaned your crab, crack it and take the meat out.

If you don’t want to clean your own crab, you can always buy canned crab at nearly every grocery store.

Ingredients for Crab Rolls

• Crab: The main ingredient in these rolls are crab meat! Fresh will always be better but you can also use canned crab in a pinch.
• Mayonnaise: Use mayo to make this a creamy salad. Make your own using this basic mayo recipe or use store bought.
• Cajun Seasoning: Use a store bought seasoning or make your own. My favorite Cajun seasoning in the shelfs is Slap Ya Mama seasoning.
• Rolls: Use your favorite roll. I like rolls that are top split since they are easy to toast in a pan and are still pillowy soft on the inside.
• The Holy Trinity: The classic Cajun flavor of diced red onions, green bell pepper and celery is added to invoke the Southern Flavor.

How to Make Cajun Crab Rolls

Place your crab meat in a bowl and set aside. Then, get out another bowl. Add the mayonnaise and cajun seasoning. Mix well.

Then add in your veggie mix. Combine the ingredients before adding in the crab. Once combined, add in the crab.

Now it’s time to toast your rolls. Over medium heat, heat about two tablespoons of butter. Add your rolls and toast on each side until lightly browned.

Take the buns out and spoon the crab mixture into them. Top with finely chopped green onion if desired.

Serve your cajun crab rolls right away.

How to Make Cajun Seasoning

You can choose to make your own cajun seasoning or you can buy a premade on, such as Slap Ya Mama seasoning.

If you want to make your own seasoning, just combine a couple of herbs and spices you likely already have in your pantry.

Combine the smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, dried thyme and dried parsley together. You’ll often see cajun seasoning with salt and pepper already added to it, but I chose to leave it out. This way you can adjust your salt and pepper to the specific dish you are making.

Cajun Seasoning Ingredients

• Smoked Paprika: You can also use regular paprika but smoked paprika will add a depth of flavor.
• Cayenne Pepper: Add cayenne pepper to your seasoning for a kick. Add more than the recommended 1 tablespoon if you’d like to make your seasoning more spicy.
• Onion Powder: Onion is a staple in Creole and Cajun cuisine.
• Garlic Powder: Add in some savory-sweetness by adding garlic powder to the mix.
• Dried Thyme: Thyme will add earthiness and sweetness to the blend.
• Dried Parsley: Parsley will round out the flavors of your seasoning.

What to Serve with Cajun Crab Rolls

There are a couple different options as sides when serving your crab rolls.

If you were to order this in a restaurant, this would probably come with fries. When I make it at home I like to serve it with coleslaw or even double up on the crab and serve it with a crab cauliflower mac and cheese.

Best Crab to Use for Crab Rolls

The best crab to use for these rolls is the Dungeness Crab. Dungeness crab is sweet and briny while being easy to remove from its shell. Dungeness crab is also relatively inexpensive, and you can find it in stores during the season – generally late December to May in the Western Hemisphere.

You can use other types of crab as well. Look for spider crab, although it will be a bit more labor since the legs are long and thin, and you won’t be able to gather as much meat from it. Another option is King crab, although it’s quite pricey.

More Recipes

• Crab Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
• Cheesy Cauliflower Grits
• Simple Ceasar Salad
• Gourmet Grilled Cheese