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Grilling 24x7 » Recipes » Chesapeake Crab Butter Sauce

Chesapeake Crab Butter Sauce

by Frank Campanella 11 Comments

The perfect stake topping exists! Take your steak to the next level with this Chesapeake Crab Butter Sauce.

Chesapeake Crab butter sauce served over beef tenderloin

Made with butter and crab, c’mon, and only 10 minutes of cook time, you can’t go wrong!

This butter sauce is made with jumbo lump crab, butter, and a hint of old bay spice making this sauce an absolute must for your next special dinner.

Chesapeake Crab Butter Sauce Recipe

If you are looking for more crab recipes then grilling 24×7 has you covered. Check out my Cedar Plank Smoked Crab Cakes, White Crab Chili, Crab Cake Egg Rolls, and Chesapeake Crab Dip recipes.

Chesapeake Crab Butter Sauce on steak

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Take your steak up a notch

There is really nothing like fresh Chesapeake crab meat smothered in butter with a hint of Old Bay seasoning. Back in the day as a restaurant chef, this butter sauce was one of the most popular menu items.

crab butter sauce on top of beef tenderloin

As much as I enjoy a good crab cake to go along with my steak my favorite way to enjoy a steak is with this Chesapeake Crab butter sauce that is even more decadent.

The sauce pairs perfectly with any cut of steak from a Filet Mignon to a juicy NY Strip.

If steak isn’t your cup of tea you can also serve this sauce over any type of fresh fish fillets or even a nice chicken breast.

crab butter sauce on top of beef tenderloin

What’s the Best Crabmeat to buy?

Depending on where you live will dictate your options on what type of crab to use. Here on the east coast, blue crab is the most commonly found.

Fresh Jumbo Lump Crabmeat is obviously the gold standard but also the most expensive and elusive.

Pasteurized Jumbo Lump is a little more economical and when simmered in butter it’s hard to tell the difference between fresh and pasteurized. Lump, backfin, and special are also options but they tend to get mushy when cooked in a sauce.

Other crabmeat like Dungeness crab, king crab legs, snow crab legs, soft-shell crab, or even lobster or Langostino is also a tasty substitute for this sauce. Personally, I always recommend using what’s local, fresh, and the best value. 

pound of fresh Maryland jumbo lump crabmeat

Pictured Fresh Maryland Jumbo Lump Crab

Ingredient List For Chesapeake Crab Butter Sauce

Crabmeat: 1 lb of jumbo lump crabmeat.

Sauce: 1 stick of unsalted butter and ¼ cup of heavy cream.

Seasoning: 2 tsp of Old Bay, 1 tbsp of minced shallot, and 1 tbsp of minced garlic.

Garnish: Fresh parsley

Optional additional or substitution ingredients: Looking to substitute or change things up? Other ingredients that could be used include lemon juice, black pepper, kosher salt, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and even hot sauce.

crab butter sauce on top of beef tenderloin

How to Make Chesapeake Crab Butter Sauce

Saute and melt butter. Over medium heat saute garlic and shallots in 2 tbsp of butter until garlic and shallots have softened. Then add in heavy cream and reduce by half.

Whisk butter. Turn heat to low and then begin whisking in butter 2 tbsp at a time until the sauce is smooth.

Add crab. Gently fold in the crabmeat, and avoid breaking up the lumps as much as possible. The sauce is complete as soon as the crabmeat is warmed. Leave the oven on low heat – do not raise the heat or the butter mixture will separate from the sauce.

Garnish. Finish off the sauce with the parsley.

Serve. Enjoy!

jumbo lump crab sautéed in Chesapeake butter sauce

Be gentle with the Chesapeake Crab Butter Sauce

One of the biggest mistakes when working with crabmeat is overworking it or busting up the lumps that you paid good money for.

That’s why I like to prepare the sauce first then gently fold in the crabmeat at the end and just barely warm the crabmeat. Crab is incredibly delicate and can be reduced to stringy mush quite quickly.

All you need to do is warm the crabmeat because it is already cooked. Other raw shellfish like lobster or shrimp can handle more heat and cook longer in a sauce.

jumbo lump crab sautéed in Chesapeake butter sauce

Don’t Break the Chesapeake Crab Butter Sauce

When preparing any butter sauce you need to make sure that you reduce the heat before whisking in the butter. I add a tablespoon of butter just to sauté the shallots and garlic and then add heavy cream to add richness.

Once the cream has reduced it’s important to let the sauce cool so that there are no bubbles in the sauce. Then you can begin quickly whisking in the butter a few tablespoons at a time.

The cold butter thickens the sauce and prevents the butter fats from separating leaving you with a greasy oily sauce. If the does break you can start over because you haven’t added the crabmeat yet.

What to serve with Chesapeake Crab Butter Sauce

Serve up your crab butter sauce on top of a juicy steak and serve with a side of lemon wedges, brussels sprout, red potatoes, crusty bread, and some red or white wine.

crab butter sauce on top of beef tenderloin

Leftover Chesapeake Crab Butter Sauce

Once your taste buds get a mouth full of this, there won’t be any leftovers.

BUT, in the off chance your stomach isn’t a bottomless pit, grab a small bowl or airtight container and allow it to cool to room temperature before putting it in the fridge.

More Crabby Goodness

  • Chesapeake Crab Dip
  • Keto Seafood Imperial
  • Cedar Plank Smoked Crab Cakes
  • Ultimate Guide To Steamed Blue Crabs
  • Jumbo Lump Crab Burgers

crab butter sauce on top of beef tenderloin
Print Pin
5 from 2 votes

Chesapeake Crab Butter Sauce

If you’re ready to take your steak to the next level this Chesapeake Crab Butter Sauce is what you seek. Rich buttery crab with a hint of old bay spice make this sauce a must for your next special dinner.
Course Sauce
Cuisine American
Keyword Butter Sauce, Chesapeake Crab
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 180kcal

Equipment

  • any saute pan or sauce pot

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Jumbo Lump Crabmeat
  • 1 Stick Butter
  • 2 tsp Old Bay
  • 1 tbsp Fresh Parsley
  • 1 tbsp Minced Shallot
  • 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
  • ¼ cup Heavy Cream

Instructions

  • over medium heat saute garllic and shallots in 2 tbsp of butter until garlic and shallots have softened. then add in heavy cream and reduce by half
  • Turn heat to low and then begin whisking in butter 2 tbsp at a time until the sauce is smooth. finally gently fold in the crabmeat, avaid breaking up the lumps as much as possible. finish off the sauce with the parsley. Sauce is complete as soon as the crabmeat is warmed. Do not raise heat or butter will seperate from the sauce

Notes

serving size is about a ¼ cup.
remember to never bring the butter to a boil or the sauce will break

Nutrition

Calories: 180kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 579mg | Potassium: 129mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 531IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition Facts
Chesapeake Crab Butter Sauce
Amount Per Serving
Calories 180 Calories from Fat 135
% Daily Value*
Fat 15g23%
Saturated Fat 9g56%
Cholesterol 64mg21%
Sodium 579mg25%
Potassium 129mg4%
Carbohydrates 1g0%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 11g22%
Vitamin A 531IU11%
Vitamin C 5mg6%
Calcium 43mg4%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Linda

    March 20, 2020 at 8:55 pm

    Have not made but will try

    Reply
    • Culinary Lion

      March 21, 2020 at 9:04 pm

      Thanks for checking out the recipe. let me know when you make it!

      Reply
  2. Carole

    March 21, 2020 at 2:35 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you for a fantastic recipe that even my husband, who’s not a big fan of crab, loved. And thank you especially for your advice about reducing the heat prior to adding the butter in order to keep the sauce from breaking.
    Question: Do you think this would be good substituting chopped shrimp for the crabmeat? If yes, what alterations should I make to the recipe? Shrimp is quite reasonably priced where I live unlike crabmeat.
    Thanks again for a great sauce for steaks!

    Reply
    • Culinary Lion

      March 21, 2020 at 9:03 pm

      Shrimp would work as well. just cook them ahead of time then make the sauce and just warm them up right in the sauce.

      Reply
  3. Holly

    November 07, 2020 at 10:56 pm

    When do you put in Old Bay?

    Reply
    • Culinary Lion

      November 13, 2020 at 6:47 pm

      you can add it along with the butter at the end,

      Reply
  4. Nicki

    December 19, 2020 at 1:12 pm

    This dish looks delicious.
    Is there a recipe available for the beef that is pictured?

    Reply
  5. Dianne

    December 31, 2020 at 8:26 pm

    Hi! The crabmeat isn’t cooked. It’s thawing in the refrigerator now. Raw crab is ‘normal’ for your recipe? I can hardly wait!

    Reply
    • Culinary Lion

      December 31, 2020 at 10:15 pm

      I have never seen raw crabmeat other then whole live crabs or soft shells so Im fairly positive what you have is already cooked. Fresh crab is steamed then picked as well as Amy pasteurized crabmeat you might find.

      Reply
  6. Karen

    October 17, 2022 at 12:20 am

    5 stars
    So glad to discover this! Had picked one lone Florida blue crab and wanted to top a filet with it. This was perfect without the work of making bearnaise~! I made the full sauce recipe and then just added enough to my small portion of lump blue crab! Perfectly divine!

    Reply
    • Frank Campanella

      October 30, 2022 at 2:36 pm

      Thank you so much! I love that recipe!!

      Reply

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