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snow crab esquites on a platter
Blog Home | Cooking + Recipes
snow crab esquites on a platter

Alaskan Crab Esquites

August 31st, 2022

Mexican Street Food Meets Alaskan Crab

This sweet and briny crab esquites recipe is inspired by Mexican street food, a grilled corn dish that we’ve glorified with the addition of Alaskan crab, whether you're using Dungeness or snow crab. Made at home, there’s no grill required — you’ll be recreating an easy version of this dish by cooking freshly-shucked corn kernels in a hot cast-iron pan, where they’ll caramelize from the heat and pick up a hint of that charred, street-side flavor. 

The Best Way to Pick Crab Meat from Alaskan Crab 

Picking the meat from is the most labor intensive aspect of this recipe and is best done with a friend in the kitchen. However, any variety of crab from Wild Alaskan Company is pre-scored to make this task easy to do without any tools. Simply defrost crab legs, snap open the shells, then collect the meat in a separate bowl. If you need more detailed instructions, visit our blog post covering Everything You Need to Know About Snow Crab — the crab cracking technique works for either Dungeness or snow crab. 

If picking through an entire bag of crab seems too time consuming, the amount of crab used in the dish can be halved — with half the crab meat in the dish, you’ll still be able to put together a delicious platter of crab esquites. Any unpicked, defrosted crab legs can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, while crab legs that are still completely frozen can simply be returned to the freezer for another use. 

What Can You Do With Crab Shells?

Discard snow crab shells. Or, better yet, reserve them to add flavor to a simple stock for use in dishes like Crab Risotto. Refreeze shells in a freezer bag until you’re ready to use them (try to use them within 3 months).

To make a quick crab stock, dump the shells into a pot with a bit of butter or olive oil, straight from the freezer. Toast them over medium heat for about 10 minutes, then add water and veggie scraps (carrot and onion ends, trimmings from celery, any spare herbs) and allow to simmer for 30 minutes, then strain out the solids. Voila!

What Is a Good Subtitute for Cotija Cheese and Crema Fresca?

Crema fresca and cotija cheese are classic toppings for esquites. If you can’t find them at your local markets, sour cream and feta can be used instead. Crema fresca is a bit tangier than sour cream, while cotija cheese has a different texture than feta, but any combination of what you can find will do the trick.

Pro tip: If not using crema fresca, try subbing in "Kewpie" aka Japanese-style mayo to give the esquites extra tang.

Can I Use Grilled Corn?

Yes, you can substitute corn that's been cooked on the grill for this recipe. Simply cook until no longer raw and charred to your liking, then cut the kernels off the cob to use to make esquites. 

Print Recipe

Crab Esquites

By Wild Alaskan Company

Prep time

30 minutes

Cook Time

15 minutes

Total time

45 minutes

Yield

4 to 6

Ingredients

  • 1 (32 oz.) pack Snap & Eat Dungeness Crab, picked, or 2 (6 oz.) Dungeness Crab Meat
  • 3 to 4 cups corn kernels, cut from the cob (approx 3 ears of corn)
  • 1 teaspoon serrano pepper, minced, or more to taste
  • 2 tablespoons neutral oil
  • 1 lime, halved
  • ½ cup cotija cheese or feta cheese, crumbled
  • 2 tablespoons crema fresca or sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, preferably kewpie mayo
  • Small bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
  • Salt, to taste
  • Lime wedges, for serving
  • Chili powder, optional

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large skillet (ideally cast-iron) over medium heat. Once oil begins to shimmer, add corn and serrano to skillet, stirring occasionally and allowing corn to pick up color. Cook until corn is no longer raw and has begun to char in spots, about 10 minutes.

2. Gently stir in crab meat to warm through, about 3 minutes. Squeeze in juice from half a lime, then transfer contents to large mixing bowl.

3. Fold cotija/feta cheese, crema fresca/sour cream and mayonnaise into corn mixture until evenly distributed, then stir in a generous handful of cilantro. Taste mixture for seasoning, adding salt and more lime as needed.

4. Transfer crab esquites to serving platter, garnishing with extra cilantro and lime wedges. If desired, sprinkle with chili powder. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled. Snow crab esquites can be stored covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.


Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of food-borne illness, especially if you have a certain medical condition. The FDA recommends an internal temperature of 145°F for cooked fish.

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