If crabbing is not up your alley, you may be looking for a reliable option to find fresh, still alive Dungeness crab. At first, it might seem daunting (and even a bit sketchy) to buy Dungeness crab live from online seafood sellers. The alternatives are buying Dungeness crab from grocery stores or an in-person fish market, if you happen to live near one. However, the live crab you may find in your grocery store has likely been through a long journey to arrive in the tank at the seafood counter. It is likely to not be the best quality and could even be sick. Here is where online ordering can give you some guarantees you might otherwise not find at the grocery store. We will cover what you should know about buying live Dungeness crab online below.

Dungeness Crab Prices

Company Price/lb Minimum Order Shipping Order
Global Seafoods $18.70 10 lbs $16.20
Lummi Island Wild $28.38 6 lbs FREE
Seabear Smokehouse $32.50 2 lbs $19.99
Cameron’s Seafood $35.33 3 lbs $39.99
Tanner’s Alaskan Seafood $44.95 1 lb Free@8lbs

Buying Live Dungeness Crab for Sale

Dungeness crab is a definite favorite of the West Coast that has crab lovers flocking to the nearest place to get their share of the delicious crab. The addictingly sweet taste of the meat makes Dungeness crab a prime choice. Many people will only buy Dungnesess crab live to experience the holistic cooking and eating experience. There’s something about live crab that makes your backyard seafood boils that much better. Given its popularity, West Coast Dungeness crab fishers have made the freshest live crab available to consumers across the county via online markets.

Here’s how to order live Dungeness crab online. Seafood sites that offer the live option tend to base the pricing per crab versus per pound. A rough price per pound average would range from $25 to $30. You can always compare prices across sites to gauge quality and fair prices. When you order Dungeness crab live, know that you will also have to pay for overnight or next-day shipping. Fast shipping is key to make sure the crab stays live. Sometimes you can get the shipping cost waived if you order a certain amount.

Keep in mind that to order Dungeness crab live does not always guarantee that it will arrive live. While seafood sellers have every intention of having the crab arrive alive, there is only so much they can do. Some sites include in their product description that the crab may arrive weak or newly deceased. If you are expecting a lively, snapping crab in the mail, that might not be what you get. Remember that if your crab arrives dead, you should contact customer service as soon as possible.

Recipe Ideas for Dungeness Crab

The benefit of buying Dungeness crab alive is that you have every option for preparation available to you. We wanted to share some recipe ideas to spark inspiration of how to cook your live crab. A popular option for live crab is a boil, like this recipe from Food Network. The freshly boiled crab pairs well with simple drawn butter or an elevated dipping sauce. You can also start by simply boiling live Dungeness crab then roasting the crabs in the oven with garlic and chiles like this recipe suggests. Whether you want to order Dungeness crab legs online or buy live Dungeness crab, you’re sure to have a wonderful meal.

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