Spicy Viet-Cajun Black Pepper Crab with Garlic Butter

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-06-09 · Updated 2026-06-09

How this recipe was made — this recipe was drafted by AislePrompt's AI-assisted pipeline from technique templates and USDA-sourced nutrition data, and published by AislePrompt Editorial — see how AislePrompt recipes are drafted and published.

Crab stir-fried in a bold Viet-Cajun style black pepper sauce enriched with fragrant garlic butter for a fiery seafood feast. This Vietnamese-inspired seafood recipe, ready in about 30 minutes, pairs live blue crabs, cleaned and halved, unsalted butter, garlic cloves, minced for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 350 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Prep: 15 min Cook: 15 min Serves 4 Vietnamese cuisine 350 cal/serving

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Ingredients

2 lbs live blue crabs, cleaned and halved
4 tbsp unsalted butter
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp black peppercorns, coarsely crushed
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 green onions, chopped
2 tbsp vegetable oil
for garnish fresh cilantro leaves

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Instructions

Step 1: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil and 4 tbsp unsalted butter in a large wok or deep skillet over medium-high heat until butter melts and starts to foam.
Step 2: Add 6 minced garlic cloves and 2 thinly sliced shallots, stir-frying for 1-2 minutes until fragrant but not browned.
Step 3: Toss in 2 lbs cleaned and halved blue crabs, stirring to coat with the garlic butter mixture. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 4: Stir in 2 tbsp coarsely crushed black peppercorns, 2 tbsp fish sauce, and 1 tbsp brown sugar. Continue to cook for another 6-8 minutes, stirring gently until the crab shells turn bright red and the sauce thickens slightly.
Step 5: Remove from heat, garnish with 2 chopped green onions and fresh cilantro leaves, and serve immediately with steamed jasmine rice.