Crab Nutrition Facts: Calories, Protein, Minerals & More

Crab is a prized, sweet-flavored crustacean seafood widely consumed across the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Raw blue crab meat (Callinectes sapidus)—representing the most common baseline standard for commercial crab meat—provides approximately 87 calories and 18.1 grams of high-quality complete protein per 100 grams. Naturally very low in dietary fat (just over 1 gram) and carbohydrate-free, crab is a premier lean protein source.

In addition to its lean macronutrient profile, crab meat provides exceptional levels of vital trace minerals—particularly copper, zinc, and selenium—as well as vitamin B12. The nutritional values detailed on this page reflect raw blue crab meat. Distinct nutritional characteristics of other major culinary species, such as Dungeness, King, and Snow crab, as well as cooked preparations, are addressed in dedicated sections below.

Crab Nutrition Facts per 100g

The table below outlines the nutritional composition for 100 grams of raw blue crab meat, alongside standard culinary serving sizes of 3 ounces (85 g) and 4 ounces (113 g).

How Many Calories Are in Crab?

Raw crab meat contains 87 calories per 100 grams. A standard 3-ounce (85 g) cooked serving provides approximately 82–85 calories, while a 4-ounce (113 g) raw portion yields roughly 98 calories.

Factors influencing calorie density include:

  • Species variations: While blue crab yields about 87 calories per 100 g raw, King crab yields approximately 84 kcal, Dungeness crab about 86–90 kcal, and Snow crab roughly 90 kcal.

  • Cooking moisture loss: Steaming or boiling evaporates water, slightly concentrating nutrients and increasing calories to roughly 97–102 kcal per 100 grams of cooked meat.

  • Accompaniments: Plain crab meat is naturally low in calories; however, serving it with melted clarified butter, garlic butter dips, mayonnaise-heavy crab cake binders, or creamy sauces substantially increases total caloric intake.

How Much Protein Is in Crab?

Crab is an exceptionally concentrated source of protein, providing 18.1 grams per 100 grams in its raw state. A standard 3-ounce portion delivers 15.4 grams of protein, and a 4-ounce serving provides 20.5 grams. Once steamed, 100 grams of cooked crab meat yields over 19 to 20 grams of protein.

Crab meat is a complete animal protein containing all nine essential amino acids necessary for tissue repair, cellular growth, and lean muscle retention. Because over 83% of its calories come directly from protein, crab provides an outstanding protein-to-calorie ratio.

Crab Macronutrients

The macronutrient distribution of plain raw crab meat is dominated by protein with almost no dietary fat or carbohydrates:

  • Protein: 18.1 g per 100 g (~83% of total calories)

  • Fat: 1.08 g per 100 g (~11% of total calories)

  • Carbohydrates: 0.0 g per 100 g

  • Dietary Fiber: 0.0 g per 100 g

  • Sugars: 0.0 g per 100 g

How Much Fat Is in Crab?

Raw blue crab contains 1.08 grams of total fat per 100 grams, making it one of the leanest animal proteins available. The lipid breakdown includes:

  • Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.44 grams per 100 grams, primarily marine omega-3 fatty acids.

  • Saturated Fat: 0.23 grams per 100 grams.

  • Monounsaturated Fat: 0.16 grams per 100 grams.

Because it contains negligible saturated fat, crab is ideal for low-fat dietary protocols.

Crab Omega-3

Although crab is considered a lean seafood rather than an oily fish, it provides meaningful quantities of preformed long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. A 100-gram serving of raw crab meat provides roughly 320 mg of total omega-3s, consisting of:

  • Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA): 170 mg

  • Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA): 150 mg

A single serving comfortably contributes toward the daily intake of 250 to 500 mg of combined EPA and DHA recommended by health organizations to support vascular and cellular health.

How Many Carbs Are in Crab?

Fresh, real crab meat contains 0.0 grams of total carbohydrates, 0.0 grams of fiber, and 0.0 grams of sugar per 100 grams.

Caution regarding imitation crab: Imitation crab (surimi) is made from pulverized white fish (such as Alaskan pollock) blended with starch, egg white, and sugar, typically containing 12 to 15 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams. Real crab is naturally carbohydrate-free unless prepared as breaded crab cakes or bound with breadcrumbs.

Vitamins in Crab

Crab meat supplies significant levels of water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins:

  • Vitamin B12 (9.0 mcg, 375% DV per 100 g): Exceptionally high, providing well over triple the daily adult requirement to support neurological integrity, red blood cell synthesis, and energy production.

  • Folate (51 mcg, 13% DV per 100 g): Unusually high for seafood, assisting cellular division and DNA formation.

  • Vitamin B3 / Niacin (2.6 mg, 16% DV per 100 g): Aids in enzymatic energy metabolism.

  • Vitamin C (3.3 mg, 4% DV per 100 g): Naturally occurring in small amounts in crustacean muscle tissue.

Minerals in Crab

Crab meat is renowned for its dense trace element and mineral profile:

  • Copper (0.67 mg, 74% DV per 100 g): Essential for iron absorption, connective tissue formation, and vascular elasticity.

  • Selenium (37.4 mcg, 68% DV per 100 g): Powers key antioxidant enzymes (glutathione peroxidase) and supports thyroid hormone regulation.

  • Zinc (3.54 mg, 32% DV per 100 g): Highly bioavailable; essential for immune cellular function, protein synthesis, and wound healing.

  • Phosphorus (229 mg, 18% DV per 100 g): Supports bone mineralization and cellular ATP production.

  • Potassium (329 mg, 7% DV per 100 g): Balances fluid dynamics and arterial tone.

Potential Benefits of Crab

  • Lean Muscle Growth & Satiety: Delivering 18.1 grams of complete protein for under 90 calories per 100 grams, crab promotes lean tissue preservation with minimal caloric load.

  • Immune & Antioxidant Support: The combination of bioavailable zinc and selenium aids white blood cell activity and protects cellular membranes against oxidative stress.

  • Neurological & Blood Health: Providing 375% of the Daily Value for vitamin B12 alongside bioavailable iron and copper, crab supports red blood cell maturation and central nervous system operation.

  • Thyroid Metabolic Function: Dense selenium concentrations provide the catalytic baseline necessary for converting thyroxine (T4) into biologically active triiodothyronine (T3).

Is Crab Healthy?

Crab is a nutrient-dense whole food offering high protein, minimal fat, zero carbohydrates, and valuable trace minerals like zinc, copper, and selenium.

Two dietary factors should be considered:

  1. Sodium: Natural marine crab contains moderate sodium (~293 mg per 100 g), which increases when boiled in salted water or seasoned with seafood spice blends (e.g., Old Bay).

  2. Accompaniments: Crab is frequently paired with drawn butter, fried in batters, or bound with mayonnaise in crab cakes. Selecting steamed, boiled, or grilled preparations preserves its lean nutritional profile.

Raw vs Cooked Crab Nutrition

Steaming or boiling crab expels moisture, slightly concentrating protein, minerals, and calories per 100 grams of edible meat.

Nutrient (per 100 g)

Raw Blue Crab Meat

Steamed / Boiled Blue Crab Meat

Calories

87 kcal

~97 kcal

Protein

18.1 g

~20.2 g

Total Fat

1.08 g

~1.28 g

Carbohydrates

0.0 g

0.0 g

Sodium

293 mg

~395 mg (without added table salt)

Water Content

79.5 g

~76.0 g

Crab Varieties and Species Differences

  • Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus): Sweet, delicate meat common along the US Atlantic and Gulf coasts; moderate size and very lean (~87 kcal/100 g).

  • Dungeness Crab (Metacarcinus magister): Native to the Pacific Northwest; slightly firmer, sweet meat with comparable protein and lean fat metrics (~86 kcal/100 g).

  • Alaskan King Crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus): Sourced from subarctic waters; large leg meat segments with a rich texture, delivering roughly 84 kcal and 18 g protein per 100 g.

  • Snow Crab (Chionoecetes opilio): Fibrous, sweet cluster leg meat with roughly 90 kcal and 18.5 g protein per 100 g.

  • Soft-Shell Crab: Blue crabs that have recently molted their exoskeleton; often battered and deep-fried whole, significantly increasing fat, carbohydrate, and calorie levels.

Crab Food Safety

  • Low Mercury Content: Crab is categorized by the US FDA and EPA as a "Best Choice" seafood due to very low methylmercury levels (averaging ~0.06 ppm). It is safe for 2–3 weekly servings for the general public, including pregnant or nursing individuals.

  • Shellfish Allergies: Crustaceans contain tropomyosin, a major cross-reactive allergen capable of triggering severe IgE-mediated allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis.

  • Crab Hepatopancreas (Tomalley): The yellow-green "mustard" or digestive organ inside the main body shell can concentrate environmental contaminants like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) or algal biotoxins (domoic acid). Health authorities recommend consuming only the white muscle meat from claws and bodies.

  • Cooking Temperature: Raw crab should be cooked to an internal meat temperature of 63°C (145°F), or until the shells turn bright red and the meat becomes completely opaque and firm.

Is Crab Good for Weight Loss?

Yes. Crab is an ideal food for weight loss and caloric deficit protocols. At only 87 calories and over 18 grams of protein per 100 grams, it ranks among the most protein-dense, low-calorie whole foods available.

Its high protein content increases satiety by elevating peptide YY and GLP-1 while suppressing ghrelin, helping reduce overall daily caloric intake when prepared without added butter or creamy sauces.

Is Crab High in Cholesterol?

Raw blue crab contains 78 mg of dietary cholesterol per 100 grams, which is moderate (similar to poultry breast or lean beef).

Clinical dietary consensus emphasizes that dietary cholesterol from lean, whole foods has minimal influence on serum LDL cholesterol for most individuals compared to saturated and trans fats. With only 0.23 grams of saturated fat per 100 grams, crab fits well into heart-conscious diets.

How Much Crab Is a Serving?

  • Standard Cooked Serving (FDA / USDA): 3 ounces (85 grams) of picked meat.

  • Standard Raw Picked Meat Portion: 4 ounces (113 grams).

  • In-Shell Equivalent: Approximately 1 to 1.5 pounds (450–680 grams) of whole hard-shell crabs typically yields about 3 to 4 ounces of picked edible meat.