Tampa Deviled Crab
A hand-shaped, breaded and fried croquette of spiced crab meat, a fixture of Ybor City cigar-factory lunch counters.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 290 kcal
Equipment
- •Skillet
- •Deep fryer
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- fat
- 15
- carbs
- 22
- protein
- 16
- calories
- 290
Instructions
- 1
Saute the onion, bell pepper, and garlic until soft.
- 2
Stir in the tomato paste and paprika. Cook for 1 minute.
- 3
Gently mix in the crab meat and breadcrumbs. Season to your taste.
- 4
Chill the mixture for 30 minutes.
- 5
Shape the mixture into pointed, football-shaped rolls.
- 6
Dip each roll into beaten egg, then coat thoroughly in fine breadcrumbs.
- 7
Fry at 350°F until golden, about 4 minutes.
- 8
Drain and serve while hot.
Chef's tips
Shape the mixture into traditional football shapes by hand. Chill before breading so the crab holds together in the fryer, and use a well-seasoned sofrito base (cooked onion, pepper, and garlic) for rich flavor.
Storage
Refrigerate uncooked, breaded croquettes up to 1 day before frying.
Reheating
Reheat in a 375°F oven until warmed through and crisp.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Mixing the crab meat too hard, which breaks apart the delicate lumps.
- •Using oil that is not hot enough, which makes the breading soggy.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Tampa Deviled Crab?
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