A 100-gram serving of cooked crab meat contains roughly 97 calories, making it one of the leanest protein sources available. That same portion delivers over 19 grams of protein with only about 1.5 grams of fat. The exact count shifts depending on the species, how it’s prepared, and what you dip it in.
Calories by Crab Type
Not all crab is created equal, but the differences are smaller than you might expect. Cooked Alaska king crab comes in at 97 calories per 100 grams (about 3.5 ounces) with 19.35 grams of protein and 1.54 grams of fat. That’s comparable to a chicken breast in protein density but with fewer calories overall.
Blue crab, the kind most common on the East Coast, runs slightly lower at around 87 to 90 calories per 100 grams. Dungeness crab falls in a similar range, typically landing between 86 and 94 calories. Snow crab and queen crab sit right around 90 to 100 calories per 100 grams. Across species, you’re looking at a tight window: roughly 85 to 100 calories for a 100-gram serving of plain steamed or boiled crab meat.
For context, a typical crab leg portion at a restaurant is closer to 150 to 200 grams of meat (once you crack through the shell), which puts your plate at around 130 to 200 calories before any butter or seasoning.
What Makes Crab Nutritionally Impressive
The calorie count alone doesn’t capture why crab stands out. Nearly all of its calories come from protein, with almost zero carbohydrates and very little fat. That protein-to-calorie ratio is hard to beat in any food category.
Crab is also packed with micronutrients. A standard serving provides about 9 micrograms of vitamin B12, which is several times the daily recommended amount. You also get 37 micrograms of selenium (roughly two-thirds of what you need daily) and 3.6 milligrams of zinc, covering about a third of most adults’ daily needs. B12 supports nerve function and red blood cell production, selenium acts as an antioxidant, and zinc plays a role in immune health and wound healing.
Cholesterol in crab is moderate. A 3-ounce serving of queen crab contains about 60 milligrams. That’s well below what you’d find in the same amount of shrimp or organ meats, and current dietary guidelines no longer set a strict daily cholesterol cap for most people.
How Preparation Changes the Numbers
Plain steamed or boiled crab keeps calories low. The moment you add dipping sauces, the math changes fast. A single tablespoon of clarified butter adds 120 calories, and most people use two or three tablespoons over the course of a meal. That can easily double or triple the total calorie count of your crab dinner.
Crab cakes are another story entirely. A typical restaurant-style crab cake mixes the meat with breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, eggs, and seasoning, then pan-fries or deep-fries it. A single crab cake can run 200 to 300 calories depending on size and preparation. Crab rangoon, the cream cheese-filled appetizer, packs around 70 to 90 calories per piece, and most people eat several.
If you’re watching sodium, keep in mind that crab naturally contains a fair amount. A 3-ounce serving of cooked queen crab has 587 milligrams of sodium, which is about a quarter of the recommended daily limit. Canned crab tends to be even higher because of added salt during processing.
Imitation Crab vs. Real Crab
Imitation crab (surimi) and real crab land in a similar calorie range, but they get there in very different ways. Real crab is almost entirely protein. Imitation crab derives most of its calories from added carbohydrates, including sugars and starches used to bind the processed fish paste together. Sugar and sorbitol are common ingredients that help with texture and freezing.
The calorie similarity is misleading. Real crab has significantly more protein, vitamins, and minerals per serving. Imitation crab is a heavily processed product made primarily from white fish, and it lacks the B12, selenium, and zinc that make real crab nutritionally valuable. If calories are your only concern, either works. If overall nutrition matters to you, real crab is the clear winner.
Quick Calorie Reference
- Steamed king crab, 100g: 97 calories
- Steamed blue crab, 100g: ~87 calories
- One tablespoon butter (dipping): 120 calories
- One restaurant crab cake: 200 to 300 calories
- One crab rangoon piece: 70 to 90 calories
- Imitation crab, 100g: ~95 calories (mostly from carbs)
Plain crab meat is one of the lowest-calorie, highest-protein foods you can eat. The real calorie load in a crab dinner almost always comes from what surrounds it: the butter, the breading, or the cream cheese. The crab itself is remarkably lean.