Lowcountry Crab Rice

Name: Lowcountry Crab Rice
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Cuisine: american
Ingredients: 5 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 large sweet onion, such as Vidalia, finely chopped; 2 celery stalks, finely chopped; 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped; 1 cup sliced scallions (from 5 scallions, white and light green parts); 1 tablespoon minced garlic; 4 cups cooked Carolina Gold or jasmine rice; 1 pound fresh lump blue crab meat, carefully picked over for shells and cartilage; Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon; 1 teaspoon kosher salt (preferably Diamond Crystal); 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning (store-bought or homemade); 1/4 cup finely chopped chives

By JJ Johnson

Published Sept. 19, 2025

Lowcountry Crab Rice — Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.

Total Time: 30 minutes, plus rice cooking time
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes, plus rice cooking time
Rating: 5(5)
Comments: Read comments

Crab rice is a prized dish of the Gullah Geechee people of the Carolina Lowcountry, a region of the United States that is synonymous with seafood. “My kids beg for crab rice all the time,” says Sallie Ann Robinson, a Gullah chef and food historian, “and just like my mother did with us girls, I make them help me pick the crabs. We sit out on the porch or around the kitchen table, spread some newspapers, and go to pickin’. The more hands we’ve got, the sooner we’re ready to cook.” Tender lump crab meat gives you sweetness in every bite of rice, mingling with the zesty lemon and the aromatic flavor of onion and celery. Traditional versions of this recipe often include bacon, but this recipe, from my cookbook “The Simple Art of Rice” (Flatiron Books, 2023) calls for smoky Creole seasoning. Carolina Gold rice is the classic choice for this dish: Because of its high starch content, this fluffy rice sticks to the crab and absorbs all the flavors beautifully.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

5tablespoons unsalted butter
1large sweet onion, such as Vidalia, finely chopped
2celery stalks, finely chopped
1green bell pepper, finely chopped
1cup sliced scallions (from 5 scallions, white and light green parts)
1tablespoon minced garlic
4cups cooked Carolina Gold or jasmine rice
1pound fresh lump blue crab meat, carefully picked over for shells and cartilage
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1teaspoon kosher salt (preferably Diamond Crystal)
1tablespoon Creole seasoning (store-bought or homemade)
¼cup finely chopped chives

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

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Step 1
Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, celery, bell pepper, scallions and garlic. Cover the pan and let the vegetables cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they have softened but not browned.
Step 2
Add the rice to the skillet, breaking up any clumps with a wooden spoon. Cover the pan and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until the rice is heated through, stirring once or twice.
Step 3
Meanwhile, in another large skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the crab meat, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and Creole seasoning and stir to coat. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the crab is heated through and fragrant.
Step 4
Fold the crab meat mixture and half the chives into the rice and serve immediately, sprinkled with the remaining chives.

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