So what do the Eastern states miss apart from “In-N-Out” burgers? The famous boiling crab. It’s so hard to resist eating with your bare fingers like a savage. And this Boiling Crab Shrimp Copycat Recipe will take you straight to Boiling Crab.

Now, for anyone who does not know this Western fast food chain, Boiling Crab specializes in all kinds of shellfish in a remarkable blend of Southern seasonings, lemon, butter, and garlic.

You order your portion in pounds and get to choose between a good range of dips and side dishes. You will then get your order in a plastic bag, and once this hits the table, the devouring starts.

Boiling Crab Shrimp Copycat Recipe

It’s time to make this fantastic Shrimp copycat recipe from Boiling Crab. Once you make it you’ll see just how easy it is and you’ll want to make it all the time. 

Ingredients

• 4 pounds (2 kg) shrimp or other crustaceans
• 3 heads garlic, peeled and minced
• 4 sticks (2 cups or 454 g) unsalted butter
• 4 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons lemon pepper or ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce, preferably Louisiana-style
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Optional Additions

• 2 ears corn
• 2 chorizo sausages, sliced
• 1½ tablespoons Louisiana hot sauce, for additional heat
• 2 limes, or one per person
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

For the Fries

• 4 small potatoes
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt

Equipment

• 1-gallon food-storage bags suitable for warm food
• Butcher paper, newspaper, or a disposable tablecloth

Instructions

1. Prepare everything

Cut the potatoes into medium-thick fries. If using the optional corn, cut each ear into 2 or 3 pieces. Slice the chorizo and finely mince the garlic. Cut the limes into wedges and set them aside for serving.

Rinse the potato sticks under cold water, then dry them thoroughly before frying.

2. Start the cooking water

Fill a large stockpot with enough water to cover the shrimp and bring it to a rolling boil. Lightly salt the water if desired.

3. Make the Whole Sha-Bang-style sauce

Combine the Old Bay, paprika, cayenne, and lemon pepper or black pepper in a small bowl.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant but not browned.

Stir in the seasoning mixture, 2 tablespoons of hot sauce, and the sugar. Cook over low heat for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring until the sugar dissolves and the sauce is evenly combined. Add the optional 1½ tablespoons of Louisiana hot sauce for extra heat. Keep the sauce warm without letting it boil.

4. Cook the optional corn and chorizo

Add the corn to the boiling water and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until tender. Add fully cooked sliced chorizo during the final 2 to 3 minutes, just long enough to heat it through. Remove both with a slotted spoon and drain well.

If using raw chorizo, cook it fully according to its package directions before assembling the shrimp boil.

5. Cook the shrimp

Working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pot, add the shrimp to the boiling water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. The shrimp are ready when they turn pink and opaque and curl into a loose “C” shape.

Immediately remove them with a slotted spoon and drain thoroughly. Overcooked shrimp become firm and rubbery, so don’t leave them in the hot water after they’re done.

6. Cook the fries

Heat frying oil to 350°F (175°C). Fry the dried potato sticks in batches until golden and crisp, approximately 5 to 7 minutes depending on their thickness.

Drain the fries, then immediately toss them with the Old Bay and garlic salt.

7. Assemble and serve

Divide the drained shrimp, corn, and chorizo among the food-storage bags. Spoon the warm garlic butter sauce into each bag, seal securely, and gently turn the bags several times to coat everything.

Spread butcher paper, newspaper, or a disposable tablecloth over the table. Empty the shrimp boil directly onto the covered table or serve it from the opened bags with the seasoned fries, lime wedges, salt, pepper, and additional hot sauce.

Enjoy your Boiling Crab-style shrimp feast!

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If you’ve liked this recipe be sure to check this Seafood Boil Sauce with Garlic butter!

This Homemade Beef Tapa Filipino Recipe is an authentic dish that has its origin in the Philippines. Tapa is usually made from cured and dried meat. Though beef is most commonly used for making tapa, other dishes like mutton, horse meat, and venison are also used to make this lovely dish. It is the main course, prepared in a traditional way in the Philippines.

Thin strips of beef (or any other meat) are first cured with salt and spices before they undergo a conventional preservation method to prepare delicious tapas. It can be served with rice, fried eggs, ketchup, sliced tomatoes, or any other side dish you want.

Tapa, or Thapa, in the Filipino dialect, means “smoked.” In the earlier days, tapa was usually made from smoked fish. Only later, other types of meat were used for making this dish. Today, beef tapa is one of the most-loved dishes (besides this famous Filipino chicken adobo) by people all over the world, and this dish has brought Filipino cuisine to the limelight indeed!

Beef Tapa Filipino Recipe

Ok, it’s time to make another fantastic Filipino dish, so gather the ingredients, and let’s start with Beff Tapa Recipe!

Ingredients:

1. Soy Sauce – ½ cup
2. Calamansi Juice – ¼ cup
3. Garlic – 1 head, peeled and crushed
4. Sugar – 2 tablespoons
5. Salt – ½ teaspoon
6. Freshly Ground Pepper – ¼ teaspoon
7. Beef Sirloin – 3 pounds (cut into very thin slices)
8. Canola Oil – as needed for cooking

Instructions:

1. Preparing the Marinade:
   • In a large mixing bowl, combine the following ingredients: ½ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup calamansi juice, crushed garlic (about 1 head), 2 tablespoons sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper.
   • Stir the mixture thoroughly until the sugar and salt dissolve completely.
2. Marinating the Beef:
   • Add the thin slices of beef sirloin (3 pounds) to the bowl. Ensure each slice is evenly coated with the marinade.
   • Cover the bowl and refrigerate it for 8 to 10 hours. This duration allows the beef to properly absorb the flavors.
3. Cooking the Beef:
   • After marinating, remove the beef from the refrigerator. Drain any excess marinade from the meat.
   • Place a pan on the stove and heat it over medium heat. Lightly coat the pan with 1-2 tablespoons of canola oil.
   • Add the marinated beef to the hot pan. Cook the beef for approximately 3 to 5 minutes. Frequently turn the slices to ensure even cooking and wait until the liquid in the pan is fully absorbed.
   • Continue cooking until the beef slices turn golden brown.
4. Serving:
   • Once the beef slices are golden brown, turn off the stove.
   • Serve the cooked beef with traditional Filipino side dishes such as sinangag (garlic fried rice) and itlog (fried egg) for an authentic experience.

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Tips for Cooking Beef Tapa the perfect way

• To ensure that the spices seep into the meat well and the beef cooks well, you should always make very thin slices of the meat. Filipino cooking experts recommend freezing the meat for 10 to 15 minutes to make thin slices easily.
• You don’t have to stick only to the ingredients mentioned here. You can use your creativity with the ingredients available in your area. For example, if you cannot find calamansi juice in a store near you, don’t worry. You can always substitute it with lemon juice, vinegar, or wine.
• While marinating the beef in the refrigerator, it is highly recommended that you only do so for about 8 to 10 hours. Marinating the meat for a long time will take away the taste of the beef because the protein fibers will lose their natural taste.
• Beef tapa tastes awesome when you use sirloin or the tender cut of the meat. These will cook in about 5 minutes. However, if you are not able to find sirloin, you can also use tougher cuts of meat. After marinating the tough cuts of meat, you can cook them with a bit of water to allow them to turn soft and tender. Once they turn tender, you can cook the meat with oil and switch off the stove when it turns golden brown.
• The best way to serve this beef tapa is with garlic fried rice and sunny-side-up eggs. This combination makes for a wholesome breakfast option.

Some changes you can try with beef tapa

• For the marinating ingredients, you can use ¼ cup of coconut sugar, two tablespoons of fish sauce, one tablespoon of tamarind soy sauce, and ½ teaspoon of baking soda, along with the usual calamansi juice and soy sauce. With these ingredients, you may marinate the beef for about 5 to 6 hours.
• Though beef tapa is a Philippines-based dish, you can also add/delete certain ingredients to make it belong to your country. For example, to make it a Thai-based curry, you can mix certain authentic Thai ingredients like two tablespoons of lemongrass, one teaspoon of kaafir lime leaves, and two tablespoons of coriander roots to the normal marinating elements to make delicious beef tapas. It is enough for these ingredients to keep the meat marinated for about 4 hours. While serving, don’t forget to serve beef tapa with pickled cucumber.
• To make Japan-based beef tapa, the unique marinating ingredients you can use are equal measures (about ¾ cups each) of Japanese soy sauce, Japanese sweet rice wine, and cooking sake, one teaspoon of butter, and four teaspoons of special Japanese chili powder. Mix all the ingredients with the thin slices of beef and marinate them for about 3 to 4 hours before frying them as usual and serving the tapa with rice and eggs.

As you can see, as long as you take care of the beef cuts and the marinating time, you can make fantastic Filipino beef tapas. This dish requires a lot of time only for the marinating spices to seep in. You can cook the tapas in minutes if the meat is marinated well. Ensure you always choose the right type of beef cut to make delicious beef tapa.

Rice Krispie treats can go wrong in two directions: dry and crumbly, or so sticky that they stretch instead of holding their shape. This recipe lands in the middle. Seven cups of crispy rice cereal are coated with 16 ounces of marshmallows and six tablespoons of salted butter, giving the bars a soft chew with plenty of crunch.

The ratio helps, but the method matters just as much. Keep the heat low, take the marshmallows off the stove before they have completely melted, and press the mixture into the pan gently. Those three details keep the treats light instead of hard and compact.

Rice Krispie Treats Recipe

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Cooling time: 30 minutes
Yield: 24 treats

Ingredients

• 7 cups Rice Krispies cereal or another crispy rice cereal
• 16 ounces (454 g) fresh marshmallows, mini or standard size
• 6 tablespoons (85 g) salted butter
• Softened butter or nonstick cooking spray, for the pan

Instructions

1. Prepare the pan and cereal

Line a 9 x 13-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang to lift out the treats later. Lightly grease the parchment and the sides of the pan. Measure the cereal into a large bowl so it is ready as soon as the marshmallows melt.

2. Melt the butter

Place the butter in a large pot and melt it over low heat. Swirl or stir occasionally so it melts evenly without browning.

3. Soften the marshmallows

Add the marshmallows and stir frequently over low heat. When most have melted but a few soft lumps remain, remove the pot from the burner. Continue stirring off the heat until the mixture is smooth. The remaining warmth will finish melting the marshmallows without overheating them.

4. Coat the cereal

Immediately pour the marshmallow mixture over the cereal. Fold with a silicone spatula until the cereal is evenly coated and no dry pockets remain. Stop mixing once everything comes together so the cereal does not become crushed.

5. Shape the treats

Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Use a lightly greased spatula or a piece of parchment paper to ease it into an even layer. Press only firmly enough to fill the corners. Packing it down hard will make the treats dense.

6. Cool and cut

Leave the pan at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Lift out the slab using the parchment, then cut it into 24 squares. For cleaner cuts, lightly grease the knife and wipe it between slices.

Why This Ratio Works

The familiar cereal-box recipe uses less butter and marshmallow for a similar amount of cereal, which can produce thinner, drier bars. Here, 16 ounces of marshmallows provide enough coating for seven cups of cereal without turning the treats gummy. Six tablespoons of salted butter soften the sweetness and give the mixture enough richness without leaving it greasy.

A 9 x 13-inch pan also gives the bars enough height to feel substantial. An 8- or 9-inch square pan is better for the smaller batch below.

What Makes Rice Krispie Treats Soft Instead of Hard?

High heat is usually the problem. Marshmallows are mostly sugar, and cooking them too aggressively creates a hotter, stickier mixture that sets much firmer as it cools. Melt them slowly and finish stirring them away from the burner.

How the mixture goes into the pan matters too. Pressing hard crushes the cereal and removes the small air pockets that give the bars their lighter texture. Level the top, but do not compact it.

Fresh marshmallows also melt more smoothly. An opened or older bag may look fine but can produce a thick mixture that is difficult to spread.

Ingredient Notes

Marshmallows

Measure marshmallows by weight when possible because cup measurements vary with their size and brand. Mini marshmallows melt faster, but standard marshmallows work just as well. If using large ones, stir patiently rather than increasing the heat.

Salted butter

Salted butter keeps the bars from tasting flat or overly sweet. European-style butter gives a slightly richer flavor, but it is not necessary. Any good salted butter will work.

Crispy rice cereal

Kellogg’s Rice Krispies give the recipe its familiar flavor, but another crisp rice cereal can be used. Texture varies between brands, so fold gently and avoid automatically adding extra cereal. The finished mixture should be thoroughly coated but still easy to spread.

Microwave Method

Prepare the pan and measure the cereal before starting. Place the butter in a very large microwave-safe bowl and heat it for about 30 seconds, or until mostly melted.

Add the marshmallows and microwave for 45 seconds. Stir thoroughly, scraping the bottom of the bowl. If the marshmallows are still too firm to stir smooth, continue heating in 15-second intervals. Stop as soon as the mixture comes together because overheating can make the finished bars hard.

Fold in the cereal, spread the mixture gently in the prepared pan, and cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting.

Smaller-Batch Rice Krispie Treats

For an 8- or 9-inch square pan, use:

• 4⅔ cups crispy rice cereal
• 10 ounces (283 g) marshmallows
• 4 tablespoons (57 g) salted butter

Follow the same instructions. An 8-inch pan will produce thicker squares, while treats made in a 9-inch pan will be a little thinner.

Tips That Make a Difference

• Measure before heating: Once the marshmallow mixture is ready, it begins setting quickly. Have the pan and cereal waiting.
• Use low heat: Turning up the burner saves very little time and is the most common reason the treats become hard.
• Remove the pot early: A few soft marshmallow lumps are fine. They will disappear as you stir off the heat.
• Fold just until coated: Excessive mixing can crush the cereal and make the bars heavy.
• Press lightly: Spread the mixture into the corners without compressing it.
• Let the slab set before cutting: Warm treats are sticky and difficult to slice neatly.

Storage

Keep Rice Krispie treats in an airtight container at room temperature. They have the best texture during the first three days, although they can be kept for up to five days. Place parchment or wax paper between layers so they do not stick together.

Avoid refrigerating them for routine storage because the cold firms the butter and makes the bars feel harder. For longer storage, wrap individual squares tightly and freeze them in an airtight container for up to six weeks. Let them thaw at room temperature while still wrapped.

Are Rice Krispie Treats Gluten-Free?

Standard Kellogg’s Rice Krispies are not considered gluten-free because they contain barley malt flavoring. To make gluten-free marshmallow treats, choose a crispy rice cereal labeled gluten-free and check the labels on the marshmallows and cooking spray as well.

For another quick dessert that does not need the oven, try these white chocolate Oreo truffles. If you are in the mood for an easy baked bar instead, these chocolate chip cookie bars use a boxed cake mix and only a few ingredients.