Spicy and Sweet Marinated Crab (Yangnyeom Gejang)
Easy Homemade Spicy and Sweet Marinated Crab Recipe
My son’s absolute favorite! A delicious marinated crab that’s a perfect ‘rice thief’ when you have a poor appetite.
Main Ingredients
- 1 pack of pre-cut crabs
- 1/2 medium onion
- A small bunch of scallions or the white parts of green onions
Spicy & Sweet Marinade
- 3 Cheongyang peppers (spicy Korean chili peppers)
- 10 cloves of garlic, minced (if using small cloves)
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp anchovy sauce
- 3 Tbsp Korean chili powder (gochugaru)
- 3 Tbsp oligo syrup (or corn syrup)
- A pinch of ginger powder
- 3 Tbsp plum extract
- 2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 3 Cheongyang peppers (spicy Korean chili peppers)
- 10 cloves of garlic, minced (if using small cloves)
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp anchovy sauce
- 3 Tbsp Korean chili powder (gochugaru)
- 3 Tbsp oligo syrup (or corn syrup)
- A pinch of ginger powder
- 3 Tbsp plum extract
- 2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare the vegetables for the marinade. Finely slice the onion. Finely chop the scallions or the white parts of the green onions. Finely chop the Cheongyang peppers as well.
Step 2
Clean the crabs thoroughly. Open the pack of pre-cut crabs and rinse them lightly under running water. Pour 1 cup of soju (Korean rice wine) over the crabs to remove any fishy odors, let it sit for about 10 minutes. Then, use scissors to trim the sharp tips of the crab legs and any other unnecessary parts. Pat the crabs thoroughly dry with paper towels.
Step 3
In a mixing bowl, combine the marinade ingredients: 3 Tbsp soy sauce, 3 Tbsp anchovy sauce, 3 Tbsp oligo syrup, 3 Tbsp plum extract, a pinch of ginger powder, and 2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds. Mix well to create the marinade base.
Step 4
Add about 1/4 cup of the prepared marinade base and a pinch of ginger powder to the cleaned crabs. Gently mix to lightly coat the crabs. This initial coating helps the flavors penetrate better.
Step 5
Add the sliced onions, minced garlic, chopped Cheongyang peppers, and chopped scallions (or green onions) to the bowl. Pour in the remaining marinade. Gently mix everything together, being careful not to break the crab pieces, ensuring the marinade is evenly distributed. You can enjoy it immediately after mixing, or refrigerate it for about a day for a deeper flavor. The leftover marinade from this dish is also delicious when added to stews for an extra savory kick.
