- 1). Turn the crab so the underside is face up. Lift the flap known as the apron off of the crab's belly. This will look like a circular shape on a female crab and will have a pointed look on a male crab. Removing the apron should also remove the mouth parts.
- 2). Turn the crab back over so the top shell is upright. Grab the top shell from the back and pull it up toward the front to remove it completely. Remove the organs, such as the lungs and the stomach, and rinse the inside of the body under running water.
- 3). Grab the crab with both hands under the body and place it under running water. Break the body in half using the pressure from your hands. If you are not able to break it completely, use strong kitchen scissors or a large kitchen knife to finish cutting the body in half.
- 4). Cut open the crab legs by cutting down the length of each leg on one side. Repeat the cut 1/2 inch away from the first cut, then remove the cut section. From here you can remove the crab meat or serve it as-is to your guests and allow them to pull out the meat themselves with a crab fork.
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