Singapore Chilli Crab (Sauce Only)
A Singapore-style chilli crab sauce (sauce only) — glossy, sweet-spicy-tangy wok-simmered sauce with tomato, chilli and silken egg ribbons, perfect for drenching crab or mantou.
About this dish
This Singapore Chilli Crab (Sauce Only) recipe gives you the iconic hawker-centre sauce — without the messy shell work — so you can make it at home and serve over whole crabs, pre-cooked crab pieces or as a saucy dip for fried mantou. In Singapore, chilli crab is a communal, hands-on dish often ordered at zi char stalls, East Coast seafood restaurants and finger-licking hawker joints; making the sauce at home captures the same bold sweet-spicy-tangy flavour that locals love.
The sauce is a balanced blend of tomato, red chilli, sweet ketchup, a touch of sambal or chilli paste, aromatics and a light ribbon of beaten egg to give that silky finish. Texture is glossy and slightly thickened, clinging to crab shells or soft tofu; flavour is sweet, savoury and slightly vinegary with the gentle heat of bird’s eye chillies (chilli padi) — you can dial the heat down for kids or guests. This recipes suits busy parents wanting a weekend family feast, couples preparing a special dinner in a heartland flat or cooks recreating zi char classics for potlucks.
Treat it like a base: add extra sambal belacan or freshly chopped chilli for more punch, or use coconut milk for a creamier, Peranakan-leaning twist. Serve piping hot on a shallow platter for sharing with lots of napkins on the side, plus fried mantou or steamed rice to mop up every last spoonful — the way many Singaporeans would tuck into it, from kopitiam-style supper sessions to festive gatherings like Chinese New Year or Loy Krathong-style family dinners.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 thumb (about 15 g) ginger, finely grated
- 2 shallots, finely sliced
- 3–4 fresh red chillies or 6–8 bird's eye chillies (chilli padi), chopped (adjust to taste)
- 120 g tomato ketchup
- 2 tbsp chilli sauce (samba-style or Sriracha as alternative)
- 1 tbsp sambal belacan (optional for deeper umami)
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce (for colour, optional)
- 2 tbsp caster sugar (adjust for sweetness)
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar or 1 tbsp white vinegar + 1 tbsp lime juice
- 250 ml fish stock (or water + 1 tsp fish sauce)
- 1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) mixed with 2 tbsp water (slurry)
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 spring onions, cut into 4 cm lengths, for garnish
- Fresh cilantro (coriander) leaves and extra chopped chillies to serve
- Optional: 1 tbsp butter or a drizzle of sesame oil for finishing
- Optional: 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce or ketchup substitute for richer tang
Step-by-Step Method
- Prepare ingredients: mince garlic, grate ginger, slice shallots, chop chillies, and whisk eggs in a small bowl; have your cornflour slurry ready.
- Heat a wok over medium-high heat until hot, then add vegetable oil. Swirl to coat; you want a hot, lively wok like at a zi char stall.
- Sauté garlic, ginger and shallots for 30–45 seconds until fragrant and turning translucent — keep the heat high but do not burn them.
- Add chopped chillies and stir-fry 20–30 seconds to release the aromatics. If using sambal belacan, add it now and fry briefly to bloom the flavours.
- Lower heat to medium and add tomato ketchup, chilli sauce and sugar. Stir to combine, then pour in the fish stock and light soy sauce. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer.
- Simmer the sauce for 5–7 minutes to deepen the flavour and reduce slightly. Taste and adjust seasoning: add more sugar for sweetness, vinegar for tang, or soy for saltiness — like tasting at a hawker stall.
- Stir in the cornflour slurry while simmering and cook 1–2 minutes until the sauce thickens to a glossy coating consistency that clings to crab shells.
- Slowly drizzle the beaten eggs into the simmering sauce in a thin stream while stirring gently in one direction to create silken egg ribbons. Remove from heat as soon as egg sets for that silky texture.
- Finish with a knob of butter or drizzle of sesame oil if using, then fold in spring onions and chopped coriander. Add extra chopped chillies on top for colour and heat.
- Serve immediately poured over pre-cooked crab, tossed with fried mantou, or ladled into a shallow sharing plate with rice on the side. Reheat gently on low if making ahead.
Tips & Serving Ideas
- Buy ready-prepared crab from a wet market or supermarket if you want to keep this recipe to the sauce-only; many Singapore home cooks steam or deep-fry crab before tossing in the sauce.
- Adjust chilli heat for kids by using fewer bird's eye chillies and relying more on ketchup; add extra chopped chilli padi for adult spice lovers similar to hawker stalls.
- If you don't have fish stock, use boiling water with 1 tsp fish sauce or a splash of light soy for umami — common pantry swaps found at NTUC, Cold Storage or Sheng Siong.
- For wok hei, keep the wok hot and work quickly when stir-frying the aromatics; use a metal spatula and high heat, then reduce to simmer for the sauce.
- Cornflour slurry controls thickness — add gradually. The sauce should be glossy and cling to the crab, not gloopy.
- Make-ahead: refrigerate sauce (without egg ribbons) for up to 2 days; reheat gently and whisk in beaten egg just before serving for the fresh silk ribbons.
- Serve with fried mantou or plain steamed rice to mop up the sauce — mantou is a classic Singapore pairing and perfect for casual sharing.
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