Top Picks: Best Lump Crab Meat Brands for Culinary Delights!

Crab lovers know that the secret to a mouthwatering seafood dish lies in the quality of the crab meat. With so many brands flooding the market, selecting the cream of the crop can be daunting. From succulent flavors to consistent texture, choosing the best brand for lump crab can significantly enhance your culinary creations. Curious to find out which brands top the list? Explore the selection below to elevate your next seafood masterpiece.

Illustration of lump crab

Best brands of lump crab in 2025

Phillips Foods

Phillips Foods is a leading producer of lump crab meat, renowned for its high-quality products and extensive market presence. The company has spent 25 years integrating crab into various dishes, from soups to empanadas, and has saturated the market with its products available in every state and city. Phillips Lump Crab Meat is a blend of broken pieces of Jumbo Lump and Special blue swimming crab meat, perfect for crab cakes, dips, and salads, and is fully cooked and ready to eat straight from the container. With a shelf life of 540 days and gluten-free certification, Phillips ensures quality and safety in its products. The company's expansion into Canadian markets further solidifies its position as a market leader in seafood, particularly in crab and other north Atlantic seafood products.

Blue Star Foods

Blue Star Foods, although not primarily known for crab meat, is a significant player in the seafood industry, particularly renowned for its sustainable and land-based aquaculture practices. The company is anticipating a 65% year-over-year revenue growth in 2024, driven by a growing customer base and new business opportunities, including its steelhead operations in British Columbia. However, in the context of crab meat, Blue Star Foods is mentioned alongside other key players in the market, emphasizing quality assurance and sustainable sourcing. The global crab meat market, where Blue Star Foods operates, is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 6.3% from 2023 to 2030, with lump crab meat being a premium and highly sought-after product. Despite its focus on other seafood products, Blue Star Foods' commitment to sustainability and quality aligns with the market's demand for high-quality seafood.

Chicken of the Sea

Chicken of the Sea is a leading brand in the seafood industry, particularly renowned for its high-quality lump crab meat. As the #1 importer of pasteurized crab meat in North America, the company offers a variety of grades, including Colossal, Jumbo Lump, Super Lump, Lump, Backfin, Special, and Claw, sourced from species like Blue Swimming Crab and Red Crab. Since its acquisition by Thai Union Frozen Products Plc (TUF) in 1996, Chicken of the Sea's sales have more than tripled, from $300 million to over $1 billion, demonstrating its significant market presence. The company's commitment to sustainability, including fully traceable operations and partnerships with organizations like the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch, further enhances its reputation. With a market share of 18.7% in the US seafood market, Chicken of the Sea continues to innovate and expand its product offerings. For more detailed information on their products, visit their website.

Handy Seafood

Handy Seafood, established in 1894, is one of the oldest and most renowned seafood processing companies in the United States, particularly celebrated for its high-quality lump crab products. As a pioneering company, Handy Seafood was the first to commercially process soft shell crabs in 1903 and has since become a leading crab supplier, shipping live and frozen soft shell crabs globally, including to Tokyo and Europe since the 1980s. The company holds a Guinness World Record for the largest crab cake, weighing over 300 lbs, set in 2012. Handy Seafood operates 15 plants worldwide and is a founding member of the National Fisheries Institute Crab Council. Their jumbo lump crab meat, derived from steamed live crabs, is virtually shell-free and available year-round. Discover more about their Pelagicus crab meat.

Crown Prince

Crown Prince is renowned for its high-quality lump crab meat, sourced sustainably from Indonesian coastal waters where blue swimming crabs are wild-harvested by independent fishermen. Their Fancy White-Lump Crab Meat is processed without bleaching agents, preservatives, MSG, or sulfites, and is Non-GMO Project Verified. Each serving contains 615 mg of omega-3 fatty acids and is an excellent source of protein, calcium, and iron. The crab harvest is part of a Fishery Improvement Project aiming for MSC certification, ensuring both environmental sustainability and the livelihood of local communities. Available in 6-ounce cans, this product is gluten-free and low in fat.

Miller's Select

Miller's Select, though not specifically highlighted as a major player in the blue crab industry, is a brand known for its high-quality crab meat products. The primary producers of lump crab meat are typically associated with regions like the Chesapeake Bay, where states such as Maryland and Virginia account for a significant portion of the total catch, with Maryland alone harvesting around 24.6 million pounds in 2022. The blue crab industry is closely monitored, with estimates showing a total abundance of approximately 323 million individuals in the Chesapeake Bay in 2023. The exploitation rate of female crabs in 2022 was around 31%, indicating sustainable fishing practices. For those seeking lump crab meat, brands like Miller's Select may offer imported or processed products, but the core production and harvesting are largely localized in U.S. coastal regions.

Blue Harbor

The Chesapeake Bay, renowned for its blue crab fishery, has long been a pillar of North America's fishing industry, supporting the world's largest blue crab population. Although the bay witnessed a marked decline in both blue crab abundance and spawning stock, recent assessments reveal an encouraging reversal, showing an estimated 317 million crabs in 2024, with 133 million being spawning age female crabs. While the 2022 exploitation rate of female crabs at 31% surpassed the management target, it's still under the critical threshold. This progress owes much to ongoing efforts, including the strategic release of cultured juveniles and innovative hatchery and nursery technologies, focused on augmenting blue crab stocks in the bay.

Ocean's Finest

Ocean's Finest is renowned for its high-quality lump crab, standing out as one of the best producers in the industry. The brand ensures meticulous selection and processing to maintain the freshness and flavor of the crab, which is a crucial factor given the significant decline in snow crab populations, such as the 50% decline in juvenile snow crabs in the eastern Bering Sea between 2018 and 2019. This attention to detail helps Ocean's Finest meet the high demand for crab, particularly in markets like the United States, which accounts for 83% of snow crab exports from some provinces. The brand's commitment to quality is reflected in its market value, with crab being one of the highest-value seafood products, valued at $584 million in the U.S. in 2020. By focusing on sustainability and quality, Ocean's Finest continues to be a trusted name in the seafood industry. For more information on their products, visit their official website.

Reese Fancy

Reese Fancy is renowned as one of the top producers of high-quality lump crab meat, known for its distinct sweet flavor and sensitive texture. The brand's products, such as the Reese Fancy King Leg Crab Meat, are popular for their nutritional benefits, including low-fat content and significant protein, vitamin, and mineral levels. With the global crab meat market expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.7% from 2023 to 2033, Reese Fancy is well-positioned to meet the increasing demand for premium seafood options. Consumers are drawn to the brand's commitment to quality and sustainability, contributing to the market's expansion. The product's convenience, available in 6-oz cans, further enhances its appeal.

Chincoteague Seafood Company

Chincoteague Seafood Company is renowned for its high-quality seafood products, particularly its lump crab, which is harvested from the abundant coastal waters off New Jersey through Virginia. Founded in 1955 by Bernard Rubin, the company has expanded significantly, opening processing facilities in Atlantic and Chincoteague, Virginia, and a distribution center in Parsonsburg, MD, by 2001. Chincoteague Seafood ensures the freshness of its products by immediately processing the clams and crabs after harvesting. The company's commitment to quality has earned it the American Masters of Taste Award of Excellence Certificates. With a strong distribution network, Chincoteague Seafood supplies its gourmet-quality products to restaurants, institutions, and retail consumers across the United States.