SeafoodMediumFree

Arroz a la Tumbada con Jaiba (Soupy Veracruz Rice with Crab)

Name: Arroz a la Tumbada con Jaiba (Soupy Veracruz Rice with Crab)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 60 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 600 g Whole crab or crab meat; 300 g Long-grain rice; 3 Tomatoes; 2 Güero or yellow chillies; 0.5 White onion; 3 cloves Garlic; 750 ml Fish or seafood stock; 1 bunch Fresh coriander; 2 Lime; 3 tbsp Vegetable oil; 1 tsp Salt

60 min (25 prep + 35 cook) Medium 4 servings Veracruz

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 30 Mar 2026 · Updated: 30 Mar 2026

Soupy Veracruz-style rice with fresh Gulf crab, tomato, güero chilli and coriander.

About this recipe

Arroz a la tumbada con jaiba is the most celebrated variant of this Veracruz classic: a soupy rice, almost like a thick seafood soup, made with fresh crab from the Gulf of Mexico, tomato, onion, garlic, güero chilli and fresh coriander. 'A la tumbada' means the rice is cooked with more stock than ordinary dry rice, remaining very moist with the flavours of the sea perfectly integrated. Fresh crab contributes an oceanic sweetness and freshness that distinguishes this version from the one made with octopus or prawns.

History & Origin

Arroz a la tumbada is the iconic dish of the port of Veracruz and of the seafood restaurants along the entire Gulf coast. Its name evokes the image of the fisherman who 'tumbles' (tips) the rice with the sea stock directly into the bowl, without moulds or pretentious presentation. This dish arose in the fondas along the Veracruz malecón (seafront promenade), where fishermen brought their daily catch and the cooks incorporated it into the soupy rice they already had prepared. Jaiba (Callinectes sapidus), the blue crab of the Gulf, is one of the most abundant and flavoursome shellfish in Veracruz waters. Its peak season runs from spring to autumn, when the port's restaurants display baskets of live crabs at the entrance as a sign of freshness. Crab rice a la tumbada is served with the crab halved inside the rice, making its enjoyment a festive, hands-on affair that Veracruzans relish with gusto.

Estimated cost

£15.00

Total cost

£3.75

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

420

Calories

24g

Protein

52g

Carbohydrates

10g

Fat

Fibre

680mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
If using whole live crabs, cook in boiling salted water with onion and garlic for 8 minutes. Drain and halve. If using pre-cleaned crab meat, set aside. Reserve the cooking stock.
2
Roast the tomatoes, onion and garlic on a griddle. Blend with the güero chilli and a little water. Strain the sauce.
3
Heat the oil in a wide pot over medium-high heat. Fry the strained sauce for 5 minutes until thickened. Add the raw rice and fry for 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until lightly golden.
4
Pour the hot crab stock or fish stock over the rice: 2.5 parts stock to 1 part rice. Bring to the boil, season with salt and lower the heat.
5
Place the crab pieces on top of the rice, cover the pot and cook on low heat for 18 minutes without lifting the lid. The rice should remain soupy, not dry.
6
Remove from the heat, add the chopped coriander and leave to rest for 3 minutes. Serve directly from the pot with lime wedges and toasted bread.