Online Backlash for TikTok Influencer’s Live Crab Cooking Video
A wave of criticism has swept over TikTok influencer Chels, known as @ContentwithCee, after she shared a cooking video featuring the air-frying of live crabs, which has garnered over 4 million views since its release earlier this week.
In her video, Chels enthusiastically proclaimed, “Let’s make a crab boil in the air fryer… Soo freaking GOOD!” captioning her post with an air of culinary adventure.
@contentwithcee Let’s make a crab boil in the air fryer… Soo freaking GOOD! #bluecrab#livecrab#cooktok#fyp ♬ original sound – ShawnWalka
As Chels prepared her meal, the blue crabs wriggled in a bowl while she seasoned them, admitting her discomfort: “My air fryer is kind of small, so I could only fit like two or three, so I went ahead and put the two crabs in the bowl. I was scared, so I was like jumping because they were live. Did I mention that?”
She then proceeded to drop the crabs into the fryer, which was set to a “fish” setting, cooking them at approximately 395 to 400 degrees for 15 minutes. “Now, do not knock it until you try it,” she urged her audience. “It was kind of sad watching them kind of — you know. But these crabs came out so good and juicy; I was not expecting them to come out this good. I ate both of those crabs in like two minutes. I will be air frying my crabs from now on.”
However, the online community had a mixed reaction. Many users expressed their discontent with Chels’s method, with one comment reading, “Your air fryer didn’t have a crab setting because it’s an insane thing to do.” Another user suggested a more humane approach: “For future reference, put them in the freezer so they fall asleep and then cut the apron so it doesn’t feel a thing.”
Others defended Chels’s technique, arguing that boiling live crabs also inflicts pain. “You drop them in boiling water live. What’s the difference?” one user on X (formerly Twitter) pointed out.
You drop them in boiling water live. What’s the difference?
— thechanceband (@TheChanceBand) May 6, 2025
“Air fried are more tasty,” another user added, demonstrating the ongoing debate over cooking methods.
Air fried are more tasty.
— Zé bitcoio (@ZeBitcoio) May 6, 2025
Nonetheless, experts assert that even boiling live crabs is a painful and inhumane method of cooking. The Cornwall Good Seafood Guide advises that first, the crab should be stunned. This can be accomplished by wrapping it in a wet cloth and placing it in the freezer, or by surrounding it with ice to induce a state known as torpor. Afterward, the crab can be humanely dispatched by severing its main nervous system and draining its blood, a procedure that can be performed with a sharp knife or even a Phillips-head screwdriver, as noted by the Hatfield Marine Science Center at Oregon State University.
This incident not only highlights the ongoing discussion about humane treatment in food preparation but also reflects the broader societal implications of how we engage with our food sources in the age of social media.
This article originally appeared on The Western Journal.
