How to Eat and Cook with Crickets?

Is Chitin Toxic to Humans?

Try the best cricket recipes!

Would you like to eat your crickets raw or cooked?

Crickets grown in a clean environment with clean food can be eaten raw, but if you are not 100% sure of your crickets’ origin, you should cook them. Cooking also makes the texture of the crickets more enjoyable and intensifies their flavor.

Where to get Crickets?

You can collect your crickets from the bushes. Still, you get your crickets much easier by buying food-grade crickets from your local supermarket or the numerous web shops selling edible insects (Party Bugs Shop, Bug Bazaar, etc. ). Food grade crickets are sold frozen, dried, or as cricket powder. You can use cricket powder in almost any food.

How to prepare Living crickets?

 The crickets have the taste of the food they have been eating during their last week alive.

Give your living crickets rosemary and oregano during their last days, and they will have a mild taste of rosemary and oregano. If you give them fish flour, they will taste like fish… You choose.

When the time has come to eat your crickets, killing them first may be a good idea…;)

Luckily, crickets are cold-blooded, which helps you to kill them humanely and painlessly. You just put your crickets in a container and place the container in the freezer for some hours. This treatment will first put the crickets in hibernation before they freeze and die. They will not feel anything.

After freezing, you need to rinse and dry your crickets to prepare them for cooking. Rinse the frozen crickets in clean and cool water to wash and thaw them. For drying your crickets, you can use paper towels.

After drying, your crickets are ready for cooking.

NOTE: Don’t wait too long with the cooking because fresh insects go quickly spoiled. Treat them like shrimps and mollusks.

How to prepare dried crickets?

Drying is an effective way to preserve edible insects. Typical dehydration methods are freeze-drying and microwaves.

As a part of the drying, the insects are heated to kill microorganisms. Before freeze-drying, edible insects are shortly cooked. The heat of the microwaving sterilized the insects as well.

When the insects are dried, airtight packages efficiently preserve dried insects for a very long time.

To use dried crickets in cooking, you need to rehydrate them. You can use clean water for rehydration, but you can also use fruit juices or different sauces. The dry crickets will absorb any tastes the rehydration liquid contains!

Buy Crickets
Below we have collected cricket food recipes from different web pages for you. We have added references to some of the original recipes to thank the writers and help you find more insect food recipes not mentioned here.

Table of Recipes

RECIPES TO COOK WITH WHOLE CRICKETS

BUY CRICKETS

Fried Crickets

Fry your fresh and rehydrated crickets on a pan or wok. Heat vegetable oil and butter in a pan, toss crickets with your preferred spices, place your crickets in the hot liquid and fry them until they are brown and crispy.

Drain the crickets, season to taste, and enjoy.

Instead of just frying your crickets, you can also create a delicious and healthy sauté. Begin by sautéing crickets in olive oil just as you would any other type of meat. Once they start to become a little golden and crispy-looking, you can add salt and fresh vegetables like garlic, onions, peppers, mushrooms, and chilies. You can also try different piquant sauces you find in your local supermarket.

Failing with fried crickets is almost impossible!

Serve your crickets or sauté alone or on a bed of rice or noodles.

Deep-Fried Crickets

  • Heat the oil to 175°C / 350°F.
  • Prepare a tempura batter, dip each cricket in the batter, then drop each cricket into the hot oil.
  • Deep fry until golden brown.
  • Drain on paper towels and serve.

Roasted Crickets

Roasting fresh crickets is a simple and popular method.

  • Season your cleaned critters and spread them evenly on a baking sheet.
  • Roast crickets in a pre-heated oven (90°C / 200°F) for one to two hours until they are dry and crispy to your liking. They can also be cooked at low temperature on your grill or smoker.

Simple Roasted Crickets

  • Fresh crickets prepared for cooking.
  • Garlic salt, cumin, chili powder, or any preferred seasoning that can be tossed with the crickets after roasting.
  • Lime wedges for garnish.

Preheat oven to 90°C / 200°F. Arrange the crickets on a cookie sheet, allowing each cricket to have a little room.

Roast 1 hour, or until they’re dried and crunchy to your personal taste. Spray with just a little olive oil, and toss with spices. Spread back out on cookie sheet and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes and serve. You can remove legs before serving, but it is optional.

Tempura Crickets

INGREDIENTS

  • ¾ cup of all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup of cricket powder
  • 2 Tbsps cornstarch
  • 1 ½ cups of freezing cold carbonated water
  • 1 tsp garlic salt
  • 1/2 cup of additional all-purpose flour
  • 50 – 60 fresh crickets, cleaned and allowed to dry completely.
  • Canola Oil

Garnishes

  • Red and green chili de agua peppers, chopped & seeded (optional)
  • Fried epazote leaves
  • Hot Sauce
METHOD
  1. Mix garlic salt, cornstarch, 3/4 cup flour and cricket powder in a mixing bowl.
  2. Add in the cold seltzer water and gently whisk. Do not overmix. If not using immediately, place the batter bowl into a bigger bowl filled with ice to keep it very cold.
  3. Heat enough oil to completely submerge your crickets.
  4. Heat to 175°C / 350°F.
  5. Toss a handful of crickets in a bowl with the remaining flour, dip each cricket into the batter to thoroughly coat them, and then add to the hot oil. Remove deep-fried crickets when they have become golden brown.
  6. Use a slotted spoon or chopsticks to move cooked crickets to paper towels to drain.
  7. Repeat in batches until all of your crickets are cooked, then serve (warm) with lime wedges, garnishes, and hot sauce.

Chef’s Note: To eat, wrap a cricket or two in an epazote leaf, along with a thin slice of chili pepper, dip just the tip in hot sauce, and chow down!

BUY CRICKETS

RECIPES TO COOK WITH INSECT POWDER
—
COOK WITH CRICKET POWDER

BUY CRICKETS

Cricket Powder burger

The addition of the cricket powder makes the burgers more nutrient-dense. With extra protein, calcium, zinc, B12, and Omega 3, this burger will have you feeling fuller for longer and much more satisfied.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small brown onion (diced)
  • 2 cloves garlic (diced)
  • 2 tablespoons cricket powder
  • 200g button mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
  • 1 can cannellini beans (rinsed and drained)
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
  • 1 1/4 cups bread crumbs
Ingredients to Serve
Bun, salad, and sauce of your choice
 

METHOD

  1. Heat a large pan and once hot, add olive oil and onion and cook until light brown.
  2. Add garlic and mushrooms and cook for 2 mins. 
  3. Add oregano, salt, pepper, and chili flakes and stir in.
  4. Add white beans, lemon juice, and cricket powder and cook for 1 minute.
  5. Add this mixture to the food processor and pulse until the mixture comes together.
  6. Put in parsley, 1 cup breadcrumbs, and pulse until the mix is well combined. Let the mixture sit so the breadcrumbs can absorb the liquids.
  7. Use remaining breadcrumbs with a pinch of parsley, salt, and oregano into a bowl.
  8. Scoop the bean mix into the desired size for your patties, and shape with your hands. 
  9. Coat in breadcrumbs and set aside until you are ready to cook them. 

You can cook them in a couple of different ways; you can put them in a lined baking tray and bake them in the oven for 15 minutes at 160°C / 320°F. (turning after about 7 minutes). OR you can fry them in the frying pan. Place a small amount of olive oil in your frying pan on medium heat and fry until each side is golden brown (remember to flip after 3-4 minutes).

You can eat the burgers on a soft bread roll, with some tomato chutney and baby spinach, but the options are endless.

If you would prefer to make meat-less balls out of them for a cricket ball sub, all you need to do is roll the mix into balls instead of patties and cook them in your favorite Neapolitan sauce.

‘Free From’ Banana Bread

Easy to make, just a few ingredients, and free from gluten, dairy, soy, nuts, eggs, and sugar.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/4 cup of Cricket Powder
  • 4 large ripe bananas (500g peeled), cut into pieces (+ 1 extra to decorate)
  • 1/3 cup (80ml) coconut oil, melted
  • 3/4 cup (110g) buckwheat flour
  • 3/4 cup (60g) organic desiccated coconut
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla powder
METHOD
  1. Pre-heat fan-forced oven to 180°C / 355°F.
  2. In a blender or food processor, blend banana and melted coconut oil until smooth (be careful not to over blend).
  3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine organic cricket powder, buckwheat flour, coconut, baking powder, and vanilla. Add banana and coconut oil mixture and blend well. Pour batter into a lined loaf tin.
  4. Bake in the oven for 55-60 minutes or until thoroughly cooked. Allow cooling on a baking sheet before slicing.

Protein-rich Bread with Nuts and Cricket Powder

 

These nut loaves of bread are free from eggs, flour and baking soda, and baking powder.

INGREDIENTS

Makes 1 loaf

  • 1/4 cup of Cricket Powder
  • 1 cup (135g) sunflower seeds
  • ½ cup (90g) flax seeds
  • ½ cup (65g) your choice of nuts
  • 1 ½ cups (145g) quinoa flakes
  • 2 tbsp chia seeds
  • 4 tbsp psyllium seed husks (3 tbsp. if using psyllium husk powder)
  • 1 tsp fine grain sea salt (add ½ tsp. if using coarse salt)
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup (for sugar-free diets, use a pinch of stevia)
  • 3 tbsp melted coconut oil
  • 1 ½ cups (350ml) water

METHOD

  1. In a flexible silicon loaf pan, combine all dry ingredients, stirring well. Whisk maple syrup, oil, and water together in a measuring cup. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix very well until everything is completely soaked and the dough becomes very thick (if the dough is too thick to stir, add one or two teaspoons of water until the dough is manageable). Smooth out the top with the back of a spoon. Let sit out on the counter for at least 2 hours, or all day or overnight. To ensure the dough is ready, it should retain its shape even when you pull the sides of the loaf pan away from it.
  2. Preheat oven to 175°C / 350°F.
  3. Place loaf pan in the oven on the middle rack, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove bread from loaf pan, place it upside down directly on the rack and bake for another 30-40 minutes. Bread is done when it sounds hollow when tapped. Let cool completely before slicing (difficult, but important).
  4. Store bread in a tightly sealed container for up to five days. It freezes well, too – slice before freezing for quick and easy toast!

Sweet Potato Chocolate Brownie

Obsessed by chocolate but still care about keeping a healthy diet? These yummy cricket-powered sweet potato chocolate brownies are really simple to make! They are also gluten-free and dairy-free.

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 tbs Organic Cricket Powder
  • 1 medium cooked sweet potato (peeled and diced)
  • 2 eggs
  • ¼ cup melted coconut oil (make sure it does not get too hot!)
  • ½ cup cacao powder
  • 2 tbs peanut or any nut butter
  • ½ tbs baking powder
  • ½ tsp bicarb of soda
  • 3-4 tbs honey or maple syrup
  • pinch of salt

METHOD

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C / 355°F. Coat a 9×13cm baking pan or a 20cm fry pan with coconut oil.
  2. Blend the eggs, melted coconut oil, and half of the sweet potato. Blend until all ingredients turn into a paste, then add the rest of the sweet potato gradually, blending again until totally combined.
  3. Add the remaining ingredients into the blender, blend just until combined, scraping down the side as needed. Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake for 20 to 25 min.

 

That’s it. Simple and delicious!

Sweet Potato and Ganache Cake

This recipe has a functional balance between the cricket protein powder and the sweet potato carbohydrates, plus the amazing coconut and chocolate flavor.

INGREDIENTS

Cake mix

  • 1/3 cup Cricket Powder
  • 1 cup grated sweet potato (orange inside)
  • 1 ½ cup almond meal
  • 1/3 cup flax seed
  • 2 tea spoon baking powder
  • ½ cup buckwheat flour
  • ¾ cup coconut milk
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil
  • ½ cup honey

Chocolate ganache

  • 1 cup cashew nuts
  • ½ cup raw cacao powder
  • ½ cup rice syrup
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil
  • 1/3 cup water

METHOD

  1. Preheat oven 170°C / 340°F. For the cake mix, place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until the mix is smooth.
  2. Place the mix into jars or a baking muffin tray and bake it for 30 min.
  3. For the chocolate ganache, place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until a smooth paste.
  4. Set the ganache in the fridge for at least 30 min.
  5. Serve the cake with a dollop of the ganache.

Raw Protein Balls

These superfood protein balls are life saver bites of perfect health. They are filled with all the most amazing superfoods in the world: cricket flour, almonds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, goji berries, medjool dates, tahini, and cacao.

Protein-energy balls powered with cricket powder are very tasty and have a chewy texture. They give you extra energy to support your body every day.

INGREDIENTS

Dry

  • ¼ cup Cricket Protein Powder
  • 1 cup raw almond
  • ½ cup sunflower seeds
  • ½ cup flaxseeds
  • ¼ cup goji berries
  • ½ cup hemp seeds
  • 2 tbs chia seeds
  • 2 tbs cacao powder

Wet

  • 2 tbs tahini
  • 2 tbs coconut oil
  • ¼ cup coconut water
  • 8 medjool dates (pitted)

METHOD

  1. Begin combining all the wet ingredients in a bowl. Stir it and let it rest.
  2. Then combine all dry ingredients in a blender and pulse it on and off 4 to 5 times until it turns into coarse flour.
  3. Use a medium bowl, combine dry and wet ingredients and mix using your hands until the ingredients become a sticky dough.
  4. Roll the mixture into little balls and coat it with chia seeds, hemp seeds, or goji berries.
  5. Place it in a sealed container and store in the fridge.
  6. Bite and enjoy it. Just try not to eat them all at once!

 

Raw Christmas Doughnuts

This raw doughnuts recipe powered with real food ingredients and cricket powder will help you keep your healthy lifestyle, with an awesome flavour! 

INGREDIENTS

Base

  • 2 tbs Cricket Powder
  • 3 cups almond meal
  • 2 tbs tahini
  • 12 Medjool dates (pitted)
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg powder
  • ½ tsp cinnamon powder
  • ¼ tsp clove powder
  • 1 orange (zest and juice)
  • ½ cup dried sour cherries
  • ½ cup dried apricots
  • ½ cup goji berries shredded (optional)
  • ¼ cup brandy (optional)

Glaze

  • 2 tsp Grilo Organic Super Greens & Cricket Powder (for the green color!)
  • ½ cup coconut oil
  • ½ cup cashew (soaked for at least 2 hours)
  • ¼ cup water
  • ½ lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup honey or agave syrup

METHOD

  1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor apart from sour cherries and dried apricots.
  2. Process until well combined, and then add sour cherries and apricots. Pulse 2 to 3 times.
  3. Divide the dough into 15 small pieces and firmly press the pieces into the doughnut pan. If you don’t have a doughnut pan, shape the doughnuts and place them on the baking paper-lined tray. Set in the refrigerator while you make the glaze.
  4. Combine all the glaze ingredients in a food processor. Process until well combined. The glaze should be thick and shiny. Pour glaze mixture into a bowl. Add Grilo Organic Super Greens & Cricket Powder to make the glaze green and get extra nutrients.
  5. To glaze the doughnuts, working one at a time, place each doughnut in the glaze bowl so one side gets coated with glaze, then lift it from the bowl with a fork. Tap the fork against the rim of the bowl to allow excess glaze to drip off and place the doughnut, glaze side up on the baking paper lined tray. Repeat until all the doughnuts are coated.
  6. Sprinkle goji berries or your favorite toppings onto the wet doughnuts and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until the glaze hardens.
  7. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Tip: Shredded coconut, nuts, dried fruits, cacao nibs will also make beautiful toppings. Be creative when decorating your doughnuts!

Raw Australian Lamingtons

 

This recipe is for a raw healthy version of the traditional Lamingtons – powered by our special ingredient: cricket protein powder. These Lamingtons are dairy-free, egg-free, and gluten-free.

 

INGREDIENTS

Dry

  • 2 cups almond meal
  • ¼ cup desiccated coconut
  • 2 tbs Cricket Powder

Wet

  • 1 cup cashew nuts (soaked for at least 2 hours)
  • ¾ cup maple syrup
  • ½ cup water

METHOD

  1. Drain water from cashew nuts. Put all wet ingredients in a high-speed blender, blend for 6-7 minutes, occasionally stopping to scrape down the sides. Pour this mixture into a bowl.
  2. Combine dry ingredients into the bowl, mix well with a spoon until it becomes a thick dough. Put it in the fridge for 1 hour to set. That will help on shaping the lamingtons.
  3. Shape them creatively!
  4. To finish it off, coat them with cacao powder or grated dark chocolate, then garnish with desiccated coconut on top.
BUY CRICKETS