How to Cook Crab Legs

Fresh steamed king crab legs are prepped and ready in under 10 minutes. Perfect for date night in or an easy family dinner!

My love for crab runs deep. I’ve got several crab recipes I love on my blog, like my Dungeness crab, chilled corn and crab soup, and crab and shrimp seafood cobb salad. This whole steamed King crabs recipe is such a treat. A treat we typically only experience on special occasions or holidays spent dining at fancy restaurants. I mean, when was the last time you had steamed crab at home? Why spend all your dough on the restaurant markup when instead you can grab yourself a couple of extra legs to heat up and enjoy for a cozy date night in or celebratory dinner?

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• This King crab legs recipe couldn’t be simpler. It’s made with just 4 ingredients and cooks in no time.
• Steaming King crab legs and serving it simply with some melted butter and freshly squeezed lemon is the BEST way to let this sweet, tender, buttery crab meat shine.
• Steamed King crab legs make for an impressive dinner (with little effort), so it’s the perfect thing to cook for a special occasion meal.

Steamed King Crab Ingredients

When I say this is the easiest King crab legs recipe, I mean it. You only need 4 simple ingredients.

• King crab legs—when buying King crab legs, make sure you get the freshest you can find. They should have a clean, salty smell, and should not smell fishy. If you’re buying frozen crab legs, make sure there are no frost or ice crystals in the packaging (ice crystals indicate the crab legs were defrosted and refrozen, which means you aren’t getting the freshest or best-quality crab).
• Fresh dill—steams with the crab legs to impart a subtle but delicious flavor
• Butter—optional, but dipping your steamed King crab legs in melted butter is highly recommended (better yet if it’s a fancy European butter with a higher fat content, because fat=flavor)
• Lemons—also optional, but highly recommended since that touch of brightness and acidity pairs so nicely with seafood and with crabs in particular

Find the complete recipe with measurements below

How to Shop for the Best Crab Legs

• Look for thick crab legs (bigger legs mean more meat, which also means you’re getting more for your money). The crab legs should also be a healthy bright red-orange color, with shiny shells. Be prepared to spend a bit more money for better, fresher quality crab. The meat on the crab legs should be white and the car should have a mild, salty, fresh aroma, but should not be pungent.

How to Cook Crab Legs

We’ve cooked Alaskan king crab legs every which way—except in a Crockpot because that would just be not right. We’ve boiled, sautéed, steamed, broiled, and barbequed. The best way we’ve found to cook up these leggy supermodel crustaceans is by binding them up in paper towels and plastic wrap like little high school wrestlers trying to make weight before the big match and using most cooks’ day-to-day, go-to kitchen-cooking-contraption, the good old microwave.

Since crab from the grocery store freezer bin is already flash-cooked, the problem with cooking at home is just that. You’re cooking it twice! So instead of cooking it again, to shreds, to rubbery smithereens, just give it a little warm-up.

• Cut the claws. Cut claws at joints to fit into your microwave. Wrap 3 claws in damp paper towels with 2 sprigs of fresh dill and wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
• Microwave the claws. Place wrapped claws in the microwave 1 package at a time and cook for 2 minutes.
• Unwrap the claws. Remove and carefully unwrap, they’ll be steamy so be careful of the full-facial steam.
• Season and serve. I love serving these simply, with melted butter, lemon wedges, and plenty of napkins. It’s truly the best way for this King crab to shine.

FAQ and Recipe Tips

• How long does it take to steam King crab? Because we’re making steamed crab legs in a slightly unconventional manner, the cooking time is reduced dramatically. King crab legs steam in the microwave in just 2 minutes! It couldn’t be faster.
• Do you thaw King crab before steaming? Yes, make sure your crab has thawed before steaming it.
• Be sure to cut the crab legs at the joints so they fit comfortably in your microwave. You don’t want the legs touching the walls of the microwave as they cook.
• Kitchen shears are your friend. Since the king crab legs have been steamed and thus the shells are softened, I use kitchen shears to open the crab legs rather than a crab cracker. Makes life so much easier!
• When it comes to serving, keep it simple. The lemon juice and melted butter and optional when enjoying your steamed crab legs, but highly recommended. If you have another favorite dipping sauce for crab legs, I’m all ears.

Can I Use Another Type of Crab Leg?

Not for this particular recipe, no. Alaskan king crab legs are quite large, so you really can’t substitute other types of crab in this steamed crab legs recipe.

What to Serve With Steamed King Crab

• The BEST Creamy Coleslaw
• Easy Grilled Corn on the Cob
• Easy Cheddar Bay Biscuits
• The Best Buttery Parsley Potatoes
• Key Lime Pie

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.

5 from 15 votes

How to Cook Crab Legs

Fresh steamed Alaskan king crab legs are prepped and ready in under 10 minutes. Perfect for date night in or an easy family dinner!

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Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword crab

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 minutes minutes

Total Time 9 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Calories 3kcal

Ingredients 

½x1x2x3x

• 6 Alaskan king crab legs , thawed
• 4 sprigs fresh dill , for serving
• butter , melted, for serving
• lemon , cut into wedges, for serving

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Cut the crab legs at the oints to fit into your microwave. Wrap 3 legs in damp paper towels with 2 sprigs of fresh dill and wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
• Place the wrapped legs in the microwave 1 package at a time and cook for 2 minutes.
• Remove and carefully unwrap, they’ll be steamy so be careful of the full-facial steam.
• Serve and enjoy with melted butter and plenty of napkins.

Notes

• Since the legs have been steamed and thus the shells are softened, I use kitchen shears to open the crab legs rather than a crab cracker.
• recipe: Alton Brown

Nutrition

Serving: 2g | Calories: 3kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 25mg | Vitamin A: 31IU

More Crab Recipes You’ll Love

• Dungeness Crab
• Hot Crab Dip
• Chilled Corn and Crab Soup
• Crab Salad Stuffed Avocados
• Crab Spaghetti with Lemon Gremolata

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