Steamed Crab Legs with Garlic Butter
King or snow crab legs steamed just until hot, then served with lemon and a warm garlic butter for dipping. Ready in 15 minutes; serves 4.
Jump to: Ingredients | Instructions | Tips | Questions | Print recipe
Almost all crab legs sold in the United States are cooked and frozen on the boat, so at home they only need to be heated through. A short steam keeps the meat tender and juicy.
A bowl of garlic butter and some lemon wedges are all you need.
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 pounds king or snow crab legs, thawed
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
- Steam. Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a large pot fitted with a steamer basket. Add the crab legs, cover and steam 5 to 7 minutes, until hot.
- Garlic butter. Melt the butter with the garlic over low heat 2 minutes and stir in the parsley.
- Serve. Serve the crab legs with the garlic butter, lemon wedges and crab crackers or kitchen shears.
Tips
- Thaw frozen crab legs overnight in the refrigerator.
- Cut the shells lengthwise with kitchen shears for easy eating.
Questions about this recipe
- Are crab legs already cooked?
- Most are cooked and flash-frozen, so they only need heating.
- King crab or snow crab?
- King crab legs are larger and meatier; snow crab are sweeter and more affordable.
More seafood recipes
All seafood recipes | All recipes | Cooking guide and safe temperatures
