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once you learn How to cook crab legs For yourself, you may never want to order them from a restaurant again.This crab legs recipe is one of my favorite special occasion seafood dinners, and Grilled halibut, lobsterand Grilled pork belly slices.
While crab legs are pricey in the store, cooking them at home is surprisingly easy and Still more affordable than dinner at a fancy restaurant. I’ll show you the best way and you can choose your preference.
5 Ways to Cook Crab Legs
There are five ways to make this crab legs recipe—here’s how to choose:
- boiled crab legs – The classic and probably easiest way is to cook crab legs in boiling water. It produces tender, juicy crab meat and is perfect for mass production since you can fit a lot into a large stock pot. However, this method can also lack flavor because even if you season the water (which you should), some flavor will escape into the water.
- Steamed crab legs – This method is similar to boiling, but because the crab legs are not immersed in water, the flavor of the crab legs will not penetrate into the water, making it more delicious than boiling. The disadvantages are that you need a steamer basket and you can’t put too many legs in, so you have to cook them in batches.
- Grilled crab legs – One of my favorite ways to cook crab legs! Grilling the crab will caramelize the crab a bit, and you can add more flavor by brushing it with cream or olive oil before cooking. Some people also add seasonings, but most don’t get through the crust.
- Grilled crab legs – This method is similar to grilling, but the oven temperature is set at a lower temperature so it takes longer.If you want the benefits of grilling but with this method No Want caramelization.
- Grilled crab legs – Grilling brings out the smoky flavor and is a great way to cook crab in the summer without having to heat up the kitchen.
Tips for choosing crabs
Availability often varies by region, but some types of crab are better than others…
Choose your crab variety:
- king crab legs It’s the largest and most expensive, but also the best tasting, with a sweet, buttery texture. They are perfect for making the best crab legs!
- snow crab legs Smaller, with long legs, firm texture and sweet and salty taste. I usually purchase this variety (pictured) for crab leg recipes because it’s not as expensive as king crab but still has good sized legs.
- Stone crab, blue crab and Dungeness crab Crab legs are not suitable for cooking because they are either very small or have very short legs.
Cooked and raw:
- Most crabs at the grocery store or fishmonger are actually pre-cooked and frozen, so the crab legs recipe essentially reheats them.If you are lucky enough to live in an area where you can find fresh ingredients born For crab, you can still use the same cooking method – it just takes longer.
- You can tell if the crab legs are cooked by their color. If they are red or orange, they are cooked. If they are gray or brown, they are raw.
Fresh vs Frozen:
Boiling or steaming are the best ways to freeze crab legs, and you don’t even need to thaw them. For other methods, start by thawing the crab legs in the refrigerator overnight.
How to cook crab legs
This section shows how to make crab legs (5 different methods), with step-by-step photos and details about the technique to help you visualize it.For full instructions, including quantities and temperatures, see Recipe card below.
How to cook crab legs:
- Season the boiling water. Fill in a dutch oven Or fill a large pot half full with water and season thoroughly old bay seasoning and sea salt. Bring to boil.
- boil. Place crab legs in boiling water and cook until hot.
How to Steam Crab Legs:
- Prepare. Fill in a dutch oven Add about 1-2 inches of water and let sit Steamer in. (Make sure it’s not flooded.)
- steam. After boiling, place the crab legs in a steamer. Cover and steam until hot.
Tip: If you don’t have a steamer basket, a colander will usually work.
It just needs to be heat-resistant, fit in a pot or Dutch oven, and have legs to stand on the water.
How to grill crab legs:
- Prepare. Preheat the oven and place the crab legs in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Brush with butter.
- bake. Place the crab legs under the broiler and fry for a few minutes on each side.
How to grill crab legs:
- Prepare. Preheat oven and arrange legs in a single layer. Brush with melted cream.
- bake. The crab legs take longer and don’t brown as much when they are baked instead of roasted.
How to grill crab legs:
- Prepare. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Brush crab legs with melted cream.
- Grilled. Grill crab legs on grill, turning once, until centers are warmed through and lightly browned.
Tip: A good rule of thumb is to brush crab legs with 1 tablespoon of cream per 1/2 pound.
This applies to grilling, roasting and grilling methods.
How long does it take to cook crab legs?
The cooking time of crab legs depends on the cooking method:
- Crab legs cooking time: Pre-cook crabs for 3-5 minutes, raw crabs for 8-12 minutes
- Steam crab legs time: Pre-cook crabs for 6-8 minutes, raw crabs for 10-12 minutes
- BBQ time: Pre-cook crabs for 6-8 minutes, raw crabs for 10-12 minutes
- Baking time (350 degrees): Pre-cook crabs for 15-20 minutes, raw crabs for 25-30 minutes
- BBQ time: Pre-cook crab for 10-14 minutes, raw crab for 18-22 minutes
How to eat crab legs
Now that you know how to cook crab legs, how do you get the juicy meat inside? It’s easy to do with the right tools:
- Spread your legs apart. Typically, you just twist and pull your legs away from your body and away from each other. For larger crabs, you may need kitchen shears.
- Break the legs. Just use two hands to bend the leg in the middle (not at the joint) until it snaps in half, then pull out the solid crab meat inside. (See picture below!) Use lobster or crab crackers, if desired (This is my set) or nutcracker.
- Split claws. The shell on the claws is thicker and the meat inside is the sweetest. You’ll need a biscuit tool for this step, although a flat meat tenderizer will work in a pinch. Start gently and increase pressure only as needed to avoid tiny shell fragments.
- Get body meat. Use a seafood fork to pick it out from all the crevices.
Storage instructions
- Shop: Store leftovers from the crab legs recipe in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.You can also use them to make crab saladButtery Crab Stuffed Salmon5 minutes Cold Crab Dip (or creamy Hot Dip Crab), or add some to lobster bisque for more flavor.
- Reheat: You can reheat crab legs using any of the above methods: boil, steam, bake, grill, or grill. Microwave oven is not recommended.
- freeze: Technically you able Freeze cooked crab legs, but keep in mind that store-bought crab legs may have been pre-cooked and frozen at the store or fishmonger. Therefore, if you defrost or cook them, it’s best to enjoy them fresh and avoid freezing them again. If you still want to freeze, it can take up to 2-3 months.
What to serve with crab legs
Serve your crab legs recipe with these relishes and sides:
More Special Occasion Seafood Recipes
How to Cook Crab Legs (Easy!)
Learn how to cook crab legs to perfection – creamy, sweet and tender! Boil, steam, bake, broil or grill this easy crab legs recipe.
Prepare: 5 Every minute
chef: 10 Every minute
Serving size: 4 (Adjust according to recipe proportion)
raw material
Click on the underlined ingredients to see where you get them. Please turn off Safari reader mode to view ingredients.
For roasted, broiled or broiled crab legs:
instruct
Click on the time in the instructions below to start the kitchen timer while cooking.
Boiled Crab Legs:
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Fill a large pot or dutch oven About half full of water. Add Old Bay seasoning and sea salt. Bring the water to a boil.
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Add crab legs.cook rice 3-5 minutesuntil hot.
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Remove crab legs from water clamp and transfer to a plate.
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Serve with melted butter and lemon wedges.
Steamed crab legs:
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Pour about 1-2 inches of water into a large pot or Dutch oven, or just enough water for your Steamer It won’t be overwhelmed if you add it later. Bring to boil.
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Place the steam basket into the pot. Place the crab legs into the steamer basket and close the lid.Steam is used for 6-8 minutesuntil hot.
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Serve with melted butter and lemon wedges.
Grilled Crab Legs:
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Preheat oven to grill.
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Place crab legs in a single layer on a large baking sheet (I recommend Half sheet pan, approximately 18×13 inches). Brush with melted cream.
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Set oven rack approximately 6-7 inches from broiler.Place the baking sheet on the grill and grill the crab legs until cooked 3-4 minutes.flip and bake 3-4 minutes left.
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Serve with melted butter and lemon wedges.
Grilled Crab Legs:
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
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Arrange crab legs in a single layer on baking sheet Half sheet pan. Brush with melted cream.
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Place oven rack in center of oven.Place the baking sheet on the grill and bake the crab legs 15-20 minutes.
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Serve with melted butter and lemon wedges.
Grilled Crab Legs:
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Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
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Brush crab legs with melted cream.
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Place crab legs on grill.Cover and cook 5-7 minutes Cook on each side until center is warmed through and lightly browned.
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1/2 pound crab legs (about 1/4 pound crab meat)
nutrient content
Amount per serving. Serving sizes in recipe instructions above.
Calories 194
fat 12.3 grams
protein 20.1 grams
total carbohydrates 0.1g
net carbs 0 grams
fiber 0.1g
sugar 0.1g
Nutritional facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you’re getting different results?Please check out our nutrition policy.
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