Mastering the art of cooking crab legs at home brings the luxury of a seafood restaurant right to your dinner table. This foolproof 30-minute recipe delivers succulent, perfectly cooked crab legs that burst with natural sweetness and ocean-fresh flavor.
Whether you’re planning a special date night or elevating your weekday dinner, these protein-packed crab legs (with 46g of protein per serving) require just 5 minutes of prep time, making them an impressive yet effortless choice for any occasion.
Ingredients
- King Crab Legs: 6 pieces, thawed for best results
- Melted Butter: 1/3 cup, ideal for serving and enhancing flavor
Instructions
- Preparation: Ensure your crab legs are completely thawed. If using frozen, remember to add extra minutes to cooking time.
- Oven Setup: Heat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line your baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- Arranging: Place up to 4 crab legs (shells intact) on your prepared baking pan. You can use two pans simultaneously, but cooking time might need adjustment.
- Baking Time: Let them bake for 25-35 minutes, depending on size. Check at the 25-minute mark – they should be warm and steamy.
- Serving: Use kitchen shears or crab crackers to crack open the shells and extract the succulent meat. Serve immediately with melted butter for dipping.
Cooking Techniques
Baking crab legs is one of the easiest ways to prepare this fancy seafood! The gentle heat helps keep the meat tender and juicy. If you’re using frozen legs, just add 5-7 minutes to your cooking time.
You’ll know they’re ready when you can smell that sweet crab aroma and see a bit of steam when you open the oven. Don’t worry about overcooking – the shells help protect the meat!
Serving Suggestions
Make your crab legs feel extra special with some fun sides! While melted butter is a must-have, try adding a squeeze of fresh lemon or a sprinkle of Old Bay seasoning.
Serve with crusty bread to soak up all that yummy butter sauce. For a complete meal, add some roasted asparagus or a simple green salad – they can cook right alongside your crab legs at the same temperature!
Helpful Tips
Breaking into crab legs can be tricky, but don’t worry! Kitchen shears are your best friend – just cut right down the shell lengthwise. No shears? Crack the legs at the joints first, then use a nutcracker or crab cracker to break the shells.
Put out some small forks or seafood picks to help get every bit of that tasty meat. And here’s a neat trick: warm your butter dish before serving so it stays melted longer!
Storage Tips
Got leftover crab? Remove the meat from the shells and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. You can enjoy it cold in salads or gently warm it up in melted butter.
If you have uncooked crab legs, they’ll stay good in your fridge for 1-2 days, or keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just remember to thaw them in the fridge overnight before cooking!
How to Cook Crab Legs
Equipment
- baking pan
- aluminum foil or parchment paper
- kitchen shears or crab crackers
Ingredients
- 6 King Crab Legs
- 1/3 cup melted butter for serving
Instructions
- Be sure crab legs are fully thawed (or if frozen, add a few minutes to the cook time).
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- Place legs (with shell on) on a jelly roll pan or large baking sheet. Put up to 4 legs on a pan. (You may put two pans in the oven but you may have to increase the cooking time).
- Bake for 25-35 minutes depending on the size of them. At 25 minutes check them–they should be hot/warmed though, a little steamy.
- Use kitchen shears or crab crackers to open the shells and remove the meat. Serve dipped in melted butter.
