How to Cook Snow Crab Legs

5 from 6 votes

These snow crab legs are so easy to make. Once you learn how to make snow crab legs, you'll never go out to a restaurant for them again.

Prep Time10

Cook Time5

Total Time15

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: healthy, seafood

Keyword: crab, crab legs, how to make crab legs, lemon

Servings:

Calories: 317kcal

Ingredients

4 pounds Snow Crab leg clusters
2 lemons 1 juiced, 1 sliced for serving
½ cup Divided ¼ cup cut and cubed, ¼ cup melted for serving
Lemon pepper or Old Bay Seasoning to taste
2 teaspoons garlic

Instructions

Thaw crab legs, if needed. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line the baking sheet with foil. Place snow crab clusters on foil lined baking sheet
Squeeze lemon over crab legs evenly. Lay ¼ cup butter, cubed on top of crab legs
Sprinkle crab legs with lemon pepper and minced garlic. Place crab legs in the oven for 5-7 minutes.
Serve warm with lemon wedges and your second 1/4 cup of melted butter for dipping.

Notes

How to Boil Snow Crab Legs

Boiling is a quick way to heat snow crab legs, especially if you're cooking several clusters at once. Since most store-bought snow crab legs are already cooked, you only need to warm them through.

Fill a large pot about halfway with water and bring it to a boil.
Add a pinch of salt, if desired.
Carefully add the thawed snow crab legs to the boiling water.
Reduce the heat slightly and cook for 4–5 minutes, or until the crab legs are heated through.
Remove the crab legs with tongs and let any excess water drain off.
Serve immediately with melted butter and fresh lemon wedges.

Tip: Avoid boiling the crab legs for too long. Overheating can make the meat dry and harder to remove from the shell.

How to Steam Snow Crab Legs

Steaming is one of the best ways to reheat snow crab legs because it gently heats the crab without submerging it in water.

Add about 1–2 inches of water to a large pot and bring it to a boil.
Place a steamer basket or metal colander inside the pot, making sure the water does not touch the crab legs.
Add the thawed snow crab legs to the steamer basket.
Cover the pot with a lid.
Steam for 5–7 minutes, or until the crab legs are hot throughout.
Carefully remove them with tongs and serve with melted butter and lemon.

Tip: If your crab legs are especially large or very cold when they go into the pot, they may need another minute or two to heat through.

What to serve with crab legs:

For a vegetable, you could go for a green salad, coleslaw, or a simple steamed veggie like asparagus or green beans. For a starch, serve rice or potatoes, or these Copycat Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits.

Nutrition