Crab Legs – 4 Easy Ways

The final dish
As seen on
Natasha's Kitchen
Total Time
15 mins
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Rating
4.99 out of 5 stars
(66)

Ingredients

2 servings
  • 2 lbs snow crab legs, (4 clusters)
  • 1 cup water, (for Instant pot or steaming methods)
  • 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
AmericanBakingBeginnerDinner
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Preparation

Chef’s notes

Avoid Boiling:
We don’t love the boiled crab method because you end up with a watery mess when you crack the legs open and boiling in water tends to dilute the crab meat flavor.
Cook Until Steaming and Fragrant:
In every method, the crab legs are done when they are uniformly steaming and fragrant. If you don’t see hot steam coming off of them, you haven’t cooked them long enough.
Use a Crab Cracker or a nutcracker. The shells can be tough and sharp, especially at the claw. You can also use good kitchen shears if you don’t have a crab cracker.
Serve Hot or Cold:
the juicy meat is just as tasty cold or hot so don’t worry about serving them still hot.
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