These crab legs (Dungeness crab legs) are steamed to perfection and then tossed in a flavorful garlic butter sauce. A simple yet filling way to enjoy fresh seafood and only takes minutes to prepare! Crab legs are a good option for a starter or main course.

When I’m craving seafood, I turn to my favorite recipes, including seafood pasta, bacon-wrapped scallops, and this delicious crab dish. If you are a crab lover, you will love this recipe!

Wintertime in my hometown is crab season. Fresh crabs are plentiful and we enjoy crab legs every year around the holidays. With three types of crab in a simple butter sauce, this recipe is seriously over the top. Add a piece of bread and a salad and dinner is served.

Why I love this recipe

1. Juicy taste with strong aroma

2. West Coast Favorite – We Oregonians love to support our local fishermen

3. One of my all-time favorite seafood dishes, because to their simplicity and speed of preparation!

Types of crab boats(Dungeness crab legs)

You can make this recipe with one type of crab or with several types of crab. The most common crab species are Dungeness crab, snow crab, king crab, stone crab and blue crab. Crab species and availability vary by geographic area. Where I live, Dungeness crabs are native to the region, so I use them often. Snow crabs and king crabs are often found frozen or previously frozen throughout the country. You can’t go wrong here. So choose what is available, looks fresh and is affordable for you.

HOW TO PREPARE THE CRAB LEGS

I find the easiest way to prepare crab legs is to steam them. In a big saucepan, heat two to three inches of water until it boils. After adding the crab legs, cover the pot. Cook until the crab is heated through. Drain the water from the pan and melt the butter for the sauce. Add fresh garlic, salt, pepper, and chopped parsley. Mix the prawns into the butter mixture and serve immediately.(Dungeness crab legs)

How long should you cook crabs?

Most crabs you buy in the store are pre-cooked. So in this case you just need to reheat the crabs. Usually, heating the crab legs takes about 5-7 minutes. The bones usually cook faster than the crab’s body parts. If you want to cook the crab bodies together with the bones, you need to add another 3-4 minutes to the cooking time.

HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN THE CRAB BONE IS DONE?

Crab bladders are ready when the meat turns red and opaque. If you buy ready-cooked crab, the meat will already look like this because you just heat it. Raw crabs are more gray and take a little longer to cook. Plan to increase the cooking time by an additional 5-7 minutes if you have raw crab.

TIPS FOR THE PERFECT CREAM DINNER

1. Allow 1 1/2-2 pounds of crab legs per person. You can easily double or triple this recipe if you are feeding a larger crowd.(Dungeness crab legs)

2. You can serve the garlic butter sauce over the crab legs or simply steam your crabs and serve the sauce separately for dipping.

3. My favorite sides with crab are crusty sourdough bread and a fresh green salad or steamed vegetables. Other great sides include macaroni and cheese, steamed rice, angel hair pasta, or even hash browns.

4. You can ask your fishmonger to crack and clean your crabs for you, which will save you a lot of time later.

5. If you have frozen crab, let it thaw in the fridge for 1-2 days before cooking.

FLAVOR VARIATIONS

I think crab is so good plain that it requires minimal handling. However, you can easily adapt this recipe to suit your taste.(Dungeness crab legs)

1. Spices: Try adding some spices to the garlic butter, e.g. B. Old Bay, Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika or onion powder.

2. Herbs: Avoid parsley and use fresh dill, basil or chives instead.

3. Asian: Add 1 teaspoon ginger, 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 teaspoon sesame oil to the sauce and use coriander instead of parsley.

INGREDIENTS

1. Six pounds of crab legs Snow crab, king crab, Dungeness crab, or a mix of these species

2. 1/2 cup butter

3. 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

4. Salt and pepper to taste

5. 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

6. Lemon wedges optional

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add 3 inches of water to a large, deep saucepan over medium heat. Boil the water.

2. Break the crab legs with a seafood cracker.

3. Place the crab legs in the pot and cover.

4. Cook until the crab is well cooked, 5 to 7 minutes. If the crabs are raw, cook them for ten to twelve minutes, or until the meat is opaque and reddish-orange.

5. Drain the crab legs and keep them warm and covered.

6. Melt the butter in the pan. Cook for a further 30 seconds after adding the garlic. Turn off the heat and stir in salt, pepper and parsley.

7. Put the crabs back in the pan and stir them into the garlic butter. If preferred, serve right away with lemon slices.

POWER SUPPLY

Calories: 206 kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 16g | Saturated fat: 12 g | Cholesterol: 61 mg | Sodium: 203 mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 709 IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 10 mg

These crab legs are steamed to perfection and then tossed in a flavorful garlic butter sauce. A simple yet filling way to enjoy fresh seafood and only takes minutes to prepare! Crab legs are a good option for a starter or main course.

TIME

Preparation time 10 minutes minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Total time 20 minutes minutes

This crab dish is always a success, whether it’s for a special occasion or you’re just searching for something different and exciting to eat!

Note: One of the best ways to enjoy Dungeness crab legs is to steam them in aromatic spices and serve with melted garlic herb butter. This recipe is perfect for seafood lovers as the delicate flavor of the flaky white meat takes center stage.

Serve as an upscale appetizer, as an appetizer, or with a filet mignon or New York strip for a surf-and-turf feast.(Dungeness crab legs)

If you’re new to cooking crab and have questions, you’ll find tons of helpful information in the FAQ section below.

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