Description
Melt-in-your-mouth snow crab legs drenched in garlic lemon butter – an easy, elegant seafood recipe perfect for winter feasts.
Ingredients
For the Crab Legs:
-
6–8 pounds snow crab legs (fresh or thawed if frozen)
-
Salt and pepper, to taste
-
Lemon wedges, for serving
-
Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
For the Garlic Lemon Butter Sauce:
-
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
-
6 cloves garlic, minced
-
1 large lemon, zested and juiced
-
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
-
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning (optional)
Instructions
-
Thaw and Prep: If frozen, thaw snow crab legs overnight or under cold water. Rinse and pat dry.
-
Cook the Crab Legs:
-
Steaming Method: Fill a large pot with 2 inches of water, bring to boil. Place crab legs in a steamer basket, cover, and steam 5–7 minutes.
-
Baking Method: Preheat oven to 375°F. Arrange crab legs in a baking dish, brush with melted butter, sprinkle Old Bay, cover with foil, and bake 10–12 minutes.
-
-
Make the Sauce: In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic, sauté 1–2 minutes. Stir in lemon zest, juice, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
-
Coat and Serve: Transfer hot crab legs to a platter, drizzle or brush with the sauce. Sprinkle with parsley, serve with lemon wedges.
-
Enjoy: Pair with crusty bread or potatoes and your favorite beverage.
Notes
- Use seafood scissors for easy shell cutting.
- Substitute olive oil or vegan butter if dairy-free.
- Dill or chives work well in place of parsley.
- Grilled crab option: Brush with butter and grill 5 min/side.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Steaming or Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 pounds crab legs
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 980 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 2 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 38g
- Cholesterol: 220 mg