Although depending on the species you choose, the legs of crabs are usually their meatiest parts. Interestingly, you do not have to go through a lot of hassle to learn how to cook crab legs perfectly. They are easier than you might think and usually take a few minutes only. The meat inside crab legs is snow white in color, whereas the color of the meat inside the shell is usually brown. The meat in the legs is usually quite tender and flavorsome, and you can cook it in many different ways, including boiling, baking, and steaming. Check out some ways to make crab legs even more delicious.

Boil Crab Legs

​When trying to learn how to cook crab legs, the first thing is to understand how to boil them.

Tips Before Boiling

Here is what to keep in mind before you proceed with boiling:

  • Be sure to get crabs from the supermarket for better taste. That is mainly because they have already been cooked once on the fishing boat and then flash frozen. If they are cooked already, they will be bright orange or red in color. Uncooked crab legs usually have a pale color.

  • Be sure to buy 2-4 crab legs per person if you are going to serve them as a main course. Alternatively, you can buy one crab leg per person and serve as an appetizer.

  • Do not defrost crab legs until you really want to boil them. As they are pre-cooked, there is no need to microwave them either.

How to Boil

Here is the procedure you should follow when you want to boil crab legs:

  • Rinse off the legs thoroughly and set aside.

  • Take a large saucepan and fill it halfway with cold water. Add seasoning to it – you can simply add salt or opt for other alternatives such as lemon juice, vinegar, or even beer. Bring this to a boil.

  • Put the crab legs in water and bring this to a boil again. Reduce the heat and keep boiling for another 4-5 minutes for smaller varieties of crab. But you may have to boil it for 15 minutes at medium-high heat for colossal. Cook crab legs for no more than 5 minutes if they are already thawed.

  • Remove them from the water and serve with clarified butter once drained.

Other Ways of Cooking Crab Legs

In addition to boiling, you can also learn how to cook crab legs in other ways. Here are 2 suggestions:
1

Bake Crab Legs

  • Start by preheating oven to 350°F – ensure that the oven rack is in the middle.

  • Rinse off the legs, pat them dry and split them – use a pair of scissors to cut them through the shell.

  • Take a baking or roasting pan and arrange crab legs in a single layer. Keep the cut side facing up and use a brush to apply lemon juice and butter mixture.

  • Bake them for 8 minutes.

2

Steam Crab Leg

  • Take some water and bring it to a boil.

  • Take the pieces of crab legs and add them to steamer basket and cover.

  • Wait for some time until the water comes to a boil again. Steam it for 5 minutes and then remove from heat.

  • Serve.

A Great Recipe of Garlic Butter Baked Crab Legs

Knowing how to cook crab legs will let you enjoy them in a much better way. However, you will always require a right recipe to cook them perfectly. Here is what you can try.
1

Ingredients

  • 2lbs king crab legs

  • Hal cup of salted butter

  • Half cup of lemon juice

  • Half head garlic (5 cloves, minced)

  • Half lime juice

  • 1/8 cup of extra virgin olive oil

  • Dried parsley and sea salt (optional)

2

Instructions

  • Start by preheating the oven to 375°F.

  • Get a small saucepan and melt the butter on medium-low heat. Introduce garlic to the pan and sauté. Also, add lemon juice and turn the heat to low. Leave for a few minutes for the flavors to mesh well.

  • Add a couple of pinches of parsley after a few minutes with salt. Use a fork to whisk in olive oil. Turn off the burner.

  • Arrange crab legs in a 9x13 baking dish and brush the sauce onto them. Also, pour any remaining sauce onto the legs and put the pan on the center rack of your oven.

  • Depending on the thickness of the legs, you should be baking them long enough, at least 25 minutes. It is important to brush the sauce onto the legs every 5 minutes.

  • Get the pan out, sprinkle it with parsley and serve!

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