Snow crab legs are easy to make and take so little time — they’re a perfect way to elevate a casual gathering or to treat someone on a special occasion.
This variety of crab has a mild flavor that is delicious all on its own. However, you can also dress it up with so many different spices like Old Bay, fennel, and blackened seasoning.
Whether you choose to grill, steam, or boil, these snow crab legs are the perfect addition to your next party.
Why You’ll Love Snow Crab Legs
Seafood lovers will fall head over heels for these easy snow crab legs.
- Cooking methods – You can choose the method that works best for you whether it’s grilling, steaming, or boiling.
- Easy – There’s very little prep involved and they cook quickly.
- Party-perfect – Treat yourself and your guests to a delicious seafood dinner.
Snow Crab vs King Crab
There are a number of differences between these two types of crabs. The first is size — while king crabs are larger, overall, their legs are shorter than snow crabs, though they are thicker.
King crabs also have a shorter harvest time because of their limited location (the Bering Sea) and time for harvest which only extends throughout a brief few weeks in the colder months.
Meanwhile, snow crabs are more prevalent in the northern area of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and can be harvested from the later portion of the fall months all the way to late spring or early summer.
As for the flavor of the crab, snow crab tends to be slightly sweet but also has a subtle briny flavor. Snow crab meat is also easily shreddable and firm — and fairly easy to retrieve from the shell.
Meanwhile, king crabs have a sweeter, delicate flavor and a more succulent texture, but their meat is harder to retrieve due to the thickness of their shells. While you usually only need your hands to break into a snow crab, king crab legs require the use of a crab cracker or similar tool.
Ingredients
There aren’t a lot of ingredients necessary to make this fancy meal.
- Snow crab legs: You can use either thawed or frozen crab legs, just adjust the cooking time as needed.
- Coarse kosher salt: You’ll need salt for boiling or steaming.
- Oil: If you’re intending to grill, you’ll need to have cooking oil on hand.
- Fresh lemon wedges: While not necessary, fresh lemon wedges always add bright citrus flavors to seafood.
- Seafood seasoning: While this ingredient is optional it adds a spicy kick to seafood.
How to Cook Snow Crab Legs
Unless you are buying live snow crabs, your legs will likely already be fully cooked and/or frozen. You can bake, boil, steam, or even grill snow crab. All methods work equally as well to get the cooked meat hot again, but I prefer to steam or bake them.
This allows the ice crystals or water in the shells to evaporate and prevent the meat from drying out. Boiling can lead to too much water and grilling can dry them out.
How to Boil Snow Crab Legs
Boiling is considered the easiest by most people but can lead to waterlogged crab legs, so give them time to drain before digging. You can use this method on fresh or frozen crab legs.
- Find Pot. Find a very large pot or use a Dutch oven and work in batches. A standard Dutch oven will accommodate approximately 1/2 pound at a time, while a large stock pot should be able to cook them all at the same time.
- Prep Water. Fill halfway with cold water and add 1 tablespoon of coarse kosher salt. Bring to a boil.
- Boil. Carefully add the crab legs to the boiling water. If thawed, boil for 3 minutes, if frozen, boil for 5 minutes.
- Drain. Remove to a paper towel-lined rimmed baking sheet and allow the water stuck in the shells to drain before cracking and eating.
How to Steam Snow Crab Legs
Steaming is also a great way to cook either thawed or frozen crab legs and prevents them from being submerged in water, leading to more tender meat without the risk of being mushy. You will need both a large stock pot, a Dutch oven, and a steamer basket for this method.
- Find Pot. Find a very large stock pot or use a Dutch oven and work in batches. A standard Dutch oven will accommodate approximately 1/2 pound at a time, while a large stock pot should be able to cook them all at the same time.
- Prep Water. Place the steamer basket in the bottom and add cold water until just at the rim of the steamer basket. Add 1-2 teaspoons of coarse kosher salt. Bring to a simmer.
- Steam. Carefully add the crab legs to the steamer basket and then cover. If thawed, steam for 5 minutes, if frozen, steam for 7 minutes.
- Serve. Remove to a rimmed baking sheet or serving platter. Rimmed is best to catch any lingering water.
How to Bake Snow Crab Legs
Some would argue that broiling snow crab is better than baking, but that can burn the shells and even risk fire. Securing them under aluminum foil on a rimmed baking sheet essentially steams them but without needing the special equipment of a stock pot and steamer basket. This does work best if the legs are thawed.
- Preheat Oven & Find Pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the crab legs on a large-rimmed baking sheet or high-sided casserole dish. They do not need to be in a single layer.
- Prep Legs. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. This will use the liquid in the legs to steam them.
- Steam. Bake for 10-12 minutes for thawed crab legs.
- Serve. Remove from the oven and remove the aluminum foil and serve.
How to Grill Snow Crab Legs
Because any water from thawing will evaporate off, these tend to get dry fast, so watch the cooking time and make sure the legs are thawed ahead of time.
- Preheat. Preheat the grill to medium heat.
- Prep. Spray or oil the grates to prevent sticking.
- Grill. Place the crab legs directly onto the grates, closing the grill and cook for 3-4 minutes to heat through.
Crab Boil Seasonings
While salted water is really all you need to make these legs shine, you can add other flavors in the form of aromatics, spices, and herbs. Here are a few of our favorites.
- Bay leaves
- Lemon wedges
- Fresh parsley
- Coriander
- Whole peppercorns
- Fennel seeds
- Seafood seasoning (like Old Bay)
- Blackened seasoning
How to Crack Snow Crab Legs
Fortunately, the snow crab legs’ shell breaks open fairly easily so cracking it open is a fairly easy task. Snow crab is generally pretty easy to pick, but speciality tools can make it even easier for those tough pieces.
- The first step is the break the cooked crab legs open at the joint.
- Then, gently wiggle the half of a leg back and forth, until it cracks. Pull those halves apart and the meat should slide right out.
- Next, peel away the skin of the knuckle and use a lobster fork to retrieve the meat.
- Finally, for the claw, gently break off the pincer. If the shell is thick, use a crab cracker to gently break the shell before pulling out the meat.
How to Serve Snow Crab Legs
Serve a sauce on the side for dipping, like clarified butter or a garlic butter sauce, vinegar, or cocktail sauce. You can also offer seasonings like Old Bay to shake on top. And of course, CRAB BUTTER!
There are so many sides you can serve with snow crab legs. We love cheesy garlic bread or garlic knots, as well as hush puppies.
For veggies and starches, try roasted potatoes, corn on the cob (or Mexican street corn), or salads like coleslaw or potato salad.
Storage and Freezing
When storing snow crab legs, it’s important to handle them properly to maintain their quality and freshness.
Refrigerator: Store the crab legs in an airtight container or ziploc bag for 1-2 days.
Freezer: After the crab legs come to room temperature, individually wrap the legs or place them in airtight freezer bags to prevent freezer burn. Store for 2-3 months.
Common Questions About Snow Crab Legs
You’ll get about 3 snow crab leg clusters in 1 pound. This recipe calls for 2 pounds, so you’ll have approximately 6 snow crab clusters.
You can expect to feed 7-8 people with 10 lbs of snow crab legs.
Snow crabs pack a punch of healthy nutrients including iron, vitamin C, and B vitamins.
More Crab-Based Dishes
Maryland Style Crab Cake Recipe
Homemade Crab Rangoon Recipe
Stuffed Mushrooms with Crab
How To Cook Snow Crab Legs
Ingredients
- 2 pounds snow crab legs , thawed or frozen
- coarse kosher salt , for boiling for steaming
- oil , for grilling
- fresh lemon wedges , optional
- seafood seasoning , optional
Instructions
How to Boil Snow Crab Legs
- Find a very large stock pot or use a Dutch oven and work in batches. A standard Dutch oven will accommodate approximately 1/2 pound at a time, while a large stock pot should be able to cook them all at the same time.
- Fill halfway with cold water and add 1 tablespoon of coarse kosher salt. Bring to a boil.
- Carefully add the crab legs to the boiling water. If thawed, boil for 3 minutes, if frozen, boil for 5 minutes.
- Remove to a paper towel lined rimmed baking sheet and allow the water stuck in the shells to drain before cracking and eating.
How to Steam Snow Crab Legs
- Find a very large stock pot or use a Dutch oven and work in batches. A standard Dutch oven will accommodate approximately 1/2 pound at a time, while a large stock pot should be able to cook them all at the same time.
- Place the steamer basket in the bottom and add cold water until just at the rim of the steamer basket. Add 1-2 teaspoons of coarse kosher salt. Bring to a simmer.
- Carefully add the crab legs to the steamer basket and then cover. If thawed, steam for 5 minutes, if frozen, steam for 7 minutes. Remove to a rimmed baking sheet or serving platter.
How to Bake Snow Crab Legs
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the crab legs on a large rimmed baking sheet or high-sided casserole dish. They do not need to be in a single layer.
- Cover tightly with aluminum foil. This will use the liquid in the legs to steam them. Bake for 10-12 minutes for thawed crab legs.
- Remove from the oven and remove the aluminum foil and serve.
How to Grill Snow Crab Legs
- Preheat the grill to medium heat. Spray or oil the grates to prevent sticking.
- Place the crab legs directly onto the grates, closing the grill and cooking for 3-4 minutes to heat through.
- If you've tried one of our methods, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings!
Easy baked and came out great!
This post is phenomenal! I love that you’ve included so many cooking methods, I think I’d like to try out steaming and grilling them. All of the serving suggestions are also fantastic. Thanks for all the info!
This was everything a gourmet meal should be, and then some! Easily, a new favorite; excited to showcase this for my next party! Will be an instant hit!
I really appreciate all the information in this post about snow crab legs and how to cook them. I’m going to try baking them as it seems to be easiest to clean up from.
I have never eaten snow crab legs but this recipe looks delicious.