Learn how to steam crab legs to perfection and then toss them in a herbaceous butter sauce. A quick and easy seafood recipe that can be served as an appetiser or even a main meal.
Whenever I have a REAL craving for seafood, I usually turn to shrimp or crab meat. Fortunately, I had some crab legs to hand after doing an importu market run in the morning.
Me and my family love nothing more than to sit at the dinner table, cracking open some sweet and tender crab legs.
If you are a seafood lover like we are then you are in for a real treat because I promise you won't be disappointed with this recipe.
It is incredibly easy and relatively quick to pull together and you will be eating these crab legs in no time.
Types of crab legs
There are several type of crab species that you can use for this type of recipe.
The most common type of crab legs that are used include snow crab, Jonah crab, king crab, dungeness, stone crab and blue crab (just to name a few).
Most people use any of the above or even mix different species together.
The type of crab that you will use does depend on many factors including affordability, geographical location, availability and the freshness of the crab.
Don't get too hung up on the type of crab that you are using to make the recipe with, purchase what is within your budget and based on your location.
Ingredients you need
- Crab legs - You will need just the legs not claws or any of part of the crab for this recipe.
- Butter - I like to use Flora (UK brand) dairy free butter that is unsalted but any vegan/dairy free butter should work just fine.
- Paprika - This spice lends a sweet and earthy taste.
- Parsley and thyme - I like to use this duo of herbs to balance out the flavour of the spices and to give the recipe abit of greenery too.
- Lemon juice - Lemon always works well in buttery seafood dishes for some zestiness.
- Garlic granules - I like to use the granulated textured however powdered works just fine.
- Seafood seasoning - To optimise flavour levels.
- Chilli flakes - For a hint of heat without being too spicy.
- Black pepper and pink salt - To enhance the overall taste of the dish.
Recipe preparation
This is a relatively straight forward recipe however, you can get the most flavour out of this recipe by purchasing pre-scored crab legs.
Scored crab legs aren't always easy to get hold off, but when making a crab recipe that requires sauce, it's an added bonus.
You can score the legs especially if they are the big kind with a sturdy knife/scissors but it is time consuming.
I'm using pre-cooked crab for this recipe, so the meat is already cooked and tender. What I'm doing here is merely heating it through for the sauce.
You will want to prepare a large pot of water and fill it by ⅓ with some added slices of lemon to the water.
This is an optional step that can give some lemon flavour to the crab meat, if you wish to do so.
Add the steamer insert/basket to the saucepan, this what the crab legs will be resting on when being steamed.
Then you will need to bring the water to the boil (covered) and once the water has boiled carefully lower your crab legs onto the steamer.
Cover the saucepan and leave the crab legs to steam. If you are using raw crab legs you will need to wash/clean them first of all.
Also, just like shrimp, raw seafood will take abit longer to steam, they are grey in appearance and take around 7-8 minutes to cook through (pink and opaque when ready).
Cooked crab legs, which is what I am using will aready to pink and/or opaque in colour, so they will only take a few minutes to heat through.
While the crab is steaming, now is a good time to make the sauce. You literally need to add all of the ingredients (excluding the black pepper and pink salt) to a frying pan and cook for a few minutes.
Once the sauce is ready, do a taste test and add the amount of black pepper and pink salt to your preference.
The steps
- Fill a large saucepan by ⅓ with water (at this point you can add a few lemon slices if you want to).
- Place the steamer insert or steamer basket in the pot.
- Bring the saucepan to the boil with the lid on.
- Once boiled, remove the lid and carefully lower the crab legs onto the steamer.
- Cover the saucepan and allow the crab legs to steam for a few minutes (7-8 minutes if the crab is raw).
- Meanwhile, prepare the butter sauce by melting the butter in a small frying pan on medium heat.
- Sprinkle in the lemon juice, paprika, seafood seasoning, garlic granules, chilli flakes, thyme and parsley.
- Stir and simmer for 1-2 minutes.
- Do a taste test and add black pepper and pink salt accordingly.
- Remove the frying pan from the heat and prepare the butter sauce in a dipping bowl (or divide into 2 parts for drizzling).
- Once the crab legs have steamed, remove them from the saucepan with tongs or a slotted spoon.
- Serve on a plate with lemon wedges (drizzle half on the sauce over the legs if you choose to do so) or place the dipping sauce on the side.
- To crack the crab legs, the easiest way to do so is by using a seafood cracker or alternatively use sterilized kitchen scissors.
- Snap the leg at the joint then use some sturdy scissors to cut lengthways into the shells (cut both sides).
- Then scoop out the meat, eat and enjoy!
Notes and tips
- Make sure you are using CRAB legs for this recipe, not claws or any other part of the crab.
- If you are using raw crab legs be sure to clean/wash it prior to following all of the steps.
- Raw crab meat will be grey in its appearance.
- This is the link for my Seafood Seasoning Recipe.
- Pre-cooked crab legs will be pink and opaque in colour and only need a few minutes of steaming in order to heat through.
- You can drizzle the crab legs with the butter sauce or alternatively serve it on the side for dipping (or even do half drizzle and half dipping sauce).
- The easiest way by far to access the flesh is to use a pair of sturdy, sterilised kitchen scissors (big ones for king legs and small ones for smaller legs). This is my preferred method, no hassle simply cut into the shell and scoop out the meat.
- Alternatively, you can use a seafood cracker, if you have one to hand.
- When steaming the crab, make sure you are only using enough water so it barely touches the basket/insert only and NOT the crab legs.
More recipes to make
- Crab Curry Recipe
- Jerk Shrimp Pasta
- Escovitch Shrimp
- Jamaican Curry Shrimp
- Shrimp Rundown
- Black Pepper Shrimp
- Pan Fried Garlic Pepper Shrimp
- Cajun Shrimp with Zucchini Noodles
Serving suggestions
- Escovitch Sauce
- Callaloo
- Jamaican Steamed Cabbage
- Cauliflower Rice
- Air Fried Plantain
- How to Steam Vegetables On The Stove
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Steamed Crab Legs
Ingredients
- 1½-2 lb crab legs (680g-907g)
- ⅓ cup dairy free butter (70g)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (15g)
- 1 teaspoon paprika (2g)
- ½ teaspoon garlic granules (1.5g)(or powder)
- ½ teaspoon seafood seasoning (1g)
- 1 teaspoon parsley (1g)
- 1 teaspoon thyme (1g)
- ¼ teaspoon chilli flakes (0.5g)
- black pepper and pink salt to taste
Instructions
- Fill a large saucepan by ⅓ with water (at this point you can add a few lemon slices if you want to).
- Place the steamer insert or steamer basket in the pot.
- Bring the saucepan to the boil with the lid on.
- Once boiled, remove the lid and carefully lower the crab legs onto the steamer.
- Cover the saucepan and allow the crab legs to steam for a few minutes (7-8 minutes if the crab is raw).
- Meanwhile, prepare the butter sauce by melting the butter in a small frying pan on medium heat.
- Sprinkle in the lemon juice, paprika, seafood seasoning, garlic granules, chilli flakes, thyme and parsley.
- Stir and simmer for 1-2 minutes.
- Do a taste test and add black pepper and pink salt accordingly.
- Remove the frying pan from the heat and prepare the butter sauce in a dipping bowl (or divide into 2 parts for drizzling).
- Once the crab legs have steamed, remove them from the saucepan with tongs or a slotted spoon.
- Serve on a plate with lemon wedges (drizzle half on the sauce over the legs if you choose to do so) or place the dipping sauce on the side.
- To crack the crab legs, the easiest way to do so is by using a seafood cracker or alternatively use sterilized kitchen scissors.
- Snap the leg at the joint then use some sturdy scissors to cut lengthways into the shells (cut both sides).
- Then scoop out the meat, eat and enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure you are using CRAB legs for this recipe, not claws or any other part of the crab.
- If you are using raw crab legs be sure to clean/wash it prior to following all of the steps.
- Raw crab meat will be grey in its appearance.
- This is the link for my Seafood Seasoning Recipe.
- Pre-cooked crab legs will be pink and opaque in colour and only need a few minutes of steaming in order to heat through.
- You can drizzle the crab legs with the butter sauce or alternatively serve it on the side for dipping (or even do half drizzle and half dipping sauce).
- The easiest way by far to access the flesh is to use a pair of sturdy, sterilised kitchen scissors (big ones for king legs and small ones for smaller legs). This is my preferred method, no hassle simply cut into the shell and scoop out the meat.
- Alternatively, you can use a seafood cracker, if you have one to hand.
- When steaming the crab, make sure you are only using enough water so it barely touches the basket/insert only and NOT the crab legs.
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