Steamed Crab Legs

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.

Course Appetiser

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings people

Calories 278kcal

Author Charla

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.

Nutrition