How To Cook Frozen King Crab Legs (The Easiest & Best Way!)

Name: How to Cook Frozen King Crab Legs (the Easiest & Best Way!)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 pounds frozen king crab legs, thawed; 5 tablespoons butter; 1 garlic clove, lightly crushed; 2-3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice; Pinch of sea salt, to taste

Jump to Recipe·5 from 4 reviews

Alaskan king crab legs make the most luxurious dinner party entree for two and if you buy them at the grocery store, these giant clusters of crab legs are most often sold frozen. Wondering how to cook frozen king crab legs? So glad you asked. I have the easiest way to create a restaurant-quality seafood dinner for you.

King Crab Legs on a parchment and garnished with lemon

If you grew up anything like me - nowhere near an ocean and in a blue collar neighborhood - crab legs were reserved for special occasions. I don't think I even saw a king crab leg until I was in my 20's.

While still a luxury item, buying king crab legs in one of your local grocery stores will be less expensive than ordering them in a restaurant. So what is the best way to cook king crab legs?

Crab legs dipped into butter and served with bread, lemon and a side salad

What is the Best Way to Cook Frozen Crab Legs?

After testing and sampling a variety of cooking methods, baking the crab legs proved to be my favorite way to prepare frozen king crab legs at home. The moist heat created inside the shells essentially steamed the crab meat, enhancing their natural flavors and heating the meat thoroughly without drying it out.

This method also works for Snow Crab Legs, and can be a more budget-friendly option!

What you'll need to Cook Frozen King Crab Legs, including Butter Sauce:

King crab legs - the king of all crabs is what we're cooking here! If you have snow crab legs, never fear. I've included instructions for this type of crab below.

(detailed measurements included in the printable recipe card below)

How to Cook Frozen Crab Legs at Home:

1. Bake king crab legs

To begin, preheat your oven to 375℉. Arrange your thawed king crab legs on a large sheet pan or baking sheet in a single layer. Once the oven comes up to temperature, bake the king crab legs for 15 minutes.

Remember the crab legs are already cooked, so we are using the "cooking process" to evaporate the water inside the legs and re-heat the meat, without drying out our delicious crab legs. You'll know the crab is ready when it is fragrant and very warm to the touch.

2. Make lemon butter sauce

Add butter, a lightly crushed garlic clove and a pinch of salt to a small pan. Melt the butter and steep the garlic clove over medium heat for 4-5 minutes.

garlic and butter in pan with a pinch of salt

Add two teaspoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Stir to combine, then taste. Add more lemon juice, if desired. Remove the crushed garlic clove.

3. Split crab legs

Transfer crab to a pan when it is finished baking. For king crab, I use kitchen shears to gently split open each crab leg to make it easier to remove all of the long pieces of crab inside the thicker legs.

King crab legs cut open to reveal juicy succulent crab meat

4. Serve and enjoy

For snow crab legs, serve the legs with a crab cracker. Serve your hot crab legs with lemon garlic butter and garnish with chives or parsley, if desired.

King Crab legs on a parchment on a tray served with lemons and chives

FAQ's for Cooking Frozen Crab Legs Recipe:

Is there another easy way to cook frozen king crab legs?

The other two methods that I like for cooking king crab legs are grilling and steaming. If you have an outdoor grill, heat the grill to about 425℉ and use heavy-duty aluminum foil to create a foil packet for your crab clusters. Grill in the packet for 10-15 minutes. The second optional cooking style is the steaming method. This process involves a large stock pot and steam basket. Add about a cup of water or stock to the bottom of the pot, fill the steam basket with crab legs and bring the liquid to a boil. Cover and cook your thawed crab legs for 6-7 minutes. Serve with lemon butter sauce!

What is the best way to get the meat out of king crab legs?

For king crab legs, I'm all about the kitchen shears. You can serve them at the table with the crab legs, or cut open each leg before service.

How many crab legs should I buy per person?

Generally, ¾-1 pound for each person, if the crab legs are your main entree. For an appetizer, ⅓-1/2 pound should suffice.

I forgot to thaw the crab legs - can I bake them when they are still frozen?

You can cook your crab legs from a frozen state, just plan to leave them in the oven for 25 minutes instead of 15 minutes. As always, check for doneness and add more time, as needed. Be aware that with frozen crab legs, more water will collect in the bottom of the pan as your seafood thaws and cooks, so instead of a baking sheet, it may be best to use a shallow baking pan.

What are some good sides to serve with king crab legs?

I love serving corn on the cob and boiled potatoes and using the combination of butter, garlic and lemon as a dipping sauce for all of it. Tossed Mediterranean Salad or Cucumber Gazpacho Salad would both add freshness and crunch to your seafood dinner. Napa Coleslaw is a lovely savory slaw option.

Can I season my butter sauce with more spices?

You sure can. I try to be careful that my butter sauce complements the delicate flavor of the crab meat and doesn't compete with it. But that's a personal preference. If you love garlic, add a couple of minced garlic cloves to the butter sauce and don't remove them when serving. Looking for an Asian flair, add a tablespoon of ginger scallion sauce to the butter sauce, or make this miso butter as your dipping sauce. If you're hoping for that crab boil flair, add a teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning to the butter sauce. Taste and adjust before serving.

What else can I make with king crab meat?

Crab cakes and crab salad are two classics if you have leftovers. My favorite method for using up any leftover crab meat (especially from the knuckle part of the crab cluster) is to make king crab temaki rolls with miso butter. Each roll only needs about a tablespoon or two of crab meat, so it will stretch your leftovers and give you a completely different and sophisticated flavor profile. Another great option is Crab and Shrimp Stuffed Salmon - the perfect fancy fish option for your leftovers.

How to store crab legs?

To store leftover crab legs, remove the crab meat from the crab leg clusters (including the crab meat in the joints) and store the crab meat in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. To reheat, steep crabmeat gently in butter sauce until just heated through.

Do you need to thaw crab legs before cooking?

First, it's important to note that almost all crab legs in the US are sold already cooked and frozen. These legs are steamed or boiled and frozen shortly after they are caught to preserve freshness. So chances are, if you're cooking crab legs at home, they are frozen.
You do not have to thaw the crab legs before cooking. If you have time to thaw the crab legs, the cooking process will be shorter. But it's definitely not necessary

Looking for more easy and impressive seafood dinner recipes? Try these next!