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Garlic Lemon Butter Crab Legs Recipe Made Easy

Garlic Lemon Butter Crab Legs Recipe Made Easy

Tender cooked crab legs are gently reheated and served with a warm garlic lemon butter sauce. Choose steaming for a quick stovetop method or foil-baking for crab infused with buttery flavor.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Crab and Sauce
  • 2 lb Cooked snow-crab or king-crab legs, thawed if frozen
  • 8 tablespoons Unsalted butter
  • 4 cloves Garlic, finely minced
  • 1 tablespoon Fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon Old Bay or another seafood seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons Fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon Black pepper, optional
For Steaming and Serving
  • 1-2 tablespoons Water
  • as needed Lemon wedges

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Thaw frozen crab legs in the refrigerator, then rinse and pat them dry. Use kitchen shears to cut large legs into manageable sections if desired.
  2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute, stirring often, just until fragrant; do not let the garlic brown.
  3. Stir the lemon juice, seafood seasoning, optional black pepper, and chopped parsley into the warm butter. Keep the sauce over low heat while the crab reheats.
  4. For steaming, place the crab legs in a steamer basket over 1–2 inches of simmering water. Cover and steam for about 5–8 minutes, until heated through.
  5. For baking, arrange the crab legs on foil, spoon roughly half of the garlic butter over them, seal the packets, and bake at 375°F (190°C) for approximately 12–15 minutes.
  6. Open foil packets carefully because hot steam will escape. Serve the crab with the remaining garlic lemon butter and lemon wedges.

Notes

Crab legs are usually sold pre-cooked, so the goal is to reheat them without drying the meat. King-crab legs may need slightly longer heating than smaller snow-crab sections. Crack or cut the shells before serving, or provide kitchen shears at the table.