Go Back

Crab Legs with Garlic Butter Sauce

An easy crab legs recipe with a garlicky butter sauce that's ready in just 20 minutes! I ended up getting some snow crab legs on sale at the market. I wanted something a little different from plain steamed, boiled, or grilled crab legs, so I ended up throwing a few things together to make this awesome crab leg recipe. This dish would be great with shrimp as well.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course lunch/dinner
Cuisine Mediterranean
Servings 2 people
Calories 809.6 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Kitchen Shears For cutting slits in crab shells
  • 1 Large Skillet Sufficiently sized to hold crab legs and sauce
  • 1 Cutting Board
  • 1 Chef's knife For mincing garlic
  • 1 Tongs For tossing and serving crab

Ingredients
  

Main

  • 1 pound Snow Crab clusters thawed if necessary
  • ¼ cup butter
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1 ½ teaspoons dried parsley
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

  • Cut a slit, length-wise, into the shell of each piece of crab. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until translucent, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in parsley, pepper, and salt. Continue to heat mixture until bubbling. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Add crab legs to the skillet; toss to coat with butter mixture. Simmer until completely heated through, 5 to 6 minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Serve hot and enjoy! DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS 

Notes

Ensure crab legs are fully thawed for even heating. While this recipe uses dried parsley, fresh minced parsley added at the very end would elevate the aroma and visual appeal. Be careful not to overcook the garlic; it should be fragrant, not browned or bitter, as burnt garlic can become bitter. For an extra layer of flavor, consider adding a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or a pinch of red pepper flakes to the butter sauce. A good quality butter will make a significant difference. Serving with a crusty bread to soak up the glorious garlic butter is highly recommended.