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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 Large Skillet Preferably with a lid for simmering.
  • 1 Kitchen Shears For easily slitting crab shells.
  • 1 Garlic Press Or a chef's knife and cutting board for mincing garlic.
  • 1 Wooden Spoon or Spatula For stirring and tossing.
  • 1 Tongs For handling and tossing the crab legs.

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

For optimal flavor, always use fresh garlic over pre-minced. Consider adding a squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the end to brighten the rich butter sauce; a pinch of red pepper flakes can also introduce a subtle heat. Ensure crab legs are completely thawed for even heating. Overcooking will make the crab meat tough and dry—snow crab is typically pre-cooked, so heat only until warmed through. For enhanced presentation and freshness, use fresh chopped parsley instead of dried, sprinkling it just before serving. To aid in even heating and flavor absorption, a quick blanch of cold crab legs before adding to the sauce can be beneficial.