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Boiled Crab Legs

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  • Prep 15 min
  • Total 15 min
  • Servings 4
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Do you glance at the frozen crab legs in your grocer’s freezer section and then walk on by because they seem like far too much work? Don’t be put off by their upscale reputation—crab legs can be turned into a quick and easy main dish with the right recipe. This Boiled Crab Legs recipe allows you to serve up a delicious seafood dinner in just 15 minutes.
By Paula Jones
Updated Feb 15, 2022
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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons seafood seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 4 lb frozen king crab legs, thawed
  • Melted butter, if desired

Steps

  • 1
    Fill large stockpot or Dutch oven half full with water; add seafood seasoning and salt. Heat to boiling.
  • 2
    Add crab legs. Cook 3 to 5 minutes or just until heated. Remove with tongs to serving platter. Serve warm with melted butter.

Tips from the Betty Crocker Kitchens

  • tip 1
    Don’t crowd the stockpot when following this Boiled Crab Legs recipe; cook the legs in batches.
  • tip 2
    Frozen crab legs are often precooked, so you’re just reheating them in the boiling water. If that’s the case, be careful not to overcook them, as the meat will toughen and lose its delicate flavor.
  • tip 3
    Plan on 1 pound of crab legs per person. If you’re entertaining, this recipe for Boiled Crab Legs can easily be doubled or even tripled.
  • tip 4
    Add some finely chopped garlic to the melted butter to give your Boiled Crab Legs some additional flavor.

Nutrition

170 Calories, 1 1/2g Total Fat, 39g Protein, 0g Total Carbohydrate, 0g Sugars

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving
Calories
170
Calories from Fat
15
Total Fat
1 1/2g
2%
Saturated Fat
0g
0%
Trans Fat
0g
Cholesterol
210mg
70%
Sodium
1580mg
66%
Potassium
560mg
16%
Total Carbohydrate
0g
0%
Dietary Fiber
0g
0%
Sugars
0g
Protein
39g
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
0%
0%
Vitamin C
6%
6%
Calcium
20%
20%
Iron
6%
6%
Exchanges:
0 Starch; 0 Fruit; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 5 1/2 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 0 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
0
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

More About This Recipe

  • If you’ve been wondering how to cook frozen crab legs, you may be surprised to learn that it’s easy to do. As with so many other things with cooking, timing is everything. But the good news is that it’s a very quick process. Since frozen crab legs are typically precooked, you’re simply reheating them in the boiling water. How long to boil crab legs? Just three to five minutes should do it. Be careful not to overcook them, as they will lose their delicate flavor. Once you’ve mastered how long to cook crab legs, you may want to try different types of seasoning for your boiling water. Some leading brands are Old Bay™ Seasoning or ZATARAIN'S® Crab Boil Seasoning. They contain a mix of herbs and spices can include allspice, bay leaf powder, cayenne pepper, celery salt, dill seed, dry mustard, ginger, nutmeg, paprika and pepper. Find more time-tested recipes in Betty’s best fish and seafood recipe collection.
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