Steamed King Crab Legs with Garlic Butter and Lemon
King crab legs have been a family favorite for a long time. We rarely have them because they are so expensive, but we will occasionally splurge on special occasions. We don’t do anything crazy for Valentine’s day. My husband and I usually go out for a date night but we also like to celebrate with a nice meal at home with our kids. I made a special Valentine’s dinner with steamed king crab legs, a ribeye steak, mashed potatoes, and roasted asparagus. It was a delicious dinner that we all devoured and loved.
How to Make Steamed King Crab Legs with Garlic Butter and Lemon
Melt the butter and minced garlic together in a small pan and keep warm on its lowest setting.
Set a steamer tray inside a large pot and pour enough water inside to steam the crab. You are only reheating the crab, so you will only need a couple of inches of water. Add a few cloves of garlic to the water, if desired. Bring to a boil before laying the crab legs on the steamer. Cover the pot and steam for 5 minutes.
Remove the crab legs and serve with melted garlic butter and lemon wedges. Enjoy!!!
Ingredients
- 1 stick of salted butter melted
- 1 large clove of garlic minced
- 2 lbs king crab legs
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
- Melt the butter and minced garlic together in a small pan and keep warm on its lowest setting.
- Set a steamer tray inside a large pot and pour enough water inside to steam the crab. You are only reheating the crab, so you will only need a couple of inches of water.
- Add a few cloves of garlic to the water, if desired.
- Bring water to a boil before laying the crab legs on the steamer. Cover the pot and steam for 5 minutes.
- Remove the crab legs and serve with melted garlic butter and lemon wedges. Enjoy!!!
I am not surprised that these are a family favourite, Pam. They look so GOOD! geez, I miss good seafood.
Iook amazing !
I love crab Pam and this look amazing.
We dinner here with the twins and my mom I made my terragon chicken. And the kids were eating the sauce before we dinner !
Steak and crab is our favorite surf n turf – you did your kids proud with this meal for Valentines.
Love these! Always make a huge mess when I eat them, but it’s SO worth it. 🙂
We live in Washington state we go to Oregon and get fresh dungenous crab in seaside at a place called the Bell Buoy, they supply fresh clams, and crab to all the restuarants up & down the Oregon coast! We take our plates, bibs and a loaf of fresh bread from the safeway across the street and have a feast. The owner knows I adore their clam chowder and always give me a container to go for free..We are in Crab heaven and Chowder heaven..We park our car near the ocean and never get out or near the rocks and enjoy the winter spectacular of the ocean safe in our car..Love your blog….
We do a special dinner at home with the kids, and always have. And, of course, stupidly expensive heart shaped candy boxes for each of the kids. They remind us of how special our love is, don’t they? Your crab legs look great, and were so easy to make! No wonder everyone loves them!
Perfect Valentine’s Day meal for me! We bought a case of those from Costco and then had them for special occasions for the next few months.
Hi
Do king crab legs need to be thawed before steaming?
Yes you can… it will take a bit longer to warm through.
Pam
I’ve tried this recipe and it was delicious <3 My family loved these crab legs 🙂
Marie,
I’m so glad you liked them! Thanks for letting me know.
-Pam
Looks like I had the same idea as a few other commenters — used this as the “surf” in my husband’s birthday “surf and turf” and it came out beautifully! Thank you for the clear, concise instructions.
Surf & Turf,
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
-Pam
Had the King Crab legs the way you said along with Rib Eye Steak…it was great
Legrande,
So glad you liked the recipe–serving with steak sounds tasty. Thanks for letting me know.
-Pam
I just made this for my daughter and me, it came out so so good! It was my first time making crab, and I will only make it this way from now on, absolute perfection!
Richard,
I’m so happy you and your daughter enjoyed your crab!!! Thanks for letting me know.
-Pam
Hello and Happy New Year to you. I was searching for a good way to prep and prepare my “Alaskan King Crab “. I have done it in several ways according to the place where I shop. I decided to look into new ways to warm up the Crab knowing that it is always pre-cooked and wanted to know more. For one thing, I didn’t know that you should thaw the Crab first, so that is what I’m doing. I just took the Crab out of the freezer and put in the fridge. I was going to eat it tonight but saw your sight and decided to try your way of making the Crab by thawing. I have never done it this way and I thought I would give your recipe a try. I will let you know how it turns out afterwards. Thanks for the recipe. ☮