Baked Crab Legs

Baking is one of the easiest ways to prepare crab legs because most store-bought crab legs are already cooked and just need to be heated through.

Ingredients

• 2–3 lb crab legs (snow crab or king crab)
• ¼ cup butter, melted
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lemon, sliced
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat

• Heat oven to 375°F (190°C).

2. Prepare the pan

• Place crab legs in a baking dish or on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Add lemon slices around the crab.
• Pour about ¼ cup water into the dish to help create steam.

3. Season

• Mix melted butter and garlic.
• Brush or drizzle over the crab legs.

4. Bake

• Cover tightly with foil.
• Bake:
  • Snow crab legs: 15–20 minutes
  • King crab legs: 20–25 minutes

5. Serve

• Carefully remove the foil.
• Sprinkle with parsley if desired.
• Serve with extra melted butter and lemon wedges.

Garlic Butter Dipping Sauce

Combine:

• ½ cup melted butter
• 1 minced garlic clove
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Pinch of parsley

Tips

• Don’t overcook; the crab is usually pre-cooked and can become dry.
• Kitchen shears make cracking shells much easier.
• For extra flavor, add a pinch of paprika or Cajun seasoning to the butter.

The result is sweet, tender crab meat infused with buttery garlic flavor and brightened by fresh lemon. 🦀🍋🧈