American · Free recipe
Steamed King Crab Legs
Pre-cooked king crab legs only need a few minutes of steam to warm through, keeping the thick, sweet meat juicy. Snip the shells open, pull out the long pieces whole, and dunk them in a lemon garlic butter for a quiet, hands-on feast.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 8 min
- Total
- 18 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Easy
Method
-
Use kitchen shears to cut the crab legs at the joints so they fit in your pot, and to snip a slit down the softer side of each shell.
-
Pour about 1 inch of water into a large pot, add the bay leaf and a lemon wedge, set a steamer basket inside, and bring to a boil over high heat.
-
Arrange the legs in the basket, cover tightly, and steam for 5 to 7 minutes, until the shells are hot to the touch and the kitchen smells sweet and briny.
-
While the crab steams, melt the butter with the garlic over low heat for 3 minutes without letting it brown, then stir in the lemon juice, chives, and salt.
-
Transfer the crab to a platter and serve right away with small bowls of the warm butter, lemon wedges, and extra shears for opening shells at the table.
Zest note from the test kitchen
Nearly all king crab is cooked and frozen on the boat, so you are only reheating it; extra minutes in the steamer dry out the meat without adding anything.
