Description
Learn to make delicious Dungeness crab legs at home with our step-by-step guide, tips, and FAQs. Perfect your seafood cooking skills today!
Ingredients
Scale
Ingredients List
- 2 pounds Dungeness crab legs
- 2–3 bay leaves
- 3–4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 lemon, quartered
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/2 cup melted butter (for dipping)
- Lemon wedges (for serving)
Instructions
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prepare the Pot
- Fill a large pot with water, leaving enough room for the crab legs.
- Add the bay leaves, garlic, lemon quarters, and salt to the water.
- Bring the water to a boil over high heat.
- Cook the Crab Legs
- If steaming, place a steamer basket in the pot and arrange the crab legs on top.
- If boiling, carefully add the crab legs directly to the boiling water.
- Cover the pot and cook the crab legs for 10-15 minutes, or until the meat is opaque and easily pulls away from the shell.
- Prepare the Dipping Sauce
- While the crab legs are cooking, melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat.
- Add a squeeze of lemon juice to the melted butter for extra flavor.
- Serve the Crab Legs
- Use tongs to carefully remove the crab legs from the pot and transfer them to a serving platter.
- Serve the crab legs with melted butter and lemon wedges on the side.
- Enjoy!
- Use crab crackers and picks to extract the meat from the shells.
- Dip the crab meat in the melted butter and enjoy the succulent, sweet flavor.
Notes
- Seasonings: Experiment with different seasonings in the cooking water. Old Bay seasoning, peppercorns, and fresh herbs like dill can add unique flavors to the crab legs.
- Dipping Sauces: While melted butter is a classic choice, consider trying other dipping sauces such as garlic aioli, lemon herb butter, or a spicy sriracha mayo.