Crab legs may look intimidating, but they are actually one of the easiest ingredients to work with. We have prepared a comprehensive guide that is easy to follow so that you can prepare crab legs in the comfort of your kitchen. Serve your crab legs with a side of melted butter and lemon wedges for the ultimate Toppits Crab Leg feast!
Recommended Tools:
Kitchen scissors
Lobster cracker (a nutcracker will work too!)
How to Clean Crab Legs:
Snow Crab
1. Start by removing each individual leg from the cluster
2. Break apart each individual leg at every connecting joint. (Do not skip this step as this will make step 3 much easier).
3. With both hands, gently snap each part of the crab leg in half. You may need to gently bend back and forth to fully break apart the shell. The crab meat should slide out easily from the leg. If any pieces are stuck, you can use a small fork or pick to remove it.
4. To break apart the claws, gently bend the small claw and detach it. Use lobster crackers to crack the larger claw and remove your crab meat. Do not apply too much pressure while cracking the claw otherwise you will crush the meat inside.
5. To break apart the cluster, use your hands to break it apart and use a fork or a small pick to remove the crab meat.
King Crab
1. Break apart each individual leg at every connecting joint.
2. Using kitchen scissors, cut each crab leg lengthwise and remove the crab meat with a fork or small pick.
How to Cook Crab Legs
1. Follow thawing instructions on the package.
2. You can serve crab legs as a hot or cold dish:
To serve chilled: simply thaw and serve.
To serve warm: follow steaming instructions on the package.
How to Serve Crab Legs
Crab legs are often served with warm butter and lemon, or with traditional Old Bay seasoning that is popular in New England. You can also make a seafood paella with crab legs, or a scallion and butter stir fry.
Bon Appetit!