How to Boil Crab Legs

Last Updated: November 11, 2022 References Approved

Sweet, delicious crab is a great meal any time of year. If you don't live near a crabbing town, you'll likely only be able to get frozen, cooked crab legs, which means less work for you! One of the quickest ways to prepare crab legs is to boil them, as your crab legs will be ready in about 10 minutes, even with prep time.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Boiling the Crab in Plain, Salted Water

1
Pour water into a pot until it is 2/3 of the way full. Add tap water to the pot to fill it up. Make sure to choose a pot that's big enough to hold the legs. You can bend the legs but only at the joints.^{[1]
X
Research source}
- A single, large pot will likely hold about 2 pounds (0.91 kg) of crab legs.^{[2]
  X
  Research source}
2
Bring the pot of water to a boil. Set the pot on a burner and turn it up to high heat. Add a tablespoon (17 g) or so of salt to the water, and let it come to a rolling boil.^{[3]
X
Research source}
- A rolling boil is when the top of the water is moving violently and isn't disturbed when you run a spoon through it.
- Beyond salt, you could also add seasonings of choice to the pot.
Advertisement
3
Add the crab legs to the pot. Gently drop the crab legs into the water, as you don't want to splash boiling water on yourself. If you need to, use tongs to lower the crab legs into the water.^{[4]
X
Research source}
- Use the tongs to move the legs around in the water so as much of the leg is submerged as possible. Bend legs at the joints if you need to.^{[5]
  X
  Research source}
4
Let the crab legs boil for 4-5 minutes. Once the water comes back to a boil, start a timer. Typically, you're just reheating the legs, not cooking them. Therefore, you only need to make sure they're heated through.^{[6]
X
Research source}
- As they boil, move them around every once and a while to make sure you get the whole leg heated through.
- Fresh, uncooked crab legs will change color from dark grey/blue/brown to a bright red/orange. If your crab legs are cooked, they'll look orange-pink in the package.
5
Pull the legs out of the water with the tongs. Grasp the legs with the tongs, and let the water drain off a bit before moving them to a platter. Let them cool before serving them with clarified butter.^{[7]
X
Research source}
- If you need to keep the legs warm, set them on a baking tray in the oven. Set the oven to the lowest setting.
- Don't cook the legs too long, as you'll end up with overcooked meat.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Adding Other Flavors

1
Replace the water with beer, lemon, and garlic. Instead of water, add 3 bottles of ale or beer to the pot. Drop in 6 lemon halves, as well as a head of garlic split in half. Let it come to a boil, and boil the crab for 5 minutes before removing it with tongs.^{[8]
X
Research source}
- Discard the beer, lemon, and garlic when you're done.
2
Add citrus to the water. You can add sliced lemons or even a few sliced oranges or limes to the pot before you start boiling it. Just cut the citrus in half or quarters, and throw it in the pot as-is. Aim for 1-2 citrus fruits per 1 pound (0.45 kg) of crab.^{[9]
X
Research source}
- Make sure to wash the citrus thoroughly before throwing it in the pot.
3
Use crab boil or cajun seasoning. You can purchase crab or shrimp boil seasoning in the store. Then, just toss it in before you get the water boiling. This seasoning works especially well if you want to boil potatoes, corn, and sausage before throwing in the crab.^{[10]
X
Research source}
- Make your own crab boil seasoning with 8 bay leaves, 3 tablespoons (16 g) of coriander seeds, 4 tablespoons (22 g) of mustard seeds, 2 tablespoons (11 g), of whole allspice, 1 teaspoon (2 g) of whole cloves, 2 tablespoons (13 g) of dill seeds, and 1 tablespoon (5 g) of crushed red pepper flakes. Use the whole amount for 5 pounds (2.3 kg) of crabs or a combination of crabs and other food.
4
Throw in a couple of bay leaves and a handful of black peppercorns. Bay leaves are a fairly common spice for crab. Add 2-3 leaves before the water starts to boil. You can also throw in 10-20 whole peppercorns for a bit of added kick.^{[11]
X
Research source}
- You can add these in addition to other seasonings.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Purchasing and Thawing Crab Legs

1
Choose thick, meaty legs for easier access. You'll have a much easier time pulling the meat out with thicker legs. Plus, you'll get more meat per leg. Look for the thickest legs you can find.^{[12]
X
Research source}
- King crab has the thickest legs, but snow crab can be just as tasty.
- Aim for 0.5 to 1 pound (0.23 to 0.45 kg) per person.^{[13]
  X
  Research source}
2
Avoid legs that have a lot of ice crystals. If the legs are covered in ice crystals, that could mean they've been thawed and refrozen, which doesn't bode well for the flavor. Look for legs with few crystals that have a bright color.^{[14]
X
Research source}
- They also shouldn't smell freezer burned or fishy.
3
Place the legs in the freezer until you want to use them. If you're going to wait a couple of days or even a few weeks to use your crab legs, make sure to store them in the freezer. They'll go bad quickly in the fridge, usually within 2-3 days.^{[15]
X
Research source}
- Crab will last in the freezer up to 3 months. It will still be edible after that time, but the quality will begin to diminish.
4
Thaw legs overnight in the refrigerator. Crab legs generally come into the store frozen, and you're best bet for fresh legs is to purchase them that way. The easiest way to thaw them is to simply place them in the refrigerator overnight. Place them in a wide bowl to catch any thawed ice water.^{[16]
X
Research source}
- If you're pressed for time, place them in a colander with cold, running tap water. They should thaw in 5-10 minutes.

Community Q&A

Question

Can you reheat crab meat after it's been boiled?

Community Answer

Yes, but the texture will suffer if you let it dry out. Put it in a steamer basket above boiling water for about five minutes, until all the crab meat is hot. Alternatively, you could risk a couple minutes in the microwave, covered by a damp paper towel.
Question

How do you keep the legs warm after cooking?

Community Answer

Any hot container will work if you only need to keep them warm for a short time. If you have a ways to go, try microwaving a clean, damp towel until it's hot, and wrapping it around the crab legs. You can also set them in the oven on the lowest setting.
Question

What is the best crab leg butter?

Community Answer

Clarified butter. Melt regular butter in a pan, and skim off the foamy part that sits on top of the melted butter. You can also use ghee butter, which is already clarified when you purchase it.

Things You'll Need

Boiling the Crab in Plain, Salted Water

Pot
Tongs
Baking tray, optional

Adding Other Flavors

Knife
Small bowl

Purchasing and Thawing Crab Legs

Large bowl or colander

Warnings

Although thawed crab legs can stay in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days, it is best to boil them as soon as possible. Crab legs can go bad quickly, and you will want to enjoy them at their freshest.

⧼thumbs_response⧽
Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
Most crab legs purchased from the supermarket have already been precooked, and you are basically thawing and reheating them. However, if you have purchased crab legs that have not been cooked, boil them for 10 to 15 minutes instead of the suggested 4 to 5 minutes for precooked crab legs.

⧼thumbs_response⧽
Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0