How to Cook King Crab Legs

King crab legs are a dramatic addition to a festive meal, and fun to eat. Who doesn’t love a dish that requires tools to get at it? All those spiny legs are impressive, but they are deceptively easy and quick to prepare. Most king crab legs are pre-cooked, so the trick is to get them piping hot without overcooking them. Start by thawing frozen king crab legs in the refrigerator overnight and heat them by one of these methods:

Steam the crab legs by placing them on a rack over boiling water in a large pot or Dutch oven. Bring back to a boil, cover the pot and cook 5-10 minutes.

Boil water in a large saucepan or Dutch oven, add the thawed legs and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 6-8 minutes.

Bake crab legs in a 350°F oven. Place legs in a large shallow baking pan filled with 1-2 inches of boiling water. Cover and bake for 10 minutes or until heated through.

Grill king crab legs by brushing them lightly with cooking oil and placing them on a medium grill for about 5 minutes on each side.

Whichever method you choose, keep an eye on them to avoid overcooking. Serve king crab legs with clarified butter – melt butter in a saucepan on low heat until bubbly and the milk solids have separated. Strain the butter through a strainer lined with several layers of cheesecloth, discard the milk solids and serve the clear yellow part while hot.