Steamed Snow Crab Legs
Streamline your next seafood feast with this simple yet luxurious recipe for Steamed Snow Crab Legs. Bursting with delicate, ocean-fresh flavor, these sweet crab legs are elevated by steaming them over a fragrant mixture of lemon, garlic, and a hint of salt. With just 10 minutes of prep and a quick 6-8 minutes of cook time, this dish is a breeze to make, whether you're entertaining or treating yourself to a midweek indulgence. Serve these tender crab legs hot with a rich, buttery dipping sauce infused with optional seafood seasoning for an extra hint of spice. Perfect for seafood lovers, this recipe delivers restaurant-quality results right at home.
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Recipe Information
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Snow crab legs
- 2 cups Water
- 1 whole Lemon
- 2 whole Garlic cloves
- 4 tablespoons Unsalted butter
- 0.5 teaspoons Salt
- 1 teaspoon Optional: Seafood seasoning (such as Old Bay)
Instructions
Rinse the snow crab legs under cool water to remove any grit or ice crystals. Pat them dry with a paper towel and set aside.
Add 2 cups of water to a large pot with a steamer insert or a steaming rack. If you do not have a steamer, use a heat-safe colander inside the pot.
Slice the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the water. Drop the squeezed lemon halves into the pot for extra flavor. Add the garlic cloves and 0.5 teaspoons of salt to the water.
Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and place the snow crab legs onto the steamer insert or rack. Ensure they are not submerged in the water.
Cover the pot tightly with a lid and steam the crab legs for 6-8 minutes, or until they are heated through and emit a mild, sweet aroma. If you are using frozen crab legs, steam them for 8 minutes. For thawed crab legs, steam for 6 minutes.
While the crab legs are steaming, melt 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a small saucepan over low heat. If desired, stir in 1 teaspoon of seafood seasoning to the melted butter for added flavor.
Once the crab legs are done steaming, carefully remove them with long tongs and transfer to a serving platter. Serve hot with the melted butter and lemon wedges on the side.
To eat, break the shells using a crab cracker or kitchen shears, and enjoy the tender crab meat dipped in the butter sauce.
Nutrition Facts
Calories |
1316 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
% Daily Value* |
|||
| Total Fat | 62.1 g | 80% | |
| Saturated Fat | 29.8 g | 149% | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.1 g | ||
| Cholesterol | 605 mg | 202% | |
| Sodium | 6631 mg | 288% | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 7.8 g | 3% | |
| Dietary Fiber | 1.9 g | 7% | |
| Total Sugars | 1.4 g | ||
| Protein | 177.0 g | 354% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.0 mcg | 0% | |
| Calcium | 587 mg | 45% | |
| Iron | 5.1 mg | 28% | |
| Potassium | 2687 mg | 57% | |
*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
