Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Prep and portion
- Rinse the crab legs under cold water and pat dry with a clean towel so the butter clings evenly. If frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Using kitchen shears, cut along the underside of each crab leg shell to make cracking easier later. Keep cuts shallow so you don’t pierce the meat.
Make garlic butter
- Melt unsalted butter in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat until fully liquid. Keep it at a steady simmer so it doesn’t separate.
- Add fresh garlic cloves (minced) and cook for 1–2 minutes until fragrant and just turning golden—do not brown. Scrape the pan so the garlic toasts without burning.
- Stir in lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and Old Bay seasoning until combined and speckled. Taste and season lightly with kosher salt if needed.
Warm and serve
- Add the crab legs to the pan and toss to coat, or brush the garlic butter generously over each leg. Make sure butter gets into the cut seams of the shells.
- Cover and steam/heat for 5–7 minutes until warmed through and glistening. Look for a hot, steamy surface and meat that flakes easily.
- Transfer to a serving platter, pour remaining garlic butter over the top, and finish with fresh parsley and lemon wedges. Serve immediately with extra lemon if you like more brightness.
Notes
For best flavor, don’t brown the garlic—stop at fragrant and just turning golden to avoid bitterness. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 2 days; rewarm gently so the meat stays tender (avoid long boiling). Freezing is not recommended for cooked crab legs, but you can thaw raw legs in the fridge overnight and cook the same day. If you want a lower-sodium version, use a reduced-salt seasoning instead of Old Bay and keep the added kosher salt light.