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Boiled Crab Legs

Prep 15 min
Total 15 min
Servings 4

You may have always passed by the display of frozen crab legs in your grocer's freezer section. Does that just seem like too much work? Don't be put off by their upscale reputation--boiling crab legs is quick and easy, allowing you to serve up a quick seafood dinner in just 15 quick minutes.

By Paula Jones

Updated Jun 14, 2019

Ingredients

2 tablespoons seafood seasoning
1 tablespoon salt
4 lb frozen king crab legs, thawed
Melted butter, if desired

Steps

1

Fill large stockpot or Dutch oven half full with water; add seafood seasoning and salt. Heat to boiling.
2

Add crab legs. Cook 3 to 5 minutes or just until heated. Remove with tongs to serving platter. Serve warm with melted butter.

Tips from the Betty Crocker Kitchens

tip 1
Don't crowd the stockpot; cook the crab legs in batches.
tip 2
Frozen crab legs are often precooked, so you're just reheating them in the boiling water. If that's the case be careful not to overcook them, as the meat will toughen and lose its delicate flavor.
tip 3
Plan on 1 pound of crab legs per person. If you're entertaining, this recipe can easily be doubled or even tripled.
tip 4
Add some finely chopped garlic to the melted butter for additional flavor.

Nutrition

170 Calories, 1 1/2g Total Fat, 39g Protein, 0g Total Carbohydrate, 0g Sugars

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving

Calories: 170

Calories from Fat: 15

Total Fat: 1 1/2g; 2%

Saturated Fat: 0g; 0%

Trans Fat: 0g

Cholesterol: 210mg; 70%

Sodium: 1580mg; 66%

Potassium: 560mg; 16%

Total Carbohydrate: 0g; 0%

Dietary Fiber: 0g; 0%

Sugars: 0g

Protein: 39g

Vitamin A: 0%; 0%

Vitamin C: 6%; 6%

Calcium: 20%; 20%

Iron: 6%; 6%

Exchanges:

0 Starch; 0 Fruit; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 5 1/2 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 0 Fat;

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

More About This Recipe

If you've been wondering how to cook frozen crab legs, you may be surprised to learn that it's easy to do. As with so many other things with cooking, timing is everything. But the good news is that it's a very quick process. Since frozen crab legs are typically precooked, you're simply reheating them in the boiling water. How long to boil crab legs? Just three to five minutes should do it. Be careful not to overcook them, as they will lose their delicate flavor. Once you've mastered how long to cook crab legs, you may want to try different types of seasoning for your boiling water. Some leading brands are Old Bay™ Seasoning or ZATARAIN'S® Crab Boil Seasoning. They contain a mix of herbs and spices can include allspice, bay leaf powder, cayenne pepper, celery salt, dill seed, dry mustard, ginger, nutmeg, paprika and pepper. Find more time-tested recipes in Betty's best fish and seafood recipe collection.