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Cooked snow crab legs with lemon on a wooden board

Boiled Snow Crab Legs with Garlic Butter

Tender snow crab leg clusters reheated in Old Bay, lemon and garlic water, served with a warm garlic butter sauce for dipping.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 pounds snow crab leg clusters thawed
  • 2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning or Cajun seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 lemon halved
  • 4 garlic cloves smashed
  • Water for the pot
For the Garlic Butter:
  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
  • Pinch of salt

Method
 

  1. Fill a large pot about two-thirds full with water.
  2. Add the Old Bay, salt, lemon halves and smashed garlic.
  3. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat.
  4. Add the thawed crab clusters (they are pre-cooked, so you are reheating).
  5. Boil 5 to 7 minutes, until steaming hot and fragrant.
  6. Meanwhile, melt the butter, cook the garlic 1 to 2 minutes, then stir in lemon juice, parsley and salt.
  7. Drain the crab clusters well.
  8. Serve on a platter with lemon wedges, warm garlic butter, crackers and nutcrackers, cracking shells over the platter to catch the juices.

Notes

Snow crab is sold pre-cooked, so boil just until heated through to keep the meat tender.
Thaw clusters in the fridge before boiling for the most even results.
Swap Cajun seasoning for Old Bay if you like more heat.
Picked leftover crab meat keeps 2 days in the fridge and is great in salads or crab melts.