Baked King Crab

4.49 from 382 votes
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Baked King Crab - King crab is everyone's favorite crustacean and this king crab recipe is baked with Sriracha lemon butter. The crab legs are so juicy, sweet, and perfect for the holidays and special occasions!

King Crab on a serving platter.
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King Crab

I love Alaska king crab, especially the meaty, sweet and juicy king crab legs.

With the holiday season coming up, it’s perfect time to head to your nearest Costco and load up pounds of red king crab for Thanksgiving recipes or Christmas holiday parties.

I have the best king crab recipe for you, baked with Sriracha lemon butter. It’s so crazy delicious and mouthwatering you want it every day!

King crab legs, baked with butter.

How To Cook King Crab

Red king crab.

It’s super easy to make crab legs at home. Most of them are sold as crab legs; they are all pre-cooked and frozen.

All you need is a simple recipe that enhances the natural flavors of the crab. Most people will boil or steam them, and served with melted butter.

To me, boiling or steaming is not the best way to cook king crab because it dilutes the natural, sweet and briny flavors of the crab.

Baking in the oven at high heat brings out mouthwatering aroma of the crab. It also roast the crab meat, remove the extra water content in the frozen crab.

A simple Sriracha lemon butter brings out the natural briny and sweet flavors of the crab meat, while enhancing the flavors. You can also add them to seafood boil. There are just endless possibilities!

King crab recipe with Sriracha lemon butter.

Cooking Tips For Alaskan King Crab

Alaska king crab legs with juicy meat.
  • Frozen crabs are always salty so avoid using salt while cooking, boiling, steaming or baking the crab legs.
  • Cut or chop the king crab legs into shorter pieces. This makes them easier to eat. The shorter segments are also great for dinner parties.
  • For the best oven baked flavors, use a pair of scissors to cut open the top part of the shell as pictured above. This will expose the crab meat for oven roasting. It also allows the butter to sip inside the crab legs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Snow crab vs. king crab

Both crabs are popular crustacean with sweet and delightful leg meat but there are distinct differences between the two species.
Snow crab is much smaller compared to king crab. Snow crab legs have a smooth and softer shell while the latter has a thicker and spiky shell.
You don’t really need a cracking tool to crack open the shells of snow crab as you can snap them open using your hands. Snow crab is also cheaper and less expensive.
Image Credit: Flying43 / Getty Images

How many calories per serving?

This recipe is only 388 calories per serving.

Close up picture of king crab, with sweet and tender crab meat inside the crab legs.

What To Serve With This Recipe

Serve this dish with steak for a homemade surf and turf. For a healthy meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.

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4.49 from 382 votes

Baked King Crab Recipe

Baked King Crab – King crab is everyone's favorite crustacean and this king crab recipe is baked with Sriracha lemon butter. The crab legs are so delicious!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 people
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Ingredients  

  • 2 lbs (1kg) king crab legs
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature and softened
  • 1 teaspoon Sriracha
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/2 tablespoon sugar
  • 3 dashes smoked paprika and more for dusting
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley and/or chives

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 400°F (207°C).
  • Cut the king crab legs into shorter segments using a pair of scissors. Cut the crab leg segments lengthwise to expose the crab meat. Alternatively, you can also cut the top part of the shell to expose the crab meat.
    King Crab
  • Arrange the king crab legs in a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes. Cover with aluminum foil to avoid drying out the crab.
  • In the meantime, make the Sriracha Lemon Butter by whipping the softened butter with a whisk. Add the Sriracha, lemon juice and sugar, whisk to combine well. Set aside.
    King Crab
  • As soon as the crab is out of the oven, spoon the butter over the crab meat. Dust with more smoked paprika and garnish with chopped parsley and/or chives. Serve immediately.
    King Crab

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 4people, Calories: 388kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 42g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Cholesterol: 156mg, Sodium: 1927mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Please rate and comment below!

About Bee Yinn Low

Bee is a recipe developer and best-selling cookbook author, sharing easy, quick, and delicious Asian and American recipes since 2006. With a strong following of almost 2 million fans online, her expertise has been featured in major publications, TV and radio programs, and live cooking demos throughout the United States and Asia.

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Recipe Rating





63 Comments

  1. Jc says:

    How in the world did you get the lemon juice to mix in harmony with the room temp butter??

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Use a whisk, as indicated in the recipe.

  2. Marjorie Merchant says:

    Are these cooked frozen???

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      No, do not cook frozen or the texture of the king crab will not be good.

  3. Kelsi says:

    I made this recipe for dinner and served it over garlic, buttered linguine, garlic bread and a side salad! My family and I were living our best life. Thanks so much for the recipe! Itโ€™s truly a treat!

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Hi Kelsi, wow, I want your dinner. It sounds like the best life, you’re right. Yum. Buttered linguine sounds like a dream, with garlic bread!! Please try more recipes on my site: https://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-index-gallery/

  4. SIOUX says:

    JUST FOUND YOUR WEB SITE AND THESE KING CRAB LEGS LOOK AMAZING AND I AM SALVATING ALREADY. WE’RE BIG SEAFOOD EATERS, BUT LIVE IN A SMALLER COMMUNITY, SO OFF TO LAS VEGAS TO THE SUPERMARKET FOR FRESH SEAFOOD. THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS RECEIPE, AND CAN’T WAIT FOR MORE TO COME. WE WILL LET YOU IN ON OUR MEAL AS SOON AS WE CAN, ALONG WITH A RATING.

      1. Janese says:

        Do you let the king crabs thaw before putting in oven??

        1. Rasa Malaysia says:

          Yes!

    1. Shameka says:

      Can you use any type of crablegs?

      1. Rasa Malaysia says:

        You can use snow crab legs.

  5. Bobi says:

    I noticed your Garlic Lemon Butter crab only bakes for 5 minutes. Why is there such a difference in baking times 20 min @ 400 vs 5 min @ 375?

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Hi Bobi, for this baked king crab recipe, I am baking longer to get the crab shell toasted and hence with amazing aroma. For Garlic Lemon Butter Crab, it was meant to just heat up the crab. You can bake for 5 minutes if you don’t want the aroma of the crab shells.

  6. Judy says:

    What do you use to slice open the crab leg once you have it cut in small lengths?

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Scissors.

  7. Shelley says:

    Looks delicious. Can these be served on a cold tray? Also do you have to defrost before baking?

    Thanks

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Hi Shelley, I won’t serve them on cold tray because they are great when hot off the oven. If the crab legs are frozen then yes you have to defrost.

  8. Linda says:

    I’m a little confused as to whether the crab is pre-cooked or not. Are you baking cooked or raw crab?

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      The crab legs in the United States are all pre-cooked.

    2. Melissa says:

      How can you defrost before cooking if you I do not have time do it overnight in fridge? P

  9. Khairil Azhan says:

    5 stars
    the photos are actually very tempting and look so delicious. I’m actually staring at the photos and not the recipe :)

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Hi Khairil, yes please do try the recipes, they are very very good.

  10. Lynn says:

    Yum. This sounds delicious. I’ve been looking for something a bit different for a Christmas lunch appetiser. Looks like I’ve found it. And of course I’ll need to trial it first hahahaha.

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Hi Lynn, sounds good, always good to have a trial, especially if it involves king crab. ;)