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Snow Crab - broiled snow crab is the best way of cooking snow crab legs, so sweet, briny and delicious. This easy recipe takes only 5 mins and perfect for holidays and special occasions!
Snow Crab Legs
Crab is one of my favorite crustaceans, other than fresh water prawn. I love all kinds of crab: Dungeness crab, blue crab, and snow crab. When it comes to crab legs, snow crab legs reign supreme in my honest opinion. They are sweet, briny and absolutely delicious!
In the United States, they are sold in clusters. Each cluster contains half of the crab with its body and five legs attached. These cluster is a favorite add-on to the ever popular New Orleans seafood boil.
How To Cook Snow Crab Legs
Just like king crab, snow crab are pre-cooked and frozen as soon as they are caught on the boat.
As a result, there is no need to cook. You just have to reheat frozen crab.
First of all, thaw the crab at room temperature. Next, you can bake, broil, steam or boil them before serving.
Remember not to over cook the crab or else you will lose the sweet briny flavors.
Broiled Snow Crab
This is the best recipe as broiling lends an intense and mouthwatering aroma to the crab.
The recipe is very easy and calls for only two ingredients:
- Unsalted butter
- Lemon.
Broil the crab in the oven for 5 minutes is the best and quickest way to make the crab.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
Buying Guide And Tips
I eat a lot of crab and have become an expert in buying and picking the freshest crab in the market. Here are my shopping tips:
- The shell on the crab legs should be orange-red color if they are fresh. It should be glossy looking without any black dots or marks. If the shell is pale orange in color with black dots, they are stale and the crab meat will be nasty in taste.
- Buy frozen crab in the freezer. They are the freshest. Avoid buying crab legs that have been laid out or on display in the seafood department.
- Fresh crab has a pleasant and salty smell that reminds you of the ocean. If the crab smells funky with an odor, do not buy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Snow crab legs are sweeter with a briny fresh taste. The leg meat has a fibrous texture. Personally I think king crab has a more subtle taste, slightly less sweet with a firmer texture akin to a lobster.
It is pretty expensive, starting at $17.95 to $21.95 per pound, depending on the season. It’s cheaper compared to king crab, which can run up to over $30 per pound. However, you can get both crustaceans at a cheaper price when they are on sale, or during their peak seasons.
It’s very easy to pick the crab meat. The shell are thinner and can be snapped open by breaking them with your fingers. You don’t need a crab cracker to devour the meat. The body cluster is also filled with crab meat and can be easily picked out by fingers. Much like eating crawfish boil, be prepared to get your hands dirty. However, you can always opt for a pair of disposable gloves to keep things going!
This recipe is only 196 calories per serving.
What To Serve With This Recipe
Serve this dish with other seafood recipes. For a festive seafood meal for the holidays, I recommend the following recipes.
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
Other Recipes You Might Like
Snow Crab Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb. (500g) snow crab legs
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
- Preheat the oven and set it to the Broil function. Brush the melted butter onto the snow crab.
- Broil for 5 minutes or until the shells are lightly toasted.
- Remove from the oven and serve the crab legs with the remaining melted butter and lemon wedges.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If using frozen snow crabs, does the broiling time change? or do the crab need to be defrosted first?
Yeah it’s best to defrost.
This is a great guide. I was looking for a snow crab preparation but ended up learning a lot about the crab, how much to pay, etc! Really lovely writing and a delicious recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Easy & delicious!
Thanks Theresa for trying my snow crab recipe.
We just had snow crab and I steamed them, can’t wait to try and broil them, sounds so easy and so good, Thanks.
Broiling is much better than steaming, please try this snow crab recipe.
have any recipe contest are there
Hi madam,
This is shannu. how to send recipes madam. please help me.
thank you
Hi Shannu, you can send my recipe by sending the link of this post: https://rasamalaysia.com/snow-crab/
How would these go making Singapore Chili Crab?
You can but not great.