Few seafood recipes are as easy to make and taste as good as steamed Dungeness crab legs when it comes to the best seafood dishes.
Dungeness crab is to the West Coast what Blue crab is to the East Coast. A meaty, succulent crab that begs to be enjoyed in the messiest of ways. By steaming and serving Dungeness crab legs, you bring out the best flavors in a dish that is both simple and fancy.
Dungeness crab is a delicacy enjoyed by seafood lovers across the West Coast. With its sweet succulent meat and iconic red shell Dungeness crab is a treasured ingredient in many dishes. However, to enjoy this crab at its best, it’s important to know how long to steam the legs for perfectly cooked meat.
The Dungeness crab is named after a small fishing village in Washington and is found in the cold Pacific waters ranging from Alaska down to California. Compared to other crabs like King crab or Snow crab Dungeness crabs are smaller in size but pack a big punch when it comes to flavor.
Dungeness crab season runs from November to June, which is when they are at their prime. During this time, you can often find whole Dungeness crabs or clusters of legs at local fish markets or Costco. If you don’t live on the West Coast, many online seafood retailers sell fresh Dungeness crab overnight.
When buying Dungeness crab, look for bright red shells and opaque, white meat visible through the leg joints. The crab should have a mild, slightly sweet ocean scent. Avoid any crabs with discoloration or off-putting odors.
Why Steam Dungeness Crab Legs?
Steaming is one of the best, easiest cooking methods to highlight the natural sweetness of Dungeness crab meat. It preserves moisture and allows the delicate crab flavor to shine through.
Other popular cooking methods like boiling, grilling, or broiling all have their merits. But a quick steam is unparalleled when you want tender, juicy meat infused with briny essence.
After steaming, Dungeness crab also holds up wonderfully in other recipes. The cooked meat is perfect for salads, dip, crab cakes, pasta dishes, and more.
How Long to Steam Frozen Dungeness Crab Legs
If cooking frozen Dungeness crab legs, the steaming time should be:
- Smaller legs or pieces: 6 to 8 minutes
- Large leg clusters with shoulders: 10 to 12 minutes
First, rinse off any ice glaze from the frozen crab under cold water. Place the frozen crab legs in a steamer basket set over about an inch of boiling water.
Cover and let steam for 6 to 12 minutes depending on size. Check for doneness by looking for opaque, white meat and shells turning orange-red. Adjust steam time as needed based on thickness.
How Long to Steam Thawed Dungeness Crab Legs
For thawed Dungeness crab legs, the steaming time is shorter:
- Smaller legs or pieces: 4 to 5 minutes
- Large leg clusters with shoulders: 8 to 10 minutes
Letting frozen crab legs thaw overnight in the fridge or a cooler of ice water allows for more even cooking.
Place thawed legs in a steamer basket over boiling water. Cover and steam for 4 to 10 minutes until hot throughout and shells are brightly colored.
How to Tell When Dungeness Crab Legs Are Done
Here are some tips for checking doneness when steaming Dungeness crab:
- Shells turn bright reddish-orange when fully cooked.
- Meat near leg joints will look opaque white when done.
- Larger pieces may need extra time to cook through fully. Check meat near the body/shoulder last.
- Meat should be hot and flaky but still moist and tender when properly steamed.
- Avoid overcooking which causes meat to take on a soft, mushy texture.
Use a meat thermometer to double-check doneness. Dungeness crab is perfectly cooked between 140°F to 180°F.
Serving Your Steamed Dungeness Crab Legs
Once cooked, transfer the hot crab legs to a platter and brush with melted butter. Garnish with lemon wedges and fresh parsley or dill.
Use crab crackers to split open the shell and access the sweet meat inside. Serve with melted butter, lemon aioli, or tangy cocktail sauce for dipping.
Accompany your Dungeness crab with corn on the cob, smoked salmon, grilled asparagus, or roasted potatoes for a full seafood feast.
Storing Leftover Crab Meat
It’s easy to get carried away cracking and picking out all the luscious crab meat. Follow these storage tips for enjoying leftovers:
- Refrigerate picked crab meat in an airtight container up to 4 days.
- Place ice packs on top of the covered crab meat to keep extra cold.
- Use in crab cakes, omelets, salad, sandwiches, pasta, or stir fries.
- For longer storage, freeze leftover crab meat for 2-3 months.
More Delicious Ways to Enjoy Dungeness Crab
While steaming is a quick and easy preparation, there are so many tasty ways to cook Dungeness crab:
- Grilled Dungeness Crab – Brush legs with olive oil and grill until charred.
- Baked Dungeness Crab – Roast crab legs at 400°F brushed with garlic-herb butter.
- Sautéed Crab – Cook crab meat with veggies like zucchini and bell peppers.
- Crab Boil – Boil Dungeness crab in seasoned water with potatoes and corn.
- Cioppino or Seafood Stew – Simmer crab in tomato-based stew with fish and clams.
- Crab Cakes – Bind lump crab meat with breadcrumbs and mayo, then pan-fry.
- Crab Dip – Fold crab meat into a cheesy, creamy dip served with crackers or veggies.
With so many possibilities, Dungeness crab is a versatile ingredient to add decadent flavor to all types of dishes. Follow these steaming times as a guide for maximizing the sweetness in every bite of this Pacific Northwest specialty.
Girl carnivore Expert Recipe tips
- If you’re looking for good products but aren’t on the West Coast, you can buy Dungeness crab legs online. Check out our ‘Where To Buy Meat Online’ guide!.
- Make sure the legs are completely thawed before cooking.
- When you get crab legs, they will already be cooked unless they are just off the boat. All you have to do is heat them up to enjoy them. In this case, we’re steaming the claws with extra spices, like the bay leaves I use in my regular steamed blue crabs, and serving them with melted butter.
What are Dungeness Crabs
The icy waters of the Pacific Ocean in North America, from Alaska to California, are home to these tasty crustaceans. They are prized for their sweet and tender meat. Just like with rich Stone crab claws from Florida, these crab legs are best when in season. Whole Dungeness crabs are smaller than King or snow crabs and are caught from late November to June. They are a great choice for seafood lovers.
When they are in season, you can find whole Dungeness crab or groups of crab legs at your local Costco or fish market. If you’re native to the Pacific Northwest, you may even find them at your local grocery store. Or, if you’re not on the West Coast, you can order them online. Just make sure someone is home to put the package on ice or in the fridge right away, because seafood should never be left out.
Look for red shells and white meat in the body of the cluster. There should be a sweet, mild oceanic smell. Don’t buy any legs with black or darkened color on the meat or off-putting smells.
Dungeness crabs have more meat and a sweet, rich flavor that goes well with a lot of different foods. They are great for making cioppino, crab bisque, crab cakes, and even a delicious crab imperial on top of a juicy steak. We love these Dungeness crab leg clusters in the simplest recipes, like steamed and served with a little butter, because they taste so good that way. It’s the best way to really taste the delicate flavor.
- Dungeness crab leg clusters
- Old Bay – or you’re favorite seafood spice blend. But let’s be real; Old Bay is pretty good.
- Butter—we usually only use unsalted butter when we cook, but on this one occasion, we love dipping the sweet crab meat into melted salted butter. Toss in some garlic confit for garlic butter sauce.
- You can add fresh lemon wedges and herbs like minced parsley and chives.
How to steam Dungeness crab legs
FAQ
How long do you steam Dungeness crabs for?
How long does it take to steam crab legs?
Is it better to steam or boil Dungeness crab?
How long do you boil Dungeness crab legs for?
How do you cook crab legs in a steamer?
To cook crab legs in a steamer, first, arrange the basket in a pot large enough to hold the crab legs and a tight-fitting lid, and fill it with an inch or two of water. Bring the water to a boil, then place the crab legs in the steamer basket. Season or salt the water (see note below).
How do you cook a dungeness crab?
1. Set a steamer basket into a pot large enough to accommodate your Dungeness crab legs and claws, filling the bottom of the pot with an inch of water. 2. Bring it to a boil and add the crab to steamer basket.
How do you steam Dungeness crab?
To steam the Dungeness crab clusters, you will need water, dry white wine, sliced lemon, and fresh herbs. For the herbs, I used parsley, thyme, and rosemary. Heat a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic butter sauce ingredients and frequently stir or swirl the pan.
How long do you steam frozen crab?
Add crab to basket and cover with lid. Continue to steam over medium heat for 5 minutes if using defrosted crab; 10 minutes if using frozen crab. 2. If NOT using a steamer basket: Fill a wide pot or pan with about ¼ inch of water and add a few lemon slices.