Crab legs, no matter how you cook them are a simple and delicious treat for the entire family.
My experience has shown that steaming crab legs is the best way to keep the meat from getting too rubbery and hard to pull out of the shell.
Before I bought the Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker, I steamed my crab legs on the stove.
Blue crab meat is very different from Alaskan King Crab meat, and it’s much easier to get the meat out of these crabs. When cooked right, the meat on both types of crabs is soft and sweet, and it comes right out of the shells in big chunks. I prefer them over lobster!.
There are recipes that say to add all sorts of things to the steaming liquid, and you can do that. But I like it best when I just taste the crab. For this recipe, all you need are crab legs, water, and plenty of clarified butter to dip them in!
With the Ninja Foodi’s pressure cook feature and small canning jars, I make my clarified butter right in the machine. It works great!.
It’s easier to find, cheaper, and easier to eat Snow Crab Legs than Alaskan King Crab Legs, so I use them in this recipe. I also like them better. However, you can absolutely substitute the snow crab legs with Alaskan King Crab Legs or Dungeness crab legs.
I do not thaw my snow crab legs before steaming, but you can if you want to. The crab legs should be put in the fridge to thaw. If you are using the Ninja Foodi, the steam time should be cut down to 2 minutes. If you are steaming on the stove, the time should be cut down to about 5 minutes. While we buy crab legs at the store, they are already fully cooked. The steaming process is meant to thaw and warm them up so they are hot when we eat them.
The Alaskan King Crab Legs are much bigger, so I would add a minute or two to the steam time.
I steam my crab legs with just water because the flavors of the snow crab legs are so good on their own that I don’t think anything else is needed. A flavored liquid doesn’t seem to go into the crab meat either, so I don’t think it’s necessary. But a lot of people don’t agree with me. They like to add things to the broth or cooking liquid to make it taste better.
Melted or clarified butter is my favorite because it goes so well with the sweet, salty taste of snow crab. I also usually serve some lemon wedges on the side.
Adding roasted or sautéed garlic cloves to melted butter is how you make the garlic butter sauce, which I’m sure tastes great. Try the Cajun Butter Sauce I make for my Cajun Shrimp Boil if you want a different taste.
Also, I wouldn’t put tarter sauce on crab legs, but I love it on fried fish and chips.
Crab legs are a delicious treat that can easily be prepared at home by steaming. However, nailing the steaming time is key to achieving tender juicy meat encased in a perfectly cracked shell. Steam crab legs too little and the meat stays cold and chewy. Steam them too long and they become rubbery and dry.
So how long should you steam crab legs to get restaurant-quality results? In this comprehensive guide, I’ll cover everything you need to know about steaming times for crab legs, including how to adjust for frozen vs thawed, as well as tips for ensuring crab legs come out perfect.
Factors That Affect Crab Leg Steaming Time
Several key factors impact how long crab legs need to steam
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Type of crab – King crab legs are thicker than snow crab legs, so king crab takes longer.
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Size of legs – Larger, meatier legs need more time than smaller legs.
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Frozen vs thawed – Thawed legs steam faster than frozen ones.
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Elevation – Water boils at lower temperatures at higher elevations, slowing steaming.
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Steamer basket vs colander – Steamer baskets allow better steam circulation than colanders.
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Steaming method – Using a lid locks in more steam than leaving it off.
Taking these factors into account allows you to tailor steaming times specifically to the type and state of your crab legs.
Steaming Times for Thawed Crab Legs
For thawed king crab and snow crab legs, use these steaming times:
- King crab legs – 4 to 6 minutes
- Snow crab legs – 3 to 5 minutes
Check for doneness early, as times depend on size. Crab legs are done when hot throughout and shells are bright reddish-orange.
Tips for thawed crab legs:
- Pat legs dry before steaming to reduce steaming time.
- Cut legs in half lengthwise to reduce time needed to heat through.
- Add lemon, Old Bay, or other seasonings to the steaming liquid for flavor.
Steaming Times for Frozen Crab Legs
Frozen crab legs take longer to steam since they must thaw and heat through. Follow these rough guidelines:
- King crab legs – 5 to 8 minutes
- Snow crab legs – 4 to 7 minutes
You’ll need to check frozen crab legs early and often for doneness. Look for thawed, plump, and heated through meat. Shells should turn pinkish-red.
Tips for frozen crab legs:
- Leave frozen until steaming for more even heating.
- Add 1-2 minutes to times if not using a tight-fitting lid.
- Portion any extremely large legs in half prior to steaming.
- Sprinkle with lemon juice or spices after steaming.
How to Tell When Crab Legs Are Done
Rely on these cues to identify when your crab legs are perfectly steamed:
- Meat looks opaque and whitish, not translucent.
- Flesh feels hot when cracked open.
- Leg segments separate easily when gently pulled apart.
- Shells turn bright reddish-orange.
- Aroma is pleasant, not fishy.
If legs seem underdone, quickly re-steam for 1-2 minutes more. Remove immediately if meat seems overly firm or dry.
Preventing Common Crab Leg Steaming Mistakes
It takes some trial and error to master steaming crab legs. Avoid these common mistakes:
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Overcrowding – Crab needs room to steam evenly. Use a large enough basket or pot.
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Insufficient steaming – Legs require sufficient time to heat through. Thawed legs need at least 4 minutes, frozen at least 6 minutes.
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Uneven steaming – Place legs in a single layer in the basket so steam reaches all areas.
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Boiling not steaming – Boiling makes meat dry while steaming keeps it moist. Always steam crab legs.
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Poking meat while hot – This releases juices and causes meat to dry out. Let legs cool slightly before breaking open.
Steaming Crab Legs to Perfection
Follow these best practices when steaming crab legs:
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Select a large pot and steamer basket or colander.
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Fill pot with 1-2 inches of water. Season it with Old Bay, lemon, etc. if desired.
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Bring water to a vigorous boil.
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Place thawed legs in a single layer in the basket. Frozen? Keep legs frozen until steaming.
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Steam king crab legs for 5-6 minutes or snow crab legs for 4-5 minutes.
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Check frequently and remove legs as soon as done to prevent overcooking.
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Let cool briefly before serving with melted butter, lemon wedges, and crackers or bread.
With the proper steaming times and proper technique, you can enjoy tender, juicy, restaurant-quality crab legs cooked right in your own kitchen.
Frequency of Entities:
how long do you steam crab legs – 24
crab legs – 82
king crab legs – 12
snow crab legs – 12
steam crab legs – 16
steam legs – 15
Steaming the Snow Crab Legs
Place the lid on the Ninja Foodi. If you have a two-lid model, make sure the valve is in the VENT position and use the pressure lid.
One-lid models use the same lid for all functions, so the position of the valve doesn’t matter. This is because the vents are in the lid. The slider should be all the way to the right for steaming. Steaming is different from SteamCrisp, so make sure you choose the correct function for the best results.
There isnt a temperature control when steaming so just set your time to 5 minutes and hit start.
Quick Tip
For those who don’t have a Ninja Foodi, check to see if your Instant Pot lets steam escape during that function. Some seal and some let the steam out. If yours seals, then decrease the steam time to 3 minutes.
It will take about 8 minutes for the water to boil and create steam. During this time you will see the display showing the preheat mode. Once the steam has started to build, the display will start the countdown timer.
When the time is up, you can open the lid. This is dangerous, so open the lid away from you. The pot will be very steamy inside.
Quick Tip
If you have a two-lid model, the lid might stay locked after the steam time is up, even if the valve is set to VENT. Wait one to two minutes, and when the pin falls, you can open the lid. This won’t hurt anything.
How to Eat Snow Crab Legs
One of my favorite things about snow crab legs is that the shells are easy to break with just your hands.
Sometimes I will use two butter knives for the claw if they are a bit stubborn. On one crab claw leg, place the butter knife blade-side down. On the other leg, use the butter knife as a mallet to hit the top of the blade to break the shell.
The longer legs are super easy to crack open and they are my favorite to eat!
First pull off one of the crab legs to separate it from the body of the crab. When cooked perfectly, you will see a bit of crab meat on the end. Dip that into butter and eat it!.
Next, break the leg where the knuckle is; this is where the crab leg bends. Pull the legs apart from each other. This side’s cartilage will be pulled out, and this side’s longer side is ready to break in half.
The crab meat usually comes out in one big chunk when you break the long side. Dip that in butter and enjoy!.
Here is a quick video showing me breaking open the crab leg.
Dont forget to break open that shorter piece, there is meat inside there as well.
Also, you can eat the meat inside the crab’s body, though it can taste a little too salty at times.
The Snow Crab legs we purchase in US grocery stores are always fully cooked. All they need is to be heated all the way through. Since they usually come frozen, steaming them is a great way to thaw and heat them at the same time.
You can thaw and heat them through with pressure cooking, but I like steaming them better because it’s more gentle. If you’d rather pressure cook them than steam them, put 1 cup of water in the pot and the crab legs on the rack inside it. Pressure cook for 1 minute and immediately release the pressure.
There isn’t much chance of having leftover snow crab legs because they are so tasty, but if you do, here are some tips on how to store them. If the crab legs have been at room temperature for over 2 hours, throw them out. If not, then refrigerate the crab legs up to 2 days in an airtight container. Taking all the meat out of the crab shells and adding some melted butter is the best way to freeze it for longer storage. Place into freezer containers and freeze for up to 6 months. *This is only safe if the crab clusters haven’t been out of the fridge for more than an hour.
How long do you steam crab legs per pound?
FAQ
How do you know when steamed crab is done?
Can you over steam crab legs?
Do you rinse crab legs after boiling?
How long can you keep frozen snow crab legs?
How long do you cook crab legs in a steamer?
Once the crab legs are in place, cover the pot or steamer, and heat the water until it reaches boiling. The steam will cook the crab legs, usually taking around 5-10 minutes, depending on their size. Monitor the steaming process, and use tongs to remove the crab legs once they’re heated through and have a bright orange or red color.
How long does it take to cook crab legs?
Crab legs are cooked and flash frozen right off the boat. It takes about five minutes to boil or steam the crab legs and two to six minutes to broil them, depending on the type of crab leg. The crab legs must be thawed and reheated before serving. How Do You Serve Crab Legs?
What is steaming crab legs?
Steaming crab legs is a simple yet delicious culinary endeavor, perfect for seafood lovers looking to enjoy a restaurant-quality dish at home. This method of cooking showcases the natural sweetness and tenderness of the meat, without overwhelming the delicate flavor with heavy sauces or spices.
Can you cook frozen crab legs before steaming?
Before steaming crab legs, it’s essential to choose between fresh or frozen crab legs. Frozen crab legs are more widely available and can be easily defrosted. To defrost frozen crab legs, place them in the refrigerator for 8-12 hours, allowing them to reach a safe temperature before cooking.