No secret here: crab legs can be tough to eat. That’s why it’s worth the time to learn how to crack them so you can get to the tasty meat without any shell pieces. If you’re going to eat a whole crab, you should also learn how to get the rich brown meat that’s inside the crab’s cartilaginous channels.
These steps will show you how to get your crab legs ready, how to crack them without tools, and the right way to eat them.
King crab is one of the most prized seafood delicacies due to its sweet, rich flavor and tender meat. While king crab may look intimidating with its large size and spiky legs, it’s actually quite simple to eat once you know how. In this ultimate guide, I’ll walk you through the entire process of eating king crab, from picking the perfect crab, to cracking the legs and claws, to getting every last bit of delicious meat out of this royal treat from the sea.
Choosing Your King Crab
The first step is selecting a fresh king crab that will yield the most meat. Here are a few tips:
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Go for crab with a shell that looks clean not slimy or gritty. This indicates freshness.
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Pick crab that is cold and firm to the touch not soft or warm.
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Heavier crab is ideal as the weight comes from the meat. Lighter crab will have less meat.
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Legs should be intact, not broken or missing.
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Opt for male crab versus female. Males will have broader “shoulders” on the carapace (top shell) whereas females have a rounder carapace.
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Choose live crab or raw crab legs versus pre-cooked. You’ll get more flavor and tender meat from raw.
Once you’ve selected your fresh king crab, it’s time to start cracking and feasting!
Tools for Cracking King Crab Legs and Claws
Having the right tools will make eating king crab much easier
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Mallet or small hammer – Essential for cracking open the hard shell. A meat tenderizer hammer works great.
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Cracking utensils – Crab crackers, pliers, or nut crackers are ideal for breaking into the legs and claws.
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Seafood fork – The two-pronged fork helps to pull meat out of narrow openings.
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Small knife or kitchen shears – Useful for cutting crab shells or sections of shell to expose meat.
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Crackers or bread – Have some crackers or bread on hand to dip into king crab butter or juice.
Cracking and Eating the Legs
The legs contain a good portion of meat. Here’s how to crack them open:
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Using a mallet or hammer, lightly tap the leg segment near the joint to crack the shell.
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Twist and break open the shell. There may be a cartilage-like membrane covering the meat; just remove it.
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Use a seafood fork, cocktail fork or your fingers to pull out leg meat in whole pieces when possible.
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For narrow openings, use the fork to get remaining meat out. Dip in butter for added flavor.
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Crack the leg segment closest to the body last since it contains the most meat.
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Don’t forget the small pointed tip segment. Crack the shell and nibble the tender meat right off.
Tackling the Claws
The claws contain the prized king crab meat. Follow these steps for delicious claw meat:
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Use a mallet or cracker to break the claw shell at the joint near the body.
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Twist open the shell. Remove membrane covering the meat.
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For large claws, use crab cracking tools, shears or a knife to cut through the shell and expose meat.
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Use a seafood fork to pull out the claw meat, keeping it in large chunks when possible.
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For narrow spaces, use the fork to pull out any remaining meat.
Getting to the Body Meat
Don’t miss out on the sweet meat inside the crab’s body/carapace:
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Flip the king crab upside down and use a mallet or hammer to crack the shell near the bottom openings. Knock off most of the shell.
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Peel back the top shell and remove feathery gills. Rinse out any visceral matter.
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Use a fork or fingers to pull out the large chunks of body meat.
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Cut body into sections if needed to reach all the meat.
Enjoying King Crab Legs and Claws
Once cracked, king crab can be eaten as-is with just a squeeze of lemon or lime. Here are some tasty ways to prepare and enjoy it:
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Dip pieces in melted garlic butter. The richness complements the crab beautifully.
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Try crab meat with some fresh avocado chunks. The creaminess pairs perfectly.
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For a cold salad, mix crab meat with grapefruit segments, peppery watercress and a citrus dressing.
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For a hot dish, sauté crab meat with butter, white wine and parsley.
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Stuff crab meat into avocados or tomatoes for an appetizer. Top with lime juice and chili flakes.
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Bake or broil crab-stuffed mushrooms caps for a delicious appetizer.
However you choose to indulge, king crab is a luxurious, buttery-sweet delicacy from the sea. Armed with the right tools and techniques, you can now crack, feast on and savor every last morsel. Just be ready for some serious finger-licking when enjoying this royal treat.
Break the Crab and Separate the Legs
If youre eating a whole crab, you must separate the legs from the body first. First take the legs off the body. This will make it easier to eat the crab and get to the meat in the legs and claws. Crabs generally have 10 legs — eight for walking and two for swimming. Some, like the king crab, have eight legs.
In most cases, the legs will pull away from the body fairly easily. Take hold of the legs, twist and pull them away from the crabs body. To get the shell off of a crab with a hard shell, you might need a crab cracker or a mallet.
Split the Crab Legs at the Joints
The amount of work that goes into splitting open your crab legs depends on the crab youre eating. Smaller, softer crabs require less work to break apart, but the king crab takes more effort. You can split open your crab legs using these easy steps:
- Pick up your crab with both hands. If the crab has sharp points, protect your hands with gloves or a dish towel.
- Pull the tendon out by twisting the crab at the joint.
Should you need help putting pressure on the joints, you can use a cracker or even the flat side of a knife.
How to Eat Alaskan King Crab
What to eat at king crab?
Enjoy our King crab seafood boil, a mix of tender crab and spices, with sides like corn and sausage. Check our dinner menu for lobster tails, shrimp, and salads. Visit us today for a memorable meal.
Are coconut crabs healthy to eat?
Crabs are rich in omega 3 fatty acids, protein, vitamins like riboflavin and minerals like selenium, copper, phosphorus. Coconut crabs are not known to be poisonous. The fat in the abdomen and the egg inside the female are the delicious edible parts. It is prepared by steaming or boiling them in coconut milk. Consuming coconut crab along with sea mango, cerbera manghas may make the coconut crab toxic due to the presence of cardiac cardenolides(cardiac active steroids). This causes electrolyte imbalance that affects the electrical conductivity of the heart.
Can you eat king crab legs?
If you are eating Dungeness or snow crab legs, tools like scissors and a wooden mallet may be all you need to crack through the shells. King crabs have a harder outer shell, so you may need a crab cracker and gloves or a dish towel to break through the spiny shell. 2. Steam Your Crab Properly Crab legs generally come frozen.
How to cook king crab legs?
King crab is one of the biggest and tastiest types of crab used in cooking.Since they are pre-cooked before they are frozen, they are very easy to finish at home. Steaming is the most common way to cook king crab legs to keep the meat tender and flavorful.