Crab legs are a delicious and popular seafood option perfect for special occasions or anytime you want to treat yourself. Their sweet, tender meat is full of flavor and it’s satisfying to crack open the hard shell claws and dip the meat in butter or cocktail sauce. But finding high-quality fresh crab legs close to home can be a challenge. This guide will walk you through the best places to buy crab legs nearby so you can enjoy this seafood delicacy anytime.
Check Your Local Grocery Store or Fish Market
The first place to look for crab legs is your local grocery store or fish market. Many major supermarkets like Kroger, Safeway and Albertsons have a fresh seafood section where you may find snow crab legs, king crab legs, or Dungeness crab legs. Depending on your location the selection may include legs from Alaska, Canada, or other major crab fishing regions. Always check the label for the origin and ask the fishmonger when the crab legs arrived. For the best quality, look for crab legs packed on ice that were delivered within the past 1-2 days. Some higher-end grocers like Whole Foods also carry fresh crab, but expect to pay premium prices. If your grocery store doesn’t have the crab legs you want, ask the seafood manager if they can special order them.
In addition to large supermarkets, many smaller local fish markets and seafood stores sell fresh crab legs. These specialty shops tend to have excellent quality crab and knowledgeable staff who can recommend great cooking methods. Be aware that prices at smaller fish stores are often higher than large chains. Call around to a few shops in your area to compare crab leg selection and pricing.
Order Crab Legs Online for Home Delivery
Can’t find crab legs at the market? Order them online for delivery directly to your door! A number of companies like Instacart and FreshDirect allow you to purchase high-quality crab legs and have them shipped packed in ice to arrive as fresh as possible. Make sure to choose overnight shipping to minimize time in transit Another option is to check local seafood markets or restaurant suppliers in your area that offer mail order crab legs available for home delivery This allows you to skip the grocery store and buy directly from the source. Keep in mind that buying crab legs online tends to be more expensive, so weigh the convenience versus the cost.
Check Your Local Fishmonger or Seafood Restaurant
Many local fish markets and seafood restaurants sell raw crab legs for takeout in addition to cooked entrees. Swing by your favorite local seafood restaurant and ask if they have raw, uncooked crab legs for sale. Quality can vary, but some restaurants get daily deliveries of fresh crab and are willing to sell it raw. This is often cheaper than buying crab legs at the grocery store. Your neighborhood fishmonger is another option – let them know what you’re looking for and they can likely source fresh crab legs for you. Building a relationship with a trusted local fish market is a great way to access premium seafood like crab legs.
Time Your Shopping Around Crab Seasons
To get the best price on crab legs, try to time your shopping around peak crab seasons. King crab legs from Alaska have a short season from October to January when fishermen harvest the famous red crab. For snow crab legs, look for sales in late spring when new-season crab from Canada enters the market. Dungeness crab is abundant on the West Coast from November through June. Shopping during peak seasons means you’re more likely to find deals and the freshest crab available all year. Check seafood guides online to determine the best times to find certain types of crab legs.
Finding and preparing fresh crab legs at home does take some effort. But a little planning goes a long way when you’re craving the sweet taste of this indulgent seafood. Use this guide to track down high-quality crab legs from markets, fishmongers, and online sources near you. And get ready to enjoy cracking into juicy crab claws right in your own kitchen.
Our Selection Spans From Coast To Coast
We carefully divide our crab category at Maine Lobster Now into separate East and West coast options so that everyone can find something they like. We are proud to get most of our Red and Golden King Crab, as well as our Bairdi snow crab clusters, snow crab cocktail claws, snow crab leg meat, and of course, our delicious Dungeness crab clusters, from the West Coast. You can find everything you need here if you like crab from the “West” coast. But hurry, these hot items won’t last long!
East Coast Crab Selection
Though slightly different, our East Coast selection is just as exceptional. The primary East Coast crab we offer is the “Jonah or Rock Crab. You can get this crab in a lot of different forms, such as Jonah Crab Leg Meat, Jonah Crab Cocktail Claws, tasty Jonah Crab Roll Kits, Jonah Crab “Triple Scores” Claws, and we even use this delicious meat in our own Jonah Crab Cakes. Call us biased, but us New Englanders LOVE Jonah Crab.
UNBOXING A 10 LB BOX OF KING CRAB LEGS FROM COSTCO
FAQ
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