Crab legs are a delicious and luxurious seafood treat. With their sweet, succulent meat and fun cracking shells, they make a great meal for special occasions or anytime you want to indulge. While eating crab legs by themselves with just some melted butter or cocktail sauce is always an option, there are so many creative recipes you can make to really get the most out of this crustacean. Here are 10 amazing ways to cook crab legs at home.
1. Baked Crab Legs
One of the easiest ways to prepare crab legs is to simply bake them Just lightly brush or spray the crab legs with olive oil or butter, season with some salt, pepper, and any other spices you like Garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, or Old Bay seasoning all taste great on crab. Bake at 400°F for 5-10 minutes until hot and browned. Serve with lemon wedges and enjoy cracking open the legs and dipping the sweet meat in melted butter.
2. Crab Cakes
For an impressive appetizer or main course, turn those crab legs into crispy, golden crab cakes Carefully crack the shells and extract all the meat, being careful not to shred it Fold the crabmeat together gently with breadcrumbs or panko, egg, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, scallions, and any other seasonings. Form into patties and pan fry in olive oil or butter until browned. Serve with a tangy remoulade sauce.
3. Crab and Artichoke Dip
Here’s a hot and hearty crab dip perfect for dipping crusty bread. Sauté minced garlic, combine with crabmeat, marinated artichoke hearts, cream cheese, mayo, Parmesan, mozzarella and seasonings. Bake until bubbling and browned. Garnish with green onions.
4. Crab Quiche
For brunch or breakfast, make a delicious crab quiche In a pie crust, combine crab meat with egg custard, cream, Swiss cheese, green onions, and seasonings. Bake at 350°F until set. The quiche can also include spinach, mushrooms or other veggies Serve warm or cold.
5. Crab Salad Sandwiches
For something fresh and light, try making crab salad sandwiches. Mix together crabmeat with celery, green onion, mayonnaise, lemon juice, diced apple, parsley. Season to taste. Spoon onto slices of bread with lettuce and tomato to enjoy a tasty crab salad sandwich.
6. Crab Stir Fry
If you love Asian flavors, whip up a crab stir fry. Sauté crab meat briefly just until heated through. Add sliced bell peppers, mushrooms, bean sprouts, baby corn and snap peas. Stir fry with sesame oil, soy sauce, oyster sauce and chili-garlic sauce. Serve over jasmine rice. Garnish with sliced scallions and toasted sesame seeds.
7. Crab Fried Rice
Similar to a stir fry, crab fried rice combines crab with rice seasoned with tamari or soy sauce, fresh ginger and garlic, scrambled eggs, sesame oil and fresh chopped veggies like peas, carrots and onions. Simply stir fry it all together for a fast weeknight meal.
8. Crab Pasta
Enjoy crab meat tossed with hot pasta in a creamy, lemon sauce. Sauté minced shallots and garlic, white wine, lemon juice and zest, cream, Parmesan, salt and pepper. Toss with lump crab meat and cooked linguine or fettuccine. Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon wedges.
9. Crab Cakes Benedict
For a special weekend brunch, make crab cakes eggs Benedict. Make crab cakes as in recipe #2. Serve them atop English muffins with poached eggs, hollandaise sauce, fresh chives. Served with roasted potatoes or fruit salad.
10. Crab Boil
For the ultimate crab feast, make it a crab boil! Boil halved small red potatoes, corn on the cob and smoked sausage in broth seasoned heavily with Old Bay. Add crab legs for just 2-3 minutes at the end to heat through. Dump everything out on a table lined with paper and go to town cracking and feasting! Provide bowls of drawn butter, cocktail sauce, lemons and plenty of napkins.
As you can see, crab legs are so versatile in the kitchen. You can incorporate them into appetizers, eggs, pasta, stir fries, sandwiches and more. They add a touch of luxury and sweet crab flavor to any dish. With these 10 recipes, you can take your crab legs beyond just cracking and dipping, and enjoy them in creative new ways any night of the week.
Add it to a pasta
Crab meat is a well known topping for pasta and can create a well rounded dish when added to
the sauce during the cooking process. You can cook it in the sauce, or add boiled crab over the finished pasta dish, and this can quickly become a favorite.
For a fast use of any crab meat you have, making a dip can add to almost any dish, used for an appetizer or as part of a main dish it is both flexible and easy to make. Create your own crab dip recipe by adding or removing ingredients you don’t enjoy, and it can make a great personal snack or presentation at a party.
The growth in popularity of charcuterie boards has also left an open space for seafood or crab based charcuterie. If you are attending a party or a gathering it can be a great way to use your leftovers while still appearing to have put in maximum effort and impressing all of the guests. Or make it for your own movie night at home and keep it for yourself.
When you are looking for leftover crab recipes or specifically are looking to make appetizers and happen to have leftover crab meat, creating stuffed mushrooms are a sure way to make a great appetizer. This also applies to stuffed peppers, or even using it to top off bread. For a varied crowd add some in a vegetarian option using tofu or leaving out the meat, so everyone can enjoy the results of your efforts.
Make it a salad
Adding crab to a salad can be a light meal that brings fresh flavors and a unique taste experience. It pairs well with apple and pomegranate, creating a healthy and light salad perfect throughout the summer. A cobb salad is another salad that can be adorned with the leftover crab for an extra layer of flavor and to bulk the salad to a full meal.
The BEST WAY to make crab legs in the oven #shorts #crablegs #easyrecipe #oven
FAQ
What side dishes go well with crab legs?
Good side dishes for crab legs include roasted potatoes, corn on the cob, coleslaw, garlic bread, and steamed artichokes.
What can I do with crab legs?
Classic Steamed Crab Legs:
Simply steam the crab legs in a large pot with water and a touch of salt until they turn vibrant orange. Serve them hot with melted butter and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. The simplicity of this dish allows the natural flavors of the crab legs to take center stage.
What does crab pair with?
The green aromas we find in crab are typical of fish and shellfish, thus pairing well with cucumber, algae (seaweed), avocado, bell pepper and tomato.
What else can you make with crab?
- 01 of 23. Crab and Shrimp Étouffée. …
- 02 of 23. Seafood Boil with Cajun Seasoning. …
- 03 of 23. Garlic Crab Pasta. …
- 04 of 23. Cioppino with Fennel and Saffron. …
- 05 of 23. Blue Crab Beignets. …
- 06 of 23. Crab Salad Sandwich. …
- 07 of 23. Crispy Crab Cakes with Tomato Butter. …
- 08 of 23. Cold Crab Spaghetti.