How To Boil Crab Legs At Home (With Easy Steps)

Ingredients To Boil Carb Legs

Crab Legs

The first ingredient you need is fresh crab legs about 1 lbs (per person). There are more than a dozen of crabs available globally, but you're most likely to find the following options at your local market. Let's go over them.

• Dungeness Crabs: This is the crab most often used in home cooking. Good news—Dungeness crab legs are usually sold in clusters of three to five legs and are fairly affordable. Their meat is tender and slightly sweet with a nutty flavor, making it perfect for recipes like crab dip or crab salad!
• King Crabs: It is a bit pricier and sold individually, but it's worth it if you're serving crab legs on their own for a seafood boil (with some delicious butter). Its meat is sweet and tender, like lobster, and the larger legs mean you get twice the amount of meat compared to Dungeness crabs.
• Snow Crabs: If king crab isn’t an option, snow crab is a great alternative for large legs. Its meat is sweet, savory, and slightly briny. Snow crab legs also have a lovely white meat, unlike the red of king crab. However, they are becoming pricier because of climate change and a decrease in their population.

Water

The second main component is water without this the whole boiling process is not possible. There is no fixed measurement for the water. So, you can pour the water into the pot until the crabs are fully covered with it. As the quantity of crabs increases, the water intake should also be increased.

Salt

This is one of the crucial ingredients that is small in quantity but can turn any dull dish into a tasteful one. Here, you will need two tablespoons of salt for the measured quantity of crabs. Along with quantity, the spoons of salt also need to be added.

Red Potatoes

Red potatoes can absorb the flavors and seasonings from the broth of crabs. This aids in taste enhancement. Besides, they're rich in vitamin C, iron, and fiber, so they further add nutritional value to the meal.

Here, you will need around  5-6 red potatoes. You can increase or decrease the quantity based on your preferences.

Onions

Onions are an easy-to-blend ingredient in any seafood item. Since they're known for their richness in flavors, adding finely chopped onion will release its natural sweetness and spices into boiling water. This further goes into the crabs.

To achieve this goal, you will need 3-4 sliced onions. Besides this, you can also add some green onion leaves for a more flavorful taste.

Fresh corn

Corns are also filled with various essential nutrients. Adding them to boiling crabs not only provides the nutritional level but also makes the dish taste more savory. The added corn absorbs the flavors extracted from crabs due to water heat.

For that, you will need two full corns and cut them into medium-sized pieces. This will also enhance the appearance of the food.

Seafood seasoning

Without this, you can't imagine preparing seafood. Although, the main ingredients give a certain level of good taste. But the good aroma comes only from the addition of seasonings.

Here, you can add garlic, celery, bay leaves, minced ginger, lemon juice, black pepper, red chili powder, soy sauce, vegetable oil, and any other seasonings of your preference.

Equipment Required

• Large stockpot
• Kitchen stove
• Measuring spoons
• Knife and cutting boards
• Kitchen tongs or slotted spoons
• Large serving bowl or platter
• Timer

How To Boil Crab Legs

1. Initial Prepping

If you obtain frozen crab legs, they should be thawed before you boil them. Place them in the refrigerator for approximately 8-12 hours or overnight. If you are brief on time, you can additionally thaw them more quickly by setting them in a sealed plastic bag and submerging them in cold-water for about an hour.

Cut the red potatoes into chunks, the corn into halves or thirds, and the onion into wedges. These add-ins are optional but highly recommended.

2. Prepare the Boiling Water

Fill the water into a large pot. Now, put all the ingredients one by one. Begin by putting salt and let it boil for a minute. Then, add the remaining seasonings such as garlic, ginger, bay leaves, etc. Within a few minutes, the water will turn into a different color due to the boiling seasonings.

3. Cook the Vegetables

Now, add chopped red potatoes and cook for about 10 minutes, or until they start to become tender. After that, add the fresh corn and onion to the pot. Continue to boil for another 5 minutes.

These ingredients will start absorbing the texture and flavors of previously added seasonings.

4. Add the Crab Legs

After boiling all the ingredients for a few minutes, It's time to add the crabs. Gently put them into the boiling water. Cover the pot with its lid and leave it boiling for another 4-6 minutes, or until the crab legs are heated through and the vegetables are tender.

Don't forget to keep the gas on high flame from the beginning. This will allow the proper distribution of heat on the bottom surface of the pot and result in finely cooked ingredients.

5. Check for Doneness

The crab legs should turn bright red and the vegetables should be cooked through. The next step is to turn off the gas and let it cool for 3-4 more minutes or you can extend this time. Handling too hot crabs might burn your hands so be careful to deal with this.

6. Drain and Serve

This is the final step in this process. Here, take a slotted spoon or tongs to separate the crabs and other ingredients from the seasoned water. Get a bowl or a platter and place the whole boiled food by taking each one out of the pot.

Once the crabs and added ingredients such as corn, and red potatoes are served on the platter, some seasonings such as lemon juice, paprika, and cayenne pepper, can be added to enhance the flavors.

Here, don't throw the seasoned water as it can be mixed to prepare the crabs with other dishes. Also, you can serve the broth water as a soup.

How Long To Boil Crab Legs

The answer to "how long to boil crab legs" relies upon the amount and size of the crab legs. For example, if you are boiling 1-2 pounds of crab legs, the best time is 5-7 mins. For larger portions, increase the time barely, generally including a further 2-3 minutes for each extra pound.

If boiling whole crabs, the timing varies more significantly with size. For crabs weighing 1.5-2.5 pounds, boil for 12-15 mins. Larger crabs (over 2.5 pounds) may require 15-17 mins, ensuring the crabs flip a bright orange and are floating inside the pot.

How Do I Check The Doneness

Unlike other kinds of meat such as chicken, pork, and mutton, the doneness of crab cannot be checked by pushing a sharp object into the meat. So, how would you know if the crab legs which you have kept for boiling are ready or not? Here's the answer and it is to check the color of the crab legs.

Initially, crab legs are usually a grayish color and when they're in the boiling process the color changes into a bright orange or red one. The meat inside the crab legs should be opaque and firm. If the meat is still translucent or looks slimy, it needs more cooking time.

Cooked crab legs should have a fresh, briny seafood smell. If they smell overly fishy or off, they might be overcooked or spoiled. For a more precise check, use a meat thermometer. The internal temperature of the crab meat should be at least 145°F (63°C).

Note: Don’t overcook as crab legs can become tough if cooked too long.

How To Store Crab Legs

There are mainly two ways that you can follow to store the crabs. Here we go.

1. In the Refrigerator

You can store the excess cooked crabs or crabs' legs by keeping them in the fridge. For this, you need to get a container with a tight lid that prevents airflow. Keep the crabs in the container and tightly set the lid.

Now put the container in the refrigerator and set the temperature at 32°F to 38°F (0°C to 3°C). Remember to place the container in a spot where the cooling temperature is constant and is not affected by the frequent opening and closing of the fridge door.

2. In the Freezer

This method is ideal for storing crab legs for a longer time. Here, cooked crabs can be stored for up to 6-9 months. For this, you need to put the cooked crabs in a tightly sealed container with no holes or airflow.

Then, keep it in the freezer and set the temperature at 0°F (-18°C) or lower. This will allow you to enjoy the crabs with your favorite drink at your home or you can enjoy it with friends or family.

What Part Not To Eat In A Crab

Crabs taste good when they are cooked nicely. If you have not eaten crabs before, you might be thinking of which part to eat and which part not to eat. I went through the same situation when I was about to test the crab for the first time. So, go no further, your guidance is here.

The majority parts of the crabs can be eaten without hesitation except a few. The first part you should avoid eating is gills. Gills are thin layered structures that facilitate the inflow of oxygen and outflow of carbon dioxide in the crabs.

Since they may contain harmful particles from the water, it's not advised to eat this part.

Similarly, lungs are not recommended for consumption. This is because the texture is hard and compressible. If consumed, it is hard to digest and the taste is not also friendly, both of which lead to digestion issues.

Apart from this, the crab shell is not for human consumption due to its hardness which again leads to digestion problems.