How To Steam Crab Legs Perfectly Every Time

Why venture out when you can have crab legs at home? Hosting your own crab leg feast is a joyful, hands-on, delicious experience. There's nothing as rewarding as when you release a big, juicy hunk of crab meat from its shell, and subsequently dipping and dunking that meat into your condiment of choice (we're partial to melted butter). Whether you are inviting the entire friend group or just treating yourself, we have a method that will produce perfectly steamed crab legs every time. 

This foolproof process — one we're calling the roasting pan process — is exceptionally easy, using minimal tools, minimal ingredients, and (bonus!) minimal cooking cleanup. The only real mess will be the feast, but in our opinion, creating that mess is the most fun.

In addition to the tools, ingredients, and steps necessary for the perfect steam, we'll dive into the most popular types of crab legs, exploring their flavor and textural profiles, harvest seasons, and potential price points. We've got all the positive tidbits to help you narrow down your crab leg decision.

There are over 6,000 types of crabs swimming or scuttling around this great, big, beautiful world of ours. Out of that massive population, only a handful of crab species ever make it to our dining tables. The most popular, also the largest and leggiest, are the Dungeness crab, snow crab, and king crab. Before we get into the specifics of these popular pinchers, we'll address the most popular question: How many crab legs should you buy? 

The rule of thumb when planning a crab leg feast is to average 1½ pounds to 2 pounds of crab legs per person (adult). In fact, it's safer to err closer to 2 pounds if you know that you'll be serving a hungry, crab leg-devouring crowd, and perhaps even more if the group is particularly ravenous. Aim for the 1½ pound mark if you're serving side dishes to accompany your crab leg feast. Most crab legs, or crab leg clusters, average about 1 pound apiece.

Dungeness crabs are a West Coast delicacy, found in the chilly Pacific waters off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and Northern California (Dungeness crabs are named after a fishing region in Washington State). Dungeness crab season runs from early December through June, with a brief slowdown period during the deep winter months. No need to fear if you are not near the Pacific Northwest — many seafood companies ship frozen Dungeness crab legs, all over the United States, making it relatively easy to source from your local grocer or online marketplace. 

Flavor and texture-wise, Dungeness crab leg meat is firm, almost lobster-like, with a rich sweetness. Some would even describe the flavor as slightly nutty. They are not the largest legs out of this trio of crabs, but they are substantial, and are often being portioned into chunky clusters containing the legs and some of the body. They are the moderately priced option out of the group as well, hovering in the middle of the pack, with prices ranging from $20 to $45 per pound.  

Snow crabs are the crabs with the most mileage, covering the chilly watery regions of both the North Pacific and North Atlantic. So chilly, in fact, that the snow crab season only begins when the ice sheets break, mid-April to early November. Thanks to their vast geographical locations, snow crabs are the easiest to source in the United States. Readily available at most grocers, almost year-round. 

Their name, snow, is a reference to the color of the cooked meat, practically snow-white in appearance. The meat is firm and fibrous with a savory, briny flavor highlighted with pops of sweetness. Snow crabs are not as robustly meaty as their king and Dungeness counterparts, but still satisfying and filling for a group. They are portioned into clusters, containing claws, legs, and a little bit of body (snow crabs are mostly legs to begin with, as their actual bodies are just 4-6 inches wide). They are also the most affordable crab legs of the bunch, with prices ranging from $9 to $30 per pound.  

These Alaskan crabs have certainly earned their title. King crabs are absolutely massive! Whole crabs average 6-8 pounds (records indicating king crabs can get upwards of 20 pounds) with a leg span reaching 3 to 6 feet. Each of those legs can individually weigh as much as 2 pounds. These are definitely impressive crabs. 

They are harvested during the early winter months, primarily between October and January. It can take king crabs around 7 to 9 years for them to reach the legal harvest size. Biologists are on standby to determine if the population is sustainable for recreation and commercial crabbing, often pausing or canceling the harvest season to allow for growth, which may contribute to availability in our grocery stores and online marketplaces. King crabs have a firm and toothsome texture with an outstanding sweet, succulent, and buttery flavor. They are, as expected, the most expensive crab leg on the market, with a price-per-pound hovering around $50 to $100. But you may get lucky — Costco has been known to sell wild-caught king crab legs for $43.99 per pound. 

Now that we've narrowed down our crab leg options, let's get cooking! For our perfectly steamed crab legs, using the roasting pan process, we are, of course, going to need a roasting pan. We prefer a larger-sized roasting pan, 16-inches to 18-inches (for turkey measurements, that's a capacity for a bird upwards of 20 pounds), to comfortably fit 4-8 pounds of crab legs. Using a roasting pan ensures that we create an even, uncrowded steam surface for our crab legs. Steamer pots, or other tools where you stack the food on top of each other, trap the steam near the bottom, leading to uneven cooking or over-cooking. 

If your roasting pan has a high lid, perfect. If not, a couple sheets of aluminum foil will work just as well. You'll want a flat rack insert (this will help keep our crab legs elevated from the liquid) and a pair of tongs to easily remove the crab legs once they have been steamed. 

For the serving tools, we recommend nut crackers, crab pickers, and a mallet for breaking those tough outer shells. To keep your crab leg feast as tidy as possible, have some newspaper, butcher's paper, or parchment to line your dining table, as well as plenty of paper towels or napkins (and possibly a bib or two for those who really like to dig in).

As for the ingredients, we like to keep things simple, allowing the natural flavor of the crab to truly be the star of the show. In addition to your crab legs, you'll need 12 to 16 ounces of beer and Old Bay or seafood seasoning. If you are a fan of scratch spice blends, and have a robust collection of spices in your pantry, try your hand at making your own homemade Old Bay seasoning. 

To accompany your steamed crab legs, we recommend melted butter, malt vinegar, hot sauce, lemon, cocktail sauce, and tartar sauce for dipping. Feel free to garnish your steamed crab with fresh parsley for a pretty final plate. For the melted butter, a top-quality salted butter is always a good bet. You can always whip up your own buttery dipping sauce for an even more flavorful experience. Malt vinegar is a bit of a personal preference for some crab leg-loving folks, adding a nice contrast of sweet and acidity. Pick a relatively neutral hot sauce, nothing too outrageous unless you really like things super spic). A little heat pairs well with citrus, butter, and seafood seasoning. As for the cocktail sauce and tartar sauce, you can make your own or purchase your favorite store-bought varieties — there are no wrong answers when it comes to these.

Yes, beer! It's an incredible flavor enhancer, imparting surprising aromatics, even though our crab legs will not come in direct contact. When you create steam, little molecules of the liquid are released into the air. Those molecules flit about your sealed steamer, landing-on and mildly infusing your food with flavor. Depending on the style of beer you use, you'll be able to impart some fun and nuanced elements to your crab legs. For instance, a lighter beer will give additional pops of malty sweetness, enhancing the natural sweetness of the crab meat. Pale ales and IPAs will impart some of the characteristics of the hops, such as citrus, herbs, pine, or tropical notes. Wheat beers are well known for their citrusy profiles, too, and those same elements can be infused with your crab legs.

If you are interested in a non-alcoholic approach, feel free to use no-ABV beer, or even no-ABV wine, instead. We have even tested a batch using an unsweetened lemonade and tea combination, Arnold Palmer-style, with surprising and delicious results. Broths seasoned with citrus and fresh herbs work well, too. Once your liquid is sorted, we're ready to get cooking.

The great thing about this roasting pan method is that it can be used in the oven or on the stovetop. The stovetop cooking method is much faster, steaming your crab legs in under 30 minutes, while the oven method is a low and slow process that might be better if you like engaging and entertaining your guests without having to be tethered to the kitchen.

First, place the flat rack in the bottom of your roasting pan. Fill the bottom of the pan with beer, making sure your beer does not overflow the rack. Cover the pan, either with the lid or aluminum foil.

For the stovetop method, place the covered pan over the larger heating element, bring the beer to a low simmer, over medium-low heat, until steaming, about 5 minutes. For the oven method, place the covered pan in a 350 F preheated oven and warm for 15-20 minutes, or until steaming.

Once your beer is steaming, remove the pan from the heat source (stove or oven) and carefully remove the lid or foil (use the tongs to help remove the foil). Place the crab legs on the rack. If you need to stack your crab legs, position them so that there is plenty of space for the steam to evenly flow. Season the legs or clusters with seafood seasoning, averaging ½ teaspoon of seasoning per cluster. Cover the pan with either the lid or aluminum foil and return to your heat source (oven or stovetop).

For stovetop steaming, thawed crab legs will be perfectly steamed in 15 to 20 minutes. For oven steaming, thawed crab legs will be perfectly steamed in 25-30 minutes. If your crab legs are still a little frozen, add 5-10 minutes to the total cooking time; if they're firmly frozen, place the crab legs in the refrigerator to thaw for 1 hour before cooking.

Either before you begin steaming your crab legs or during the steam session, you'll want to make sure your dining table is all set and ready. Cover your table in either newspaper, butcher's paper, or parchment. If you're really worried about crab juices seeping into your dining room table, feel free to place a plastic tablecloth under the paper barrier. Make sure there are plenty of clean-up options within hand's reach, such as paper towels, napkins, or moist towelettes. Hardier crab legs like king and Dungeness will certainly need a mallet or two to help crack through those tough shells (in addition to the nut crackers and crab pickers). Snow crab legs tend to have softer shells, making it less likely that you would need to use a mallet.

Make sure to have plenty of dipping options available. Melted butter is a popular choice, followed by cocktail sauce, hot sauce, malt vinegar, and tartar sauce. Lemon wedges or slices are also great for a boosted squeeze of citrus. You can serve your dipping options in individual bowls (ideal for a large guest list) or in larger containers (better for a small gathering).

Once your table is set, serve your perfectly steamed crab legs on a large platter, portion them onto individual plates, or place the legs right onto your prepared and covered table. You may also want to consider a shell discard bowl (or several) to minimize the clean up. Finally, dig in and enjoy!