King Crab Legs in the Oven (2024)

Learn how to make king crab legs in the oven! This simple recipe is the easiest way to enjoy crab legs in under 30 minutes! Baked with butter and Old Bay seasoning, the tender, succulent meat slips right out of the shell when cracked!

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Baked king crab legs is made all on one pan with rich, tender pieces of large crab that slip right out of the shell. It’s way easier than you think and half the work steaming crab legs require!

Baking crab legs in the shell creates a steaming effect, which helps the meat separate from shell. This process makes it super easy to crack and peel without losing all that delicious crab meat! Plus, the butter and Old Bay add even more richness to the crab meat.

Why I love this recipe

One major hassle when it comes to eating crab: all the work that comes with it! With the steaming effect of the oven, giant pieces of crab meat pulls away from the shell so perfectly.

Plus, I LOVE dipping the giant pieces of crab meat into warm, garlic butter. Definitely a must when serving crab legs!

This recipe is perfect for a large family gathering or a special occasion. You can make large batches of crab legs all at once without fooling with a steaming pot. All you need are a few simple pantry staples, like butter, Old Bay seasoning, and lemon.

Ingredient notes

King crab: Definitely my first choice for crab legs! King crab legs are much larger than other alternatives. They provide large hunks of tender, sweet meat. Make sure you are purchasing wild caught crab legs – not farm-raised.
Seasonings: This recipe has a lot of cajun flare, but feel free to use another seafood seasoning if you prefer. Any cajun spice mix will work for this recipe.

Substitutions

There’s been some questions about using snow crab or other types of crab for this recipe. For this recipe, Alaskan King Crab is my recommendation, as the legs yield a much heartier meat. If you prefer snow crab, here are three different ways to cook snow crab legs.

Also, your crab legs should be fresh, not frozen. Click here for 3 ways to to cook frozen crab legs.

Recommended Tools

While cracking tools are recommended when shelling crab, you can easily use your hands and a pair of good kitchen shears to reach the meat, too.

How to Cook King Crab Legs in the Oven

As an alternative to steaming, baked crab legs are a delicious way to prepare king crab.By preparing them in the oven, you eliminate the fuss and hassle of filling a giant boiler pot, boiling the water, timing the crab, and draining that huge vat of hot water. The oven method is much easier and less of a hassle overall.

Preparation

First, I like to prepare the Old Bay and lemon butter sauce and set aside half of the mixture for dipping later.

Before you begin cooking the crab legs, give them a good rinse under cool water. You do not need to separate any of the clusters.

Cooking

Place the crab legs on top of a large baking sheet, lined with aluminum foil. Brush the butter mixture over the crab legs with a pastry brush. Feel free to add extra Old Bay seasoning here!

Next, tent another piece of foil on top of the baking sheet, securing at the left and right ends of the pan. This creates a “steaming packet” around the crab legs.

Bake in a 400F degree oven for 20-25 minutes.Make sure to let the crab legs cool off a bit before you begin cracking!

Eating Crab Legs

This is the tricky and messy part. Sometimes you just have to get in there with your hands, but a good pair of kitchen scissors and “crackers” will make the job easier.

Crack the leg away from the cluster. Then, crack at the joints to work with different sections.
Working one section at a time, bend the pieces back and they should snap in half to expose the meat inside.
Slide the meat out, dip in butter and enjoy!

Cooking Tips

If there was one piece of advice I would give you about this recipe, it would be to choose your seafood carefully. I’m big on sustainable seafood and high quality ingredients. While farm-raised crab legs are more affordable, they are damaging to the environment and lack nutrients and quality from the wild-caught seafood.

Choosing crab legs

Purchase wild-caught instead of farm-raised. This means the crabs were harvested from their natural environment, instead of “manufactured” from a farm and fed and pumped with who knows what to make them larger.
Look for harvesting locations in/around Alaska and Russia. King crab has a limited harvesting season and requires a cold water habitat, so they are most commonly found in and around the Bering Sea.

Serving Suggestions

Serve crab legs with simple side dishes, like smashed potatoes, southern cornbread, or twice baked sweet potatoes.

Crabmeat is also delicious served cold over a salad, mixed in pasta and pesto sauce, or prepared as a seafood salad.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you overcook crab legs?

Yes, cooking too long will result in tough meat with a brittle shell.

What is the difference between snow crab legs and king crab legs?

Mainly the size and harvest location. King crab requires a much colder climate than snow crab.

Tips for reheating, storing, and leftovers

Fridge

For easy storing, crack the crab and remove the remaining meat. Place in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Reheating

To reheat crab legs in the shell, preheat your oven to 350F degrees, wrap the crab legs in foil and bake for 15-20 minutes.
To reheat crab meat, add to a hot skillet and saute for 3 minutes or until warmed through.

More seafood recipes and tips

Cajun Seafood Mac and Cheese Recipe
How to Reheat Ahi Tuna Steaks
How To Cook Snow Crab Legs
Crab Rangoon
Crab Salad
Cajun Seafood Lasagna Recipe