Can You Microwave Crab Legs?
Most crab legs come pre-cooked and flash frozen to maintain their freshness. So, when cooking crab legs at home, you are technically just reheating them.
Many of our customers ask us: “Can you microwave crab legs?” The answer is: you bet!
Today we are going to explain how to microwave crab legs using two different methods. You can use either of these methods on our Jumbo Alaskan King Crab Legs or Alaskan Snow Crab Legs. We’re a bit biased but… we don’t think you will be disappointed with either choice!
Our Jumbo Alaskan King Crab Legs have large chunky meat that is moist and rich and our Alaskan Snow Crab Legs have meat that is juicy and sweet. Follow the steps below to learn how to reheat crab legs.
How to Microwave Crab Legs
Method 1:
Thaw your crab legs in the fridge for 8-12 hours before you are planning on cooking them in the microwave. If you are running short on time, you can run the legs under cold water to help thaw them faster. The crab legs will last in the fridge for up to 2 days, but the faster you reheat them after thawing, the better they are going to taste.
Put the thawed legs in a microwave-safe casserole dish. If they won’t fit, cut them in half.
Add 1 tablespoon of water per 8oz of crab legs and microwave them for 3-4 minutes per 8oz. So, for 1lb of crab legs, you will cook them for 6-8 minutes.
It’s as simple as that! When you can smell the crab, or the meat is nice and warm to the touch, they are done!
Method 2:
This method of microwaving crab legs was adapted from a recipe from celebrity chef Alton Brown. His Steamed Alaskan King Crab recipe is easy and requires only 2 ingredients. If you are using the Alaskan Snow Crab Legs instead of the Alaskan Jumbo King Crab Legs, we recommend cutting the time down to 1.5 minutes for cooking instead of 2 minutes.
Steamed Crab Legs
Skill Level: Beginner
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 6 minutes
Total Cook Time: 11 minutes
Ingredients Required to make Steamed Crab Legs
6 crab legs
2 sprigs dill
Steamed Crab Legs Cooking Directions
Thaw your crab legs in the fridge for 8-12 hours before using them. As mentioned in method 1 above, you can run the crab legs under cool water to thaw them faster if you are short on time.
Wrap three legs at a time in damp paper towel with one sprig of dill and then wrap this bundle in plastic wrap. Microwave King crab legs one bundle at a time for two minutes on high. Remove the bundle from the microwave and unwrap it carefully as it will be very hot. If you’d like, you can serve them with lemon wedges to squeeze over the meat or garlic butter for dipping.
Buy Maryland Blue Crab Online
You can order your crab legs online from our website. Both our Alaskan Snow Crab Legs and Alaskan Jumbo King Crab Legs come in packs of 3, 6, or 9 lbs. We also serve a wide variety of other fresh seafood products. Our authentic Maryland blue crabs ship nationwide in the United States within 48 hours of placing your order.
Don’t forget to visit us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram and let us know how your microwaved crab legs turned out!
By: Melanie Craighead
