Categories: FishMain Dishes

Boiled Snow Crab Legs with Old Bay Seasoning

If you saw frozen snow crab legs in store and wanted to try them, but wasn’t sure how to cook them – this recipe is for you.

It is easy and fast idea for lunch or dinner, assuming the crab legs are sold pre-cooked (have somewhat orange-red color) and only need to be warmed up and seasoned with some spaces to taste.

You can cook raw crab legs like this also, it may require a bit more time for cooking.

Pairs well with warm Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce.

Ingredients:

  • 2lb of frozen snow crab legs
  • 3 tablespoons of old bay seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
  • 3-4 bay leaves
  • 10-15 whole black peppercorns
  • Salt to taste
  • Water to fill the pot

How to prepare, step-by-step:

  1. Prepare ingredients: I used snow crab frozen clusters for this recipe, but any other kind of crab can be cooked like this, king crab may need to be cooked a bit longer:
    Boiled Snow Crab Legs with Old Bay Seasoning Recipe: Step 1
  2. Fill cooking pot big enough to fit crab legs with water, bring to boil and add salt to taste:
    Boiled Snow Crab Legs with Old Bay Seasoning Recipe: Step 2
  3. Add bay leaves, whole black peppercorns, old bay seasoning and garlic powder, adjust heat for light simmering and let it all cook for 2-3 mins together:
    Boiled Snow Crab Legs with Old Bay Seasoning Recipe: Step 3
  4. Put clusters of crab legs in and let them simmer for about 8 mins:
    Boiled Snow Crab Legs with Old Bay Seasoning Recipe: Step 4
  5. Remove crab legs from water, shake them a little to remove water they were cooking in and serve while hot with some lemon garlic butter sauce for dipping:
    Boiled Snow Crab Legs with Old Bay Seasoning Recipe: Step 5
Enjoy!

View Comments

  • I always steamed them, thinking boiling would make it too "squishy" but the addition of the seasonings makes it sound good - I have to try this!

  • Hey I'm back, dinner was FABULOUS! I used the Old Bay liquid, and the pouch. This may sound weird, but I even threw some frozen meatballs in the pot along with the chicken wings, crab legs, sausages, shrimp, corn, red potatoes, yellow onion, the spices on the video as well, with that garlic-butter sauce on the side, Honey Please! On a scale 1-10, I made a 13!!! Thanks for your article.
    Be Blessed, All Glory to God.

  • I'm so exited about tonight's dinner! I will be using your recipe, and adding red potatoes, corn, sausage, and shrimp! With some fried catfish, hush puppies, and a salad! M y family is going to be happy!

  • Could you add corn and potatoes, lobster or even shrimp to this??? And if you can how would you go about it..

    • Could probably do shrimps, just add the along with the crab legs; corn and potatoes may require pre-cooking, so add potatoes first until half ready, then corn until potatoes are almost ready and then crab legs if you wish them to be cooked together.

  • The title capstan says "boiled" yet the cooking process is in water not steam, why? Wouldn't the old bay mixture be on the crab legs in the steamer part of the pot? Please clarify?

    • English isn't my native language, but in my head "boil something" means "to cook (something) in boiling water" which is precisely what this recipe describes. I don't understand your second question, could you please rephrase what you ask perhaps for me to be able to answer? Thanks!

  • Great step by step to follow. We bought some cluster snow crab today, as my son wanted to try, all I knew, well I think you boil them, lol.. Great recipe!!! Thank you!!!!

  • Excellent recipe! I followed the recipe to a tee and these came out perfect! Thank you for sharing.