Ohhh yes 😍 Baked Crab Legs in Butter Sauce 🦀🧈—sweet, tender crab drenched in garlicky lemon butter. Super easy, super indulgent, and perfect for a special dinner (or “treat yourself” night).
🦀 Baked Crab Legs in Butter Sauce
Serves 2–4
Ingredients
- 2–3 lbs crab legs (snow crab or king crab), thawed
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 4–5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp lemon juice (fresh)
- 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning (or Cajun seasoning)
- ½ tsp smoked paprika (optional)
- Salt & black pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
1️⃣ Preheat & prep
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C)
- Lightly grease a large baking dish or rimmed baking sheet
- Arrange crab legs in a single layer (crack slightly if needed)
2️⃣ Make butter sauce
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat
- Add garlic and sauté 30–60 seconds (don’t brown)
- Stir in lemon juice, Old Bay, paprika, salt, and pepper
3️⃣ Assemble
- Pour butter sauce evenly over crab legs
- Toss gently to coat
- Cover tightly with foil
4️⃣ Bake
- Bake 25–30 minutes, until crab is heated through
- Optional: uncover and broil 2–3 minutes for extra flavor
5️⃣ Finish & serve
- Sprinkle with fresh parsley
- Serve hot with lemon wedges and extra butter sauce for dipping
🔥 Pro Tips
- Crab legs are already cooked—you’re just reheating
- Keep them covered while baking to stay juicy
- Crack shells before baking for easier eating
- Serve with crusty bread to soak up that butter 😌
Flavor Variations
🌶 Cajun-style: extra Cajun seasoning + cayenne
🧄 Garlic-lover’s: double the garlic
🍯 Sweet heat: add 1 tbsp honey + pinch of chili flakes
🥂 White wine butter: add ¼ cup white wine to sauce
Perfect Sides
- Corn on the cob
- Garlic mashed potatoes
- Roasted asparagus
- Simple green salad
If you want, I can give you a seafood boil–style butter sauce, a foil-packet version, or an oven-to-table restaurant-style method 🦀✨
