Here’s a crispy, flavorful Deep-Fried Crab Legs recipe — crunchy on the outside, sweet and tender inside 🦀🔥
Deep-Fried Crab Legs
Ingredients
- 2–3 lb crab legs (snow crab or king crab), thawed
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cornmeal (for extra crunch)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning (optional but great)
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup milk or buttermilk
- Vegetable or peanut oil, for frying
Instructions
- Prep the crab legs
- Rinse crab legs and pat completely dry.
- If legs are very long, cut them into sections.
- Set up breading station
- Bowl 1: flour, cornmeal, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, Old Bay
- Bowl 2: whisk eggs and milk together
- Bread the crab legs
- Dip crab legs into egg mixture.
- Coat thoroughly in the seasoned flour mixture.
- For extra crunch, dip again in egg and flour.
- Heat oil
- Heat oil to 350°F (175°C) in a deep pot or fryer.
- Fry
- Fry crab legs in batches for 3–5 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.
- Remove and drain on paper towels.
- Serve hot
- Serve immediately with lemon wedges and dipping sauce.
Dipping Sauce Ideas
- Garlic butter
- Spicy remoulade
- Cajun aioli
- Lemon-pepper butter
Tips
- Crab legs are already cooked — you’re just heating and crisping them.
- Keep oil at a steady temperature for best crunch.
- Sprinkle a little extra seasoning while hot for bold flavor.
If you want, I can also give you a Cajun-spiced version, beer-battered crab legs, or a deep-fried seafood platter idea.
