Baked Crab Legs in Butter Sauce

Baked Crab Legs in Butter Sauce: A Flavorful, Restaurant-Quality Seafood Dish You Can Make at Home

There’s something undeniably luxurious about cracking open a crab leg and dipping the tender, sweet meat into warm, buttery sauce. While crab legs are often reserved for special occasions, baking them in the oven with a rich butter sauce makes them surprisingly simple to prepare at home. This method enhances their natural sweetness and infuses every bite with garlicky, lemony, buttery goodness. Let’s explore how to make Baked Crab Legs in Butter Sauce step by step.

🦀 Why This Recipe Works

Baking crab legs in a butter sauce allows the flavors to infuse while keeping the meat moist and tender. The gentle oven heat ensures even cooking, and the seasoned butter sauce adds layers of flavor—garlic, lemon, parsley, and a touch of spice—to perfectly complement the delicate crab.

🧂 Ingredients You’ll Need

For this recipe, you’ll need simple, high-quality ingredients that enhance the natural taste of crab:

For the Crab Legs:

• 2 pounds of king crab legs or snow crab legs (fresh or thawed frozen)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (to prevent sticking)

For the Butter Sauce:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning (or seafood seasoning of your choice)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional, for a kick)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• Lemon wedges, for serving

🔪 Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the Crab Legs

If using frozen crab legs, allow them to thaw overnight in the refrigerator or run them under cool water for a few minutes until pliable.
Rinse the legs lightly to remove any excess ice or salt residue, then pat them dry with paper towels.

For easier eating, use kitchen shears to cut along the top shell of each leg, exposing some of the meat. This allows the butter sauce to soak in and makes serving much simpler later.

Step 2: Make the Butter Sauce

In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter completely. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1–2 minutes until fragrant—don’t let it brown.
Next, stir in Old Bay seasoning, paprika, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and chopped parsley. Mix well and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Let the sauce simmer gently for another minute, then remove from heat.

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