Baked Crab Legs in Garlic Butter Sauce

🦀 Ingredients (Serves 2–4)

• 2 lbs cooked crab legs (king or snow), thawed cupcakes-and-sarcasm.com+15thespruceeats.com+15tastydishy.com+15

• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

• 3–4 cloves garlic, minced tastydishy.com

• 1 Tbsp lemon juice + lemon wedges for serving foodandwine.com+15chefmaniac.com+15foodieandwine.com+15

• 1 tsp Old Bay or Creole seasoning (optional) southernliving.com+11africanbites.com+11susanrecipe.com+11

• 1 Tbsp fresh parsley or chives, chopped (for garnish) reddit.com+2africanbites.com+2susanrecipe.com+2

🔪 Instructions

1. Preheat & Prep
Thaw crab legs in the fridge or under cold water if needed seriouseats.com+15southernliving.com+15africanbites.com+15. Preheat oven to 375°F (190 °C). Line a baking tray or shallow pan with foil for easy clean-up howdaily.com+5globalseafoods.com+5chefmaniac.com+5.

2. Score Shells
Use kitchen shears to cut each crab leg shell lengthwise—this helps the garlic butter penetrate the meat allrecipes.com+15globalseafoods.com+15allrecipes.com+15.

3. Make Garlic Butter Sauce
In a bowl or small saucepan, combine melted butter, garlic, lemon juice, Old Bay (if using), salt & pepper. Heat gently for 1–2 minutes until fragrant—don’t brown the garlic .

4. Bake Crab Legs
Arrange crab legs on the tray shell-side down. Generously brush them with garlic butter sauce. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 12–15 minutes, until warmed through foodieandwine.com+11globalseafoods.com+11chefmaniac.com+11. Remove foil, baste again, and bake 5 more minutes uncovered for a slightly crisp finish chefmaniac.com.

5. Plate & Serve
Transfer crab legs to a serving platter. Spoon any extra garlic butter sauce over them, garnish with parsley or chives, and serve alongside lemon wedges panlasangpinoy.com+15globalseafoods.com+15susanrecipe.com+15.

💡 Tips & Variations

• Season creatively: Add Cajun spice, paprika, or a dash of hot sauce to the butter for extra flavor .

• Add depth: A splash of white wine in the garlic butter adds acidity and richness .

• Prevent dryness: Don’t overbake—crab legs are already cooked; you’re just reheating them gently thespruceeats.com+2chefmaniac.com+2africanbites.com+2.

✅ Quick Recap

Enjoy a restaurant-quality seafood experience right at home! Want side dish suggestions (like garlic mashed potatoes or corn on the cob), or a version with Cajun heat or roasted garlic? Let me know!