To begin, you’ll want to prep a large pot for steaming. Fill your pot with water and place over medium heat. Fill the pot a few inches high, making sure that the steamer basket is not submerged in the water once inserted
Bring the pot of water to a boil
Place the steamer basket in the pot and add crab legs, making sure not to overcrowd the basket
Cover the pot with a lid and let steam. If the lid does not sit comfortably on top of the pot, carefully cover the pot with aluminum foil instead
Let crab legs steam for 5-7 minutes until heated through. Larger crab legs, like Alaskan King Crab legs, may take a few additional minutes
You can tell that crab legs are nearing doneness upon smelling a sweet seafood aroma. Other signs of doneness include the color of the shell, and the color of the crab meat, which will be opaque white. When cracking open a crab leg, steam should rise, indicating that the meat is heated through
Once done, remove the crab legs from the steamer basket with tongs and place in a serving dish
Repeat the steaming process a few times if necessary, until all of your crab legs have been steamed
Serve crab legs immediately alongside a flavored dipping sauce or classic clarified butter and fresh lemon wedges
To prepare a butter sauce, simply melt a few tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add desired seasonings, stir until melted, and serve hot
Don’t forget your seafood claw crackers for serving!
