Learn how to cook Snow Crab Legs in the oven, for an easy sheet pan seafood bake that's ready in just 30 minutes. Tossed with shrimp, sausage, corn, potatoes, and a mouthwatering garlic butter seafood boil sauce, this baked crab leg recipe is a winner!
Snow crab legs are the star of the show whenever I make this cajun seafood boil in the oven. This recipe feeds a family of four and is easy to customize with a variety of add-ons and other seafood.
Served with my homemade seafood boil sauce, you'll enjoy dunking juicy crab for a flavorful feast. Once you learn how to cook crab legs, you'll want to make this all the time!
Skip the restaurant tonight and try my Restaurant Style Seafood Boil Bag, the most delicious Garlic Butter Seafood Boil, and the mouthwatering Shrimp Boil with Garlic Butter Sauce.
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Baked Crab Legs Ingredients
Snow crab legs are the highlight of this seafood bake, chosen for their sweet, delicate meat and ease of preparation. I prefer to bake crab legs in the oven so they stay tender and flavorful without the need for complicated boiling steps. The Old Bay seasoning and garlic powder infuse the dish with classic, savory notes, while the garlic butter sauce adds a rich touch.
The other ingredients, like shrimp, sausage, corn, and potatoes, complement the crab perfectly but can easily be swapped out for your favorites. This flexibility makes the recipe versatile and perfect for any seafood lover.
- Russet potatoes, quartered
- Corn on the cob, fresh or frozen
- Butter, unsalted
- Smoked sausage (andouille sausage is best), cut into slices
- Snow crab
- Shrimp, fresh or frozen
- Old Bay seasoning
- Garlic powder
Garlic Butter Sauce
- Butter, unsalted
- Onion, diced
- Garlic, diced
- Lemon, juiced
- Chicken or Vegetable broth or water
- Old Bay seasoning
- Paprika
- Chili powder
- Cajun seasoning
- Cayenne pepper
- Sweet chili sauce (optional but recommended)
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Cook Snow Crab Legs in the Oven
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Clean the potatoes, cut them into quarters, and place them in a large baking dish with the corn and a stick of butter. Sprinkle half of the Old Bay seasoning and garlic powder over the vegetables, cover the dish with aluminum foil, and bake for 20 minutes.
While the corn and potatoes are baking, prepare the garlic butter sauce. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, add the diced onions, and sauté for 3-5 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for another minute, then pour in the broth, lemon juice, and seasonings, including Old Bay, paprika, chili powder, Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, and sweet chili sauce, if using. Simmer the sauce for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Optional: Fry the smoked sausage slices until golden brown.
Remove the corn and potatoes from the oven, add the smoked sausage, crab legs, and shrimp to the baking dish, and sprinkle with the remaining Old Bay seasoning and garlic powder.
Bake for an additional 10-12 minutes, ensuring not to overcook the seafood. Serve the seafood bake with the garlic butter sauce on the side for dipping. Enjoy!
Hint: Remember to cook the potatoes and corn before adding your seafood. They take longer to cook and we don't want to overcook the crab or shrimp.
Substitutions & Variations
- Crab Legs - You can swap the snow crab legs for king crab. Depending on the size and thickness, it may take a few more minutes in the oven.
- Seasoning - If you want to try another seasoning, use lemon pepper seasoning instead of cajun.
- More Add-Ons - Consider adding boiled eggs, crawfish, and mussels.
Equipment
For this sheet pan seafood boil, I'll need a large aluminum or glass baking dish to hold the potatoes, corn, and seafood. Use a large skillet to prepare the garlic butter sauce.
Aluminum foil is necessary to cover the baking dish while the potatoes and corn bake. I'll also use a cutting board and knife for prepping the ingredients and a spatula or wooden spoon to stir my sauce.
Storage
Store leftover snow crab legs (and the rest of your seafood bake) in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. Be sure to crack the legs and store just the crab meat, discarding the shell.
The sauce will last up to a week in the fridge. To reheat the seafood bake, brush everything with the butter mixture and bake them in an oven preheated to 350 degrees F for about 5-8 minutes.
Top tip for the Best Seafood Bake
Avoid overcooking the seafood. Keep a close eye on the baking time, especially for the shrimp and crab legs because they cook quickly and can become tough if left in the oven too long.
FAQ
What is the best way to cook crab legs?
The best way to cook crab legs is by baking them in the oven. This low-effort method keeps them succulent without the need for hands-on, boiling. Baking also allows for even seasoning.
Should I use fresh or frozen snow crab legs for this recipe?
You can use either fresh or frozen crab legs for this recipe. If using frozen crab legs, make sure they are fully thawed before cooking. Thawing the crab legs ensures even cooking and the best possible texture.
How long to cook crab legs in oven?
Cook crab legs in the oven at 350ºF for about 10-12 minutes, ensuring they don't overcook. At this time and temperature, they'll retain their delicate texture without becoming dry or rubbery.
How do you eat snow crab legs?
To eat snow crab legs, crack open the shells using a crab cracker or nutcracker, then gently pull out the sweet, delicate meat. Then dip the crab meat in garlic butter sauce and enjoy!
More Crab Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
What to Serve with Snow Crab Legs
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this Snow Crab Legs recipe:
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 medium Russet potatoes quartered
- 4 ears Corn on the cob fresh or frozen
- 1 stick Butter unsalted
- 1 link Smoked sausage cut into slices
- 4 clusters Snow crab
- 1 pound Shrimp fresh or frozen
- 1 tablespoon Old bay seasoning
- 2 teaspoons Garlic powder
Garlic Butter Sauce:
- 2 sticks Butter unsalted
- 1 whole Onion diced
- 3 cloves Garlic diced
- 1 Lemon juiced
- 4 cups Chicken or Vegetable broth or water
- 2 tablespoons each Old Bay seasoning Paprika, Chili powder, Cajun seasoning, Cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon Sweet chili sauce optional but recommended
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Clean your potatoes and cut them each into 4 large pieces. Place the corn and potatoes into a large aluminum or glass baking dish along with the stick of butter. Sprinkle half of the old bay seasoning and garlic powder over the corn and potatoes. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and place it in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
Garlic butter sauce:
- While the corn and potatoes are baking, start the garlic butter sauce. Add the butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Now gently add the onions into the skillet and saute them for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally so that they do not burn.
- Now add the garlic into the skillet and saute it along with the onions for about one minute, careful not to burn it. After about a minute, squeeze in the lemon juice and then pour in the chicken or vegetable broth.
- Now sprinkle in all of the seasonings, including the Old Bay seasoning, Paprika, Chili powder, Cajun seasoning, Cayenne pepper. If you are using sweet chili sauce, add that in now as well. Stir everything together until it is fully incorporated.
- Turn the heat down to medium low and allow it to simmer for about 10 minutes, coming back to stir it every 2-3 minutes. The sauce will thicken and reduce by about half. Add more chicken or vegetable broth if you want your sauce to be on the thinner side.
- Optional: While the sauce is simmering, fry your sliced smoked sausage in a skillet over medium heat until they are golden brown.
- Remove the corn and potatoes from the oven. Add the smoked sausage, crab legs, and shrimp to the baking dish with the corn and potatoes. Sprinkle the remaining old bay seasoning and garlic powder over the snow crab legs and shrimp.
- Place the baking dish in the oven and bake the seafood for 10-12 minutes. Seafood does not take long to bake at all, so be careful not to overcook!
- Serve with the garlic butter sauce on the side for dipping. And enjoy!
Recommended Products
Nutrition
Food safety
- Cook to seafood to a minimum temperature of 145 °F (62.8 °C) and smoked meat to 160 °F (71.1 °C).
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw seafood.
- Wash hands after touching seafood.
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove.
John
So good