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    Home » Recipes » Grilling and BBQ » Grilled Crab Legs with Garlic Butter

    Grilled Crab Legs with Garlic Butter

    Published: Dec 26, 2021 Modified: Oct 16, 2023 by Isabel Laessig

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    This Grilled Crab Legs recipe with Garlic Butter Sauce is the best way to cook crab legs! 🔥 You will love these luscious, tender crab legs and garlicky butter sauce for dipping. It’s a delicious pairing unlike any other!

    Grilled crab legs on a white surface with lemon wedges, fresh herbs, and a white cup of garlic butter sauce
    Jump to:
    • Best Crab Legs
    • Equipment for Grilling King Crab Legs
    • Grilled Crab Legs Ingredients
    • How to Grill Crab Legs
    • What to Serve with King Crab Legs
    • How to Reheat Cooked Crab Legs
    • King Crab Recipe FAQs
    • Side Dishes for Crabs
    • Seafood Recipes
    • 📋 Recipe
    • 💬 Reviews

    Best Crab Legs

    Honestly, grilling crab legs is simple to do and so worth it for the incredible flavor. BBQ crab legs are my favorite and paired with that incredible garlic butter dip, you just can’t go wrong.

    Equipment for Grilling King Crab Legs

    • A grill
    • A bowl with a spoon to mix garlic butter sauce
    • Tongs

    Grilling out is one of my favorite pastimes. My family knows where to find me when summer rolls around: outside spending quality time with my grill! When it comes to cooking, there is almost nothing I could say I love more than grilling recipes.

    These Grilled Crab Legs really take the cake. Crab leg recipes are some of my favorites (I love Steamed Crab Legs!), but they’re even better on the grill! Especially when you pair them with garlic butter sauce for crab legs or our Creamy Lemon Butter Sauce Recipe.

    Grilled Crab Legs Ingredients

    • king crab legs or snow crab legs
    • garlic butter sauce or Creamy Lemon Butter Sauce
    • Lemon wedges (optional)

    After mixing my garlic butter sauce, I like to use my remaining parsley to top the grilled king crab legs with along with a squeeze of lemon juice. I find it adds an extra layer of flavor that is just irresistible.

    I like to use king crab legs, but you can use any type of crab you prefer for this grilled crab legs recipe.

    Close up of grilled crab legs on a platter

    How to Grill Crab Legs

    1. Preheat your grill to medium.
    2. Split 3 pounds of crab legs and place them on a baking sheet split-side up.
      King crab legs on a wooden cutting board
    3. Combine the ingredients to make garlic butter sauce in a bowl using a spoon. Use melted butter so you have a sauce.
      Garlic butter sauce in a metal tin with a spoonful of sauce up close
    4. Gently spoon the garlic butter over the meat of the crab legs. Reserve additional butter for serving after grilling crab legs.
      Pouring garlic butter sauce onto grilled king crab legs
    5. Place the split crab legs on the grill, shell-side down. Close the lid and grill for approximately 10 minutes or until the crab is cooked through. Crab leg meat is cooked when it is reddish-orange and opaque.
      Lifting crab legs off the grill over with some tongs
    6. Remove from the grill and serve with the delicious garlic butter sauce and fresh lemon wedges. Enjoy!

    Easy, right? Once you know how to cook king crab legs on the grill, I guarantee you’re going to want to make them this way every time. The flavor of the crab meat with the garlic butter sauce is just incredible.

    What to Serve with King Crab Legs

    There is nothing better than a Surf and Turf combination. It is the ultimate combination of flavors!

    My favorite pairings for crab legs are:

    • Grilled Beef Short Ribs
    • Beef Skewers
    • Porterhouse Steak
    • Smoked Brisket
    Dipping a piece of crab into garlic butter sauce with grilled crab legs visible in the background

    How to Reheat Cooked Crab Legs

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
    2. Fill a casserole dish with approximately ½ inch of water.
    3. Place the crab legs in the dish.
    4. Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and poke holes on top to let out the steam .
    5. Bake for 10 minutes.
    6. Serve with garlic butter and enjoy!

    King Crab Recipe FAQs

    What temperature do you grill crab legs?

    Set your grill to medium. Medium is about 350°F (depending on your grill) and is the perfect temperature to grill crab legs. Crab legs on the grill will cook in about 10 minutes and have a delicious flavor!

    Can you grill frozen crab legs?

    If you use frozen crab legs, let them thaw in cold water or simply leave them out at room temperature while your grill heats up. They can still be a little frozen when you grill them.

    How do I split the shell of the crab legs?

    To split the shell, simply cut them lengthwise with kitchen shears to open up the leg and reveal the meat on one side. Cut through the whitish part of the shell – this part is softer

    How to tell if crab legs are cooked?

    Cooked grilled crab legs will have a reddish-orange tint with pearly white, opaque meat. Overcooked crab begins to turn pink and becomes rubbery, so be careful not to leave them on the grill for too long. 10 minutes should be enough time.

    Are crab legs keto-friendly?

    Crab is a keto-friendly food. Paired with the garlic butter sauce, this is a superstar of a low-carb recipe!

    Are crabs gluten-free?

    Crab legs are not only gluten-free, but are generally very good for you. The garlic butter sauce in this recipe is also gluten-free, so this is a perfect recipe for a gluten-free meal plan.

    How long can crab legs stay in the fridge?

    You can store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

    Have a question that isn’t listed here? Ask us in the comments or contact us by email! We will get back to you as soon as possible and always love to hear from you.

    Grilled crab legs on a white surface with two cups of garlic butter sauce and fresh herbs sprinkled on

    Side Dishes for Crabs

    • Elotes Mexicanos
    • Baked Potato Wedges
    • Grilled Corn on the Cob
    • Grilled Potatoes
    • Foil Pack Potatoes

    I love dipping them in Remoulade Sauce Recipe! It is an amazing combination of flavors!!

    Seafood Recipes

    • Shrimp Bisque Recipe – this is on my holiday list every year!
    • Shrimp Shumai
    • Lobster Ravioli
    • Chinese Shrimp Recipe
    • Grilled Lobster Tail

    And of course, try my recipe for Boiled Crab Legs! They are just as delicious with garlic butter sauce on the side and are easy to cook on your stove.

    Try more of our best Seafood Appetizers and Shrimp Recipes for Dinner!

    📋 Recipe

    Grilled crab legs on a white surface with fresh herbs and a side of garlic butter in a little bowl

    Grilled Crab Legs with Garlic Butter Sauce

    Isabel Laessig
    Tender, luscious Grilled Crab Legs cook up in just 10 minutes on the grill and pair deliciously with flavorful garlic butter sauce. You will love every bite of this easy grilling recipe!
    5 from 10 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 20 minutes mins
    Course Main Dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4
    Calories 481 kcal

    Equipment

    • Grill

    Ingredients
      

    • 3 pounds king crab legs
    • 1 serving garlic butter sauce recipe
    Cooking Conversions

    See our Cooking Conversions Chart for help converting measurements!

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat your grill to medium.
      Split the shells of 3 pounds of crab legs and place them on a baking sheet split-side up.
      King crab legs on a wooden cutting board
    • Combine the ingredients to make garlic butter sauce in a bowl using a spoon. Use melted butter so you have a sauce.
      Garlic butter sauce in a metal tin with a spoonful of sauce up close
    • Gently spoon the garlic butter over the meat of the crab legs. Reserve additional butter for serving after grilling crab legs.
      Pouring garlic butter sauce onto grilled king crab legs
    • Place the split crab legs on the grill, shell-side down. Close the lid and grill for approximately 10 minutes or until the crab is cooked through. Crab leg meat is cooked when it is reddish-orange and opaque.
      Removing grilled crab legs from the grill with some tongs
    • Remove from the grill and serve with the delicious garlic butter sauce and fresh lemon wedges. Enjoy!
      Dipping a piece of crab into garlic butter sauce with grilled king crab legs visible in the background

    Notes

    • Make sure to reserve additional garlic butter after spooning it onto the crab meat so you have extra to serve the grilled king crab legs with when they’re done grilling. It is just so flavorful!
    • I love to grill crab legs along with beef for a surf and turf pairing. My favorite choice has to be either Grilled Beef Short Ribs or Portuguese Beef Skewers!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 481kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 16gFat: 46gSaturated Fat: 29gCholesterol: 157mgSodium: 1116mgPotassium: 207mgSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1590IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 59mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword grilled crab legs, grilled king crab legs, grilled snow crab legs
    Did you try this recipe?Tag #SundaySupper on social and leave a comment below!
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    Isabel, AKA Family Foodie

    About Isabel Laessig

    Hi! I’m Isabel Laessig, also known as Family Foodie, creator of Sunday Supper Movement and author of the Boujee Steak Cookbook. Sunday Supper is my mission to bring family back around the dinner table. Join me in making family meal-time a tradition to celebrate!

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    Isabel, AKA Family Foodie

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