Grilled Crab Legs with Garlic Butter

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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 and one of the best grilling recipes ever!

Jump to:

• 🍽 Equipment
• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🔪 Instructions
• ⭐ Family Foodie Tips
• 👪 Serving Size
• What Temperature to Grill Crab Legs
• Can you cook frozen crab legs on the grill?
• How do I split the shell of the crab legs?
• How do you tell if crab legs are done?
• Is this recipe keto-friendly?
• Is this recipe gluten-free?
• 🥗 Side Dishes
• 📖 Best Seafood Recipes
• 📌 Pin it for later!
• 📋 Recipe

🍽 Equipment

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.

• 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.

You are going to love these grilled crab legs. I promise. There is nothing like the flavor of juicy, tender grilled crab dipped in garlic butter with herbs. Squeeze a bit of lemon on top, and you have a perfect meal.

🥘 Ingredients

• 3 pounds king crab legs*
• 1 serving of our garlic butter sauce (you will need garlic, butter, and parsley) 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.

The best part about cooking crab on the grill is that you really only need the crab legs and a sauce to dip them in. Grilled crab meat has so much flavor on its own.

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

🔪 Instructions

1. Preheat your grill to medium.
2. Split 3 pounds of crab legs and place them on a baking sheet split-side up.
   
3. Combine the ingredients to make garlic butter sauce in a bowl using a spoon. Use melted butter so you have a sauce.
   
4. Gently spoon the garlic butter over the meat of the crab legs. Reserve additional butter for serving after grilling 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.
   
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.

⭐ Family Foodie Tips

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 also love grilled crab legs along with beef for a surf and turf pairing, like I did with my steak and lobster recipe. I highly recommend giving it a try.

My favorite choice has to be either Grilled Beef Short Ribs or Portuguese Beef Skewers!

👪 Serving Size

This grilled crab legs recipe is enough to serve 3-4 people, so it’s perfect for a family dinner. Especially if you pair it with our other best grilling recipes!

You can easily scale this recipe for grilled crab legs up simply by mixing more garlic butter and doubling the amount of crab legs used. This would make it perfect for a backyard BBQ party, especially with our side dishes for a BBQ.

What Temperature to Grill Crab Legs

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

This goes for any type of crab legs. You can use king crab, snow crab, or any type you prefer.

Can you cook frozen crab legs on the grill?

Yes, absolutely. If you use frozen crab legs, let them thaw in cold water or simply leave 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 do you tell if crab legs are done?

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.

Is this recipe keto-friendly?

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

Is this recipe gluten-free?

Yes, absolutely! 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 diet.

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.

🥗 Side Dishes

If you’re wondering what goes with crab legs, I have just what you need! Grilled vegetables are perfect for serving alongside crab legs on the grill. With these king crab legs, try these grilled vegetables:

• Elotes Mexicanos
• Grilled Corn on the Cob
• Grilled Potatoes
• Blistered Shishito Peppers
• Foil Pack Potatoes

King crab legs also pair deliciously with a simple salad on the side or other vegetable sides you don’t make on the grill. Try these:

• Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad
• Air Fryer Asparagus
• Alcachofas al Ajillo (Garlicky Artichokes)
• Smashed Brussels Sprouts

And definitely try them with our Remoulade Sauce Recipe!

📖 Best Seafood Recipes

Seafood recipes like these grilled king crab legs are some of my personal favorites. We have so many delicious seafood appetizers and seafood main dishes to try!

Here are some of my personal picks to try. If you love this king crab legs recipe, I know you will enjoy these:

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.

Love grilling recipes? Try these! They’re perfect for a special occasion like Labor Day.

• Grilled Lamb Chops Recipe with Rosemary
• Tender Grilled Pork Butt Recipe
• Grilled Picanha Steak (Sirloin Cap)
• Grilled Chuck Steak with Compound Garlic Butter
• Grilled Beef Short Ribs Recipe

Did you try my guide on how to cook crab legs on the grill? I would love to know what you think! Let me know in the comments below, and please leave a rating. It helps us out and lets us know what you want to see more of!

If you have any questions, feel free to ask. We love to hear from you!

📋 Recipe