One of the best ways to enjoy Dungeness Crab Legs is to steam them in aromatics and serve them with melted garlic herb butter. This recipe is perfect for seafood lovers because the delicate flavor of the flaky white meat is the star.
Serve them as an elevated appetizer, as a main course, or alongside a filet mignon or New York Strip as a surf and turf feast.
If you’re new to cooking crab and have questions, I have a ton of helpful information below in the FAQ section.
Admittedly, my favorite way to eat Dungeness crab is cold with some cocktail sauce. It’s what I order alongside a bowl of fresh clam chowder every time I visit the Oregon Coast. But any time I want to enjoy fresh crab for a fancy dinner at home, I steam using this recipe.
Why I love this recipe
- Succulent taste with powerful flavor
- West Coast favorite – we Oregonians love supporting our local fishermen
- One of my favorite seafood recipes because they are so quick and easy to make!
Ingredients needed
For the garlic butter sauce, you will need unsalted butter, fresh parsley, minced garlic, Old Bay Seasoning, and kosher salt.
To steam the Dungeness crab clusters, you will need water, dry white wine, sliced lemon, and fresh herbs. For the herbs, I used parsley, thyme, and rosemary.
How to make steamed crab with garlic butter
Make the garlic butter
- Heat a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic butter sauce ingredients and frequently stir or swirl the pan. The heat should be low enough so that the garlic never goes beyond a golden brown color.
- The longer the mixture cooks, the more the garlic will infuse the butter. Keep the mixture warm until the crab is ready to serve.
Steam the crab
- Using a crab cracker tool or a meat mallet, gently crush the shell in various locations to expose the meat. This will make it easier to eat once it’s hot but it will also allow the crab meat to absorb the flavors while they steam.
- Add the wine, water, lemon slices, and herbs to a large pot. Place a steamer basket or a rack on top. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.
- Once boiling, place the crab clusters in the basket or on the rack, cover them with a lid to seal the pot, and heat for about 4 minutes.
The meat is already cooked, so you are only heating them. When done, the crab clusters should be giving off their own steam.
Pro tip
The best way to save on cost is to buy whole Dungeness crabs and clean them yourself.
You can use your bare hands with the help of a sharp tool (I used the pick that came with my nutcracker).
The top shell is easily lifted off. Then, you use your fingers to remove the gills and wash out the guts under cold running water.
There’s one piece on the bottom that you pry off. Then, the crab is easily split in two to create separate clusters.
Are Dungeness crabs expensive?
If you live locally as I do, when Dungeness crabs are in season, you can find:
- Whole Dungeness crabs for $5/lb.
- Dungeness clusters for $12/lb
- Just the flaky meat (no shell) for $30/lb
If you don’t live locally, the price of Dungeness crab is MUCH higher since they must be flash frozen and shipped, usually with next-day delivery, on dry ice. You can expect to pay about $30/lb for the clusters.
Dungeness Crab FAQs
Crab recipes you might like
- Crab Cakes
- Hot Crab Dip
- Crab Melt
If you’ve made this or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out. I love hearing from my readers!
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