Does anyone know how long to boil crab legs?

[KimR]

I have some HUGE king crab legs in the freezer. Does anyone one know approxiamtely how long I need to boil them? TIA!

 

[parrothead365]

Until they are done of course. Ok I couldn't resist. I normally cook'em for about 10 min after the water comes back to a boil. You can always test one to see if they are ready.

 

[nordkin]

I don't boil them, I steam them for about 10 to 15 minutes. By steaming them they are not soggy.

 

[Cantw8]

Don't boil them. Either steam them, broil them or bake them, they will taste better.....just my humble opinion

If they have been split, they are best broiled for about three minutes, after being brushed with butter or olive oil. If the legs are whole, they are best baked in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for eight or nine minutes.

 

[mickeyfan1]

Q - Is there a way that I can steam Alaskan king crab legs in my oven instead of boiling them in water on the stove top?

A - Yes, but why are you doing either? In this country, crab legs are precooked and then frozen, and the best preparation methods are baking, broiling, or — surprise — microwaving.

James Peterson, author of Fish & Shellfish (Canada, UK) cautions against buying thawed crab legs, because they begin to lose their freshness once thawed. For this reason, he likes thawing them and heating them in one step in the microwave oven (wrapped in a damp paper towel for four minutes or so, although the timing will vary depending on the number of legs you have). Otherwise, thaw the legs in the refrigerator for 8 hours or more. If they have been split, they are best broiled for about three minutes, after being brushed with butter or olive oil. If the legs are whole, they are best baked in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for eight or nine minutes.

One of our readers, who has definite opinions on the subject, says salting is unnecessary because the crab is cooked and cooled to subfreezing in brine before being glazed with fresh water. He suggests thawing and rinsing the crab in quantities of fresh water before cooking, lest you find the meat too salty.

 

[N.Bailey]

IMO, it doesn't matter how you cook them, they'll turn out the same whether they're boiled, steamed, or even put in the microwave (in a plastic bag with an ice cube - though it makes a horrible smell out the vents of the microwave).

They are already cooked, so you're simply heating them up. 10 minutes should do it, but if they're not hot, cook em a bit longer.

 

[lbgraves]

Don't boil them. Either steam them, broil them or bake them, they will taste better.....just my humble opinion

If they have been split, they are best broiled for about three minutes, after being brushed with butter or olive oil. If the legs are whole, they are best baked in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for eight or nine minutes.

How cool!!! I will have to try that next time. It will be so much nicer not to have to drain them.

 

[LadyyRedd]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE crab meat and ALWAYS have a stockpile of either frozen Snow Crab legs or frozen Dungeness crab legs in the freezer.

I use the microwave. If I anticipate that I'm going to have them later, I will put them in the fridge to thaw and then cook them for about 6 minutes in the microwave. If they are still frozen, I run them under water to remove the ice, then put them in the microwave for 5 minutes. Drain the water and then put them in for another 4-5 minutes, depending on how much they were able to thaw and how many there are.

Kimya