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Oven Baked King Crab Legs
5 from 27 votes

Oven Baked King Crab Legs

Oven Baked King Crab Legs offers a hearty seafood entree featuring thawed king crab legs and claws gently heated with white wine and lemon slices. The dish is complemented by a rich garlic butter seafood sauce crafted from butter, shallots, garlic, thyme, lemon zest, chicken broth, lemon juice, and cream, creating a creamy and fragrant accompaniment. Baking warms the crab to tender perfection without overcooking, while the sauce balances acidity and richness for a satisfying finish.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
25 mins
Servings: 2 main course servings
Calories: 704 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds king crab legs thawed
  • 3 pounds king crab claws thawed
  • 1/3 cup white wine dry
  • 1 lemon sliced thinly, large
Garlic Butter Seafood Sauce
  • 9 tablespoon butter cold and cut into nine equal pieces, unsalted
  • ¼ cup white wine
  • ½ shallot grated
  • 2-3 garlic grated, cloves
  • 2 thyme sprigs, fresh
  • lemon zest of 1
  • ¼ cup chicken broth
  • 3 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • black pepper to taste, kosher salt and freshly cracked
  • salt to taste, kosher salt and freshly cracked

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Place the crab legs, white wine, and lemons into your baking dish or a rimmed baking sheet. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place into your preheated oven on the middle rack.
  3. Bake the crab legs for 15 minutes, or until the king crab shells are hot to the touch.
  4. Remove from the oven and serve hot with the creamy butter sauce.
  5. Make the Garlic Butter Sauce
  6. In a medium sized saucepan, melt one tablespoon of butter over medium heat with the wine, grated shallots, grated garlic, fresh thyme, and lemon zest. Sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, it should be very fragrant.
  7. Whisk in the chicken broth and lemon juice, let the mixture reduce down until there's about 3 tablespoons of liquid remaining.
  8. Add the cream and turn the heat up to medium-high. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to low.
  9. Whisking constantly, add the rest of the cold butter ONE tablespoon at a time, whisking until each one is incorporated completely before adding the next one.
  10. Continue adding in all the butter, by the time the last tablespoon is done the sauce should be creamy and coat the back of a spoon.
  11. Let sit at low heat, stirring occasionally, until ready to serve with the crab legs.

Notes

  • Use tools like crab crackers and shears to safely handle the thick, spiked shells of king crab legs.
  • Break large crab legs at joints as needed to fit your baking dish and allow even heating.
  • Substitute white wine with chicken broth, beer, or citrus juices to vary the flavor infusion during baking.
  • Do not overcook the crab legs; they only need to be reheated until shells are hot, preserving tender meat.
  • This method gently steams the crab legs with wine and lemon for subtle aromatic enhancement.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1g Calories 704kcal (35%) Carbohydrates 5g (2%) Protein 132g (264%) Fat 11g (17%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Polyunsaturated Fat 5g (29%) Cholesterol 361mg (120%) Sodium 7297mg (304%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 1g (2%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 2 main course servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 704

% Daily Value*

Serving 1g
Calories 704kcal 35%
Carbohydrates 5g 2%
Protein 132g 264%
Fat 11g 17%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Polyunsaturated Fat 5g 29%
Cholesterol 361mg 120%
Sodium 7297mg 304%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 1g 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.