Looking for a special appetizer or dinner idea? How about this Grilled King Crab Legs recipe, drenched in beautiful garlic butter? What could be better?

These are such a treat and are perfect for Christmas, New Year’s Eve, or anytime when you feel like spoiling yourself. The best part is they are so easy to prepare and the flavor, well, delicious!

Grilled crab legs on a wooden cutting board with chopped parsley as a garnish

HELPFUL ITEMS FOR THIS RECIPE

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Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet – 10.25 Inch

Bamboo Cutting Board with Juice Groove (3-Piece Set)

Kitchen Shears

Can you cook frozen crab legs on the grill?

Grilled crab legs piled on a white plate

Frozen crab legs don’t need to be completely thawed to cook them on the grill. Although I like to thaw them before I grill them. They definitely cook quicker and more evenly if they are thawed.

How to Grill Crabs legs

As I mentioned, I like to thaw my king crab legs before grilling them. The easiest thing to do is thaw them overnight in your refrigerator. Place them in a large roasting pan. This will save you some clean up time! The crab legs will release quite a bit of water as they thaw. The roasting pan is much easier to clean than your fridge!

Melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the garlic. Cook until fragrant, but do not let it brown; set aside. Using a good pair of kitchen scissors, cut each side of the crab legs, so you have 2 halves. The meat should still be in both halves of the shells.

You will want your grill to be hot (450 degrees F.) before you put the crab legs on. It helps if you rub oil on your grill, this will prevent the meat from sticking to the grill. Grill the crab legs until you have light grill marks on the crab meat. Carefully turn the legs over using a combination of a spatula and tongs, keeping the meat in the shells.

Generously brush the crab legs with the garlic butter and continue to cook the crab legs until the butter is just bubbling in the shell. Remove from the grill and serve immediately.

Are crab legs cooked When I buy them?

I have had this question come up a few times. The answer is yes, absolutely your crabs’ legs are cooked when you buy them frozen.

The crab is cooked very shortly after it is caught either on the boat or as soon as it is taken off the boat at the docks. It is then flash-frozen to preserve its freshness.

What is the difference between snow crab legs and king crab legs?

Grilled king crab legs on a wooden cutting board with garlic butter and parsley

The difference between king crab legs and snow crab legs is the size. King crab legs are actually shorter than snow crab legs but have a much thicker shell and are generally meatier. Snow crab legs are longer but thinner; the shell is also much thinner as well.

I like to grill the king crab legs as they are sturdy and have a lot of meat per leg. The shells can be tough to cut, and they are a little spiny but definitely worth the effort!

It is nice to have them cut ahead of time so your guests or family can just dig right in without all the fuss.

Grilled crab legs on a wooden board and a fork full of crab meat.

I know people like to eat crab and seafood in general with lemon juice or fresh lemon. Because the king crab legs are so full of flavor, I like to serve them with just the garlic butter. Drenched in garlic butter!

Grilled crab legs on a white platter with garlic butter.

Next time you are thinking about what to serve for a special dinner or wonderful appetizer, you must try these. There really is nothing like the taste of the sea cooked on the grill!

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This Grilled King Crab Legs recipe is awesome, drenched in beautiful garlic butter, what could be better?

Pin it HERE!!