Recipes and Cooking Steamed Crab Legs 3.5 (2) Add your rating & review When you can get your hands on some quality crab legs, here's the classic crab leg recipe for a special dinner. Simply steam, crack open, and dunk in butter. Yum! By BHG Test Kitchen BHG Test Kitchen The Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen has been in continuous operation for nearly 100 years, developing and testing practical, reliable recipes that readers can enjoy at home. The Test Kitchen team includes culinary specialists, food stylists, registered and licensed nutritionists, and other experts with Bachelor of Science degrees in food science, food and nutrition, or culinary arts. Together, the team tests more than 2,500 recipes, produces more than 2,500 food images, and creates more than 1,000 food videos each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Published on December 12, 2018 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Blaine Moats Total Time: 15 mins Servings: 4 Jump to Nutrition Facts Ingredients 4 4-8 ounce fresh or frozen crab legs 1 lemon ¼ cup butter, melted 1 tablespoon snipped fresh basil or fresh Italian parsley Directions Thaw crab legs, if frozen. Place crab legs in a steamer basket in a 12-inch skillet. If necessary, bend crab legs at joints to fit in steamer basket. Add water to skillet to just below the basket. Bring to boiling. Cover; steam 5 to 6 minutes or until heated through. Remove 1/2 tsp. zest and squeeze 1 Tbsp. juice from lemon. Stir together butter, basil, lemon zest, and lemon juice. To remove crab meat, twist legs at joints or split shell using kitchen shears. Peel back shell; remove meat. Serve with butter sauce. Boiled Crab Legs Thaw crab legs, if frozen. Place crab legs in a large pot of boiling salted water. Return to boiling. Cook, uncovered, 4 to 5 minutes or until heated through. Rate it Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 157 Calories 12g Fat 12g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 4 Calories 157 % Daily Value * Total Fat 12g 15% Saturated Fat 7g 35% Cholesterol 58mg 19% Sodium 622mg 27% Protein 12g *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.