Fried crab legs seasoned up to perfection, then tossed in a bed of seasoned flour and gently submerged in piping-hot grease. Leaving them golden and crispy on the outside and filled with tender, juicy meat on the inside. Yep, you will want to stay around for these quick and easy deep-fried crab legs recipes.
Why you should make this recipe
You should make this recipe because of the taste alone. It’s truly a savory taste. Not to mention how easy and convenient they are to make. They can get expensive, but they are the perfect date night meal or celebration dinner. They can be paired perfectly with my Cajun butter dip.
Ingredients for deep-fried crab legs?
I made these king crab legs fried, which are actually cajun-seasoned crab legs, so I’m sure you will love this recipe!
Creole Seasoning-I used this seasoning to bring a little spice to the crab legs. You can use as much or as less as you like!
Garlic Powder- Compliments the Creole seasoning and gives the crab leg meat a tremendous amount of flavor. To me almost taste like smoked crab legs.
Pepper- Only a dash because the Creole Seasoning is spicy enough.
Eggs Wash-This helps to coat the crab meat and allows the flour to stick.
Flour-Helps in coating the crab meat. Needed for crab breading.
Vegetable Oil-This will help you get that crunchy crab skin that you are looking for in fried seafood.
Butter and hot sauce – You want to have the butter and hot sauce to dip the fried crab legs in.
How to cook fried crab legs?
Deep-fried king crab legs are definitely a thing, and I’m gonna show you how to make them. The hardest part of this recipe would be removing them from their shell.
Remove the crabmeat from the shell with a pair of sheers.
Grab 2 bowls and add flour to one and egg to another (whisk eggs
Add the seasonings to the flour and mix well.
Once the grease gets hot, add the king crabs.
Allow frying on both sides for 3 minutes until they become golden brown.
Substitutions for this recipe
Old bay Seasoning-If you don’t like Zatarain’s creole seasoning in this recipe, you can use old bay seasoning or seasoning salt.
It’s completely up to you. You can play with the seasonings in this recipe. You can add or take away. It depends on your tastebuds.
Equipment
For this recipe, you will need a skillet and kitchen sheers. I used a 12-inch skillet, but any deep-dish pot you have will work.
How to store fried crab legs?
You want to ensure that you are storing your fried crab legs in an airtight container or Ziplock bag. The reason for airtight containers is that you don’t want to let in any moisture to these fried crab legs because the crispy skin will become soft and wet. You won’t be able to reheat.
Reheating
You can reheat them in the microwave for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, but they will no longer be crispy. instead, turn your oven to 350 degrees and allow them to rewarm for 2 to 5 minutes. This will ensure that the crab legs are still crispy.
Tips
- Don’t walk away from the grease when frying because they fry pretty fast and will burn.
- Place them on a napkin or a baking rack to drip the remaining grease.
- Allow cooling for 5 minutes before eating.
- Gently remove the crab meat from the shell. The meat tends to break easily.
Common Questions
How to get crispy crab legs?
If you are looking for the perfect crispy golden crab legs, then you will want to complete the egg wash process twice. So, that’s a dip in eggs, then flour, back to eggs, and lastly in flour, then fry.
Can I use snow crab legs for this recipe?
I went ahead and tested this out for you. I tried it with the snow crab legs, but it wasn’t a success. Snow crab legs meat is smaller. Once I removed the meat from the shell. The meat fell apart, not leaving much whole meat to fry as the king crab legs do.
Where to find king crab legs?
Harris teeters crab legs have always been my go-to store for finding king crab legs. I’m not sure if you may have one in your area, but you can definitely check other stores, like Publix, for Instance.
You want to check the stores with the fresh meat market in the back. You can also order them offline.
How long can king crab legs stay in the fridge?
I wouldn’t recommend letting seafood sit for too long in a fridge for any amount of time, but if you must, the recommended number of days for king crab legs is 1 to 2 days. Always remember to smell your meat before cooking. You want to discard the giant king crab legs if it’s a pungent odor.
Here is a list of other delicious seafood recipes
Fried Crab Legs, The Ultimate(quick and easy)
Equipment
- 12 Inch Skillet
- Kitchen Sheers
Ingredients
- 4 King Crab Legs
- 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 4 Large Eggs
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder To your liking
- 1 Tablespoon Creole Seasoning To your liking
- 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper To your liking
- Butter Dip
- 2 Tablespoon Butter
- 1 Teaspoon Hot Sauce
Instructions
- Clean and wash your crab legs in water. Then pat them dry.
- Remove the crabmeat from the shell with a pair of sheers
- Once the crab meat is removed, set to the side until you are done removing all meat.
- Grab 2 bowls add flour to one and egg to another (whisk eggs).
- Add the seasonings into the flour and mix well.
- Next, add the meat to the egg wash making sure it’s completely covered.
- Now, add the egg wash meat to the flour making sure the meat is covered thoroughly.
- To a medium-high stove, add your vegetable oil.
- Once the grease gets hot, add the king crabs.
- Allow frying on both sides for 3 minutes until they become golden brown.
Notes
- Don’t walk away from the grease when frying because they fry pretty fast and will burn.
- Place them on a napkin or a baking rack to drip the remaining grease.
- Allow cooling for 5 minutes before eating.
- Gently remove the crab meat from the shell. The meat tends to break easily.
