Steamed Instant Pot Crab Legs

You can make Steamed Instant pot Crab Legs in just 3 minutes of cook time and they come out perfectly moist and tender and full of delicious flavor.

» You might also like this Instant Pot Japanese Curry.

With this Instant Pot Crab Legs recipe, you’re looking at gourmet-level deliciousness served in just minutes. It’s the absolute easiest way to steam crab legs. The Instant Pot takes care of all that background noise. Press a few buttons, and you’re essentially hands-free.

While you could go the traditional steaming or boiling route, there’s something to be said for the uniform cooking the Instant Pot offers. Ever had those crab legs that are overdone on the outside but still a bit iffy near the claw? Yeah, you can kiss those days goodbye. The Instant Pot heats under pressure, ensuring your crab legs are evenly cooked to perfection.

And let’s talk flavor. This recipe has an optional dash of Old Bay seasoning and a hint of lemon that amps up the taste without overpowering the natural, juicy sweetness of the crab meat. You’re getting restaurant-quality crab legs from the comfort of your own home, and the best part? Minimal cleanup. It’s win-win-win all around.

Ingredients You Need

• Crab legs – You can use snow crab or King crab legs with this recipe. If the King crab legs are frozen you’ll need to add an additional minute to the cook time. Dungeness crab legs are smaller, so you can reduce the cook time by 1 minute.
• Water – It takes a cup of water for a 6-quart pot or 2 cups of water for an 8-quart pot.
• Lemon – The lemon is used two ways – add it to the pot to impart a mild lemon flavor to the crab, and save some for squeezing over the meat as you eat it.
• Old Bay seasoning – This is add directly to the water, making it very aromatic, so it seeps into the crab legs as they cook. It’s optional.
• Butter – You can divide the butter between a few glass bowls so everyone can have their own.

What Type of Crab Legs to Buy

You’ve got options here: snow crab or King crab. Snow crab legs are generally smaller and less meaty, but they’re sweeter. King crab legs are the behemoths of the crab world, with thicker shells but also chunkier, succulent meat. Both work well in the Instant Pot, so it really boils down to personal preference and what’s available in your area.

They don’t have to be thawed completely when you put them in the pot but if they’re really frozen, you might find that it’s difficult to bend the legs to get them into the pot. In that case, you might want to allow them to thaw enough to bend.

How to Make Steamed Instant Pot Crab Legs

Pour the water into the Instant Pot and set the trivet inside. If you don’t have a trivet, you can also use a steamer basket. Avoid putting the crab legs directly into the water, so they don’t get soggy or rubbery.

Add the Old Bay seasoning to the water, if you’re using it. The reason you don’t sprinkle it onto the crab legs is because it makes it very messy when you eat it!

Place the crab legs on the trivet. Stacking them is fine. You can cook as little or as much crab legs in the pot as you want, as long as you don’t exceed the max fill line.

Add 2 of the lemon pieces to the Instant Pot. Secure the lid and set the vent to sealing (if necessary for your model).

Set to cook on high pressure for 3 minutes (4 if frozen).

When the time is up, carefully manually release the pressure and remove the lid.

Transfer the crab legs using tongs to a platter. Serve immediately with melted butter.

Why Use An Instant Pot?

The Instant Pot is one of the most useful kitchen appliances you can buy, because it drastically cuts down on the cooking time for developing flavors in soups and stews, getting tough cuts of meat tender, and even baking a cheesecake. If you don’t have one, check out our guide on which one to buy. Also see our guide to How to Use an Instant Pot and the many accessories you can buy for it.

How to Store Leftovers

If by some miracle you find yourself with leftover crab legs (does that even happen?), they store quite well. Place them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheating is a breeze: simply place them back in the Instant Pot with a cup of water and steam for 1-2 minutes.

If you want to make it even easier for next time, you can take all the meat out of the remaining shells and just store the meat in a container. You can reheat it in the microwave for 15-30 seconds.

Additional Tips

• Use tongs: Crab legs are hot when they come out of the Instant Pot. Trust me, tongs will be your best friend.
• Optional seasoning: If Old Bay isn’t your jam, feel free to use a teaspoon of garlic powder or a couple of sprigs of fresh thyme. Changing up the seasoning can impart a different and unique flavor into the crab meat. I like to cut the top off of about 5 cloves to garlic and add those to the pot.
• Melt that butter: Don’t underestimate the power of warm, melted butter for dipping. You could even get fancy and throw in some minced garlic and a squeeze of lemon to elevate it.

There you have it—a foolproof guide to mastering Instant Pot Crab Legs. Next time you have that seafood craving, you’ll know just how to satiate it, and fast.

Frequently Asked Questions

What To Serve With It

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