You can reheat crab legs in your microwave. Most crab legs are precooked and frozen. You can find them in your grocery store's freezer, and microwave crab is easy, fast and convenient.
Microwave Crab Legs
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According to this Livestrong.com recipe, this is how you re-heat crab legs in the microwave. You can find frozen, precooked crab legs in your grocery store's freezer seafood section. Since they've been cooked, you are just going to reheat crab legs. The FDA recommends being careful when choosing a package of frozen crab legs. Avoid any open or torn packages or those that have ice crystals on them.
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Things You'll Need
Paper towels
Sprigs of dill
Kitchen scissors
Plastic wrap
Microwave-safe plate
Step 1: Thaw Crab Legs
Place the crab legs in your refrigerator overnight to thaw them. Of course, you can skip this step if they're already thawed.
Step 2: Break a Leg
Break the legs into groups of three. Use kitchen scissors to cut the claws off, if there isn't enough room in your microwave.
Step 3: Prepare the Legs
Dampen some paper towels, and wrap each group of legs with paper towels. Add a sprig of dill to each group, to retain moisture. Wrap them in plastic wrap.
Step 4: Microwave Crab Legs
Microwave each group, one at a time, on high, for 2 minutes each. Carefully remove from the microwave and remove the crab legs from the plastic and paper towel wrapping. Serve right away. Enjoy your microwaved crab legs.
Shelling Crab Legs
You can use kitchen scissors to cut down the length of a king crab leg. Then fold it open to get the meat. Use a small fork to grab and remove the meat. Snow crab legs are a little bit more complicated.
- Remove each leg from the cluster. Just snap it off from the cluster.
- Snap each leg, at the joint, breaking the legs into two pieces.
- Use two hands to, gently and carefully, bend the snow crab leg part back and forth, until the shell breaks.
- Pull the meat out from the shell with a small fork.
- Use a cracker to gently break open the shells on the claws. Peel back the shell, until you can slide the meat out.
- Crack the cluster gently with your hands and fold it open. Use a small fork to get to all of the meat.
Read more: Are Crab Legs a Healthy Food?
King Crab Legs Nutrition
Whether you reheat crab legs in the microwave, pot or oven, here are the nutrition facts for one large 19 inch (119 gram) steamed king crab leg from the USDA:
- Calories: 97.6
- Protein: 21.1 grams
- Fat: 0.88 grams
- Cholesterol: 114 milligrams
Minerals:
- Magnesium: 42.8 milligrams
- Calcium: 108 milligrams
- Phosphorous: 276 milligrams
- Potassium: 306 milligrams
- Sodium: 770 milligrams
- Zinc: 4.51 milligrams
- Selenium: 50.7 micrograms
Vitamins:
- Vitamin C: 3.93 milligrams
- Niacin (vitamin B-3): 3.25 milligrams
- Folate (vitamin B-9): 60.7 micrograms
- Vitamin B-12: 3.94 micrograms
- Vitamin A: 1.19 micrograms
- Vitamin E: 2.18 milligrams
King crab legs are a good source of protein. Harvard Health recommends getting 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram (2.20 pounds) of body weight. For example, a woman aged 50 years who doesn't exercise needs 53 grams of protein every day.
Read more: King Crab Legs Nutrition Information
Old Bay King Crab Legs Recipe
Livestrong also notes that we can boil crab legs. This recipe uses lemon and Old Bay seafood seasoning.
Things You'll Need
3 pounds of frozen and cooked king crab legs
6 ounces of seafood seasoning such as Old Bay
2 lemons
1 stick of unsalted butter
Measuring cup
Water
Tongs
Step 1: Cook the Crab
Place crab legs in a large pot and cover with 4 cups of water. Add seasoning and stir. Cut the lemons in half, squeeze the lemon juice into the pot, and then throw the rinds into the pot as well.
Put a lid on the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook for 5 minutes. Use tongs to remove the crab legs and place on a serving dish.
Tip
You may need to add more water to cover the crab legs, depending on the size of the pot you're using. For every 2 quarts of additional water, add ¼ cup of the seasoning, and another lemon.
Step 2: Melt the Butter
While the crab is cooking, use a small saucepan to melt the butter over low-to-medium heat. Wait about 1 minute, until the butter starts to simmer and foam. Remove the pan from the heat, and allow it to sit for 5 minutes.
Step 3: Serve the Butter
Use a spoon to get any milk solids out of the butter. Then carefully pour into a serving bowl. Serve the melted butter with the crab legs.
This Old Bay king crab legs recipe is delicious. Try using some of this seasoning on your microwaved crab legs, too.
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