This Spicy Dungeness Crab Legs recipe from my “An American Gal’s Cookbook.” It is the perfect summer treat! Add a little salad and some fresh garlic bread and just wait for all the “Ooohs! and Ahhhs!.” It’s fast and so easy and definitely a big crowd pleaser!
Spicy Dungeness Crab Legs
Recipe by: Bobbi Jo Lathan
Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: Southern
PREP TIME
8 mins
COOK TIME
10 mins
TOTAL TIME
18 mins
INGREDIENTS
2 large Dungeness crabs (already steamed-cleaned and the legs cracked by the fishmonger)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves fresh garlic (pressed or minced)
1 tablespoon paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large lemon (zested and juiced)
Dipping Sauce
3 tablespoons butter
Juice of 1 fresh lemon
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat your oven to 425°. The oven must be hot when you roast the crabs.
Get out a small mixing bowl and add the melted butter, olive oil, minced garlic, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper, and lemon juice. Whisk all the ingredients together until nicely blended.
Get out a large baking pan and place the already steamed crab pieces on the pan. (Depending upon how large your crabs are, you might need 2 pans.)
Brush all the crab pieces with the spicy butter mixture. You want to be sure the crab pieces are completely covered in the spicy lemon-butter mixture.
Place the baking pan with the crabs into your hot oven and roast for 10 minutes.
Dipping Sauce
In a little sauce pot, heat the butter until frothy, then add the lemon juice and stir or whisk for a minute until combined.
Pour the lemon-butter into little ramekins or individual bowls and set them on the table.
Note: Serve the crabs immediately while still hot. Don’t forget your crab-claw cracker to get to all that crab meat. You’ll also want a bib and an ice-cold beer. You will find this spicy Dungeness crab can be deliciously messy!