This post may contain affiliate links, please see the privacy policy for details.
These sheet pan crab legs are baked from frozen with Old Bay, then served with warm garlic butter and fresh lemon. There’s no boiling or thawing first, and the snow crab clusters only need 10 to 15 minutes in a 425°F oven. I like this method because everything stays contained on one pan and you don’t need a big pot of boiling water. The Old Bay adds plenty of seasoning without covering up the flavor of the crab.
Why You’ll Love It
Frozen snow crab legs bake in the oven in 10 to 15 minutes with Old Bay, then get served with warm garlic butter and fresh lemon.
Cook them from frozen: There’s no need to thaw the snow crab clusters before they go into the oven.
Ready in 20 minutes: Prep takes about 5 minutes and the crab legs bake for just 10 to 15 minutes.
Old Bay and garlic butter: The crab is brushed with Old Bay and olive oil before baking, then served with more Old Bay mixed into melted garlic butter.
No boiling required: Everything cooks on a rimmed baking sheet, so there’s no large pot of water to deal with.
Also consider campfire shrimp scampi foil packets or this sheet pan blackened tilapia Baja fish nachos. Sheet pan honey garlic pork chops are also tasty.
Baked Snow Crab Legs Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Snow crab clusters: Use frozen snow crab clusters straight from the freezer. There’s no need to thaw them before baking.
Olive oil: Mixed with half the Old Bay and brushed over the shells before the crab goes into the oven.
Old Bay seasoning: Half seasons the crab before baking and the rest goes into the garlic butter for serving.
Butter: Melted butter makes the base of the dipping sauce. Salted or unsalted both work, but taste before adding any extra salt.
Garlic: Use freshly minced garlic in the melted butter.
Lemon: Serve fresh lemon slices or wedges alongside the crab legs for squeezing over the meat.
How to Cook Crab Legs in the Oven with Old Bay
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Preheat the oven: Heat the oven to 425°F and arrange the frozen snow crab clusters in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet.
Season the crab: Mix the olive oil with 1 Teaspoon Old Bay and brush it over the crab clusters.
Bake: Bake the frozen crab legs for 10 to 15 minutes, until heated through.
Make the garlic butter: While the crab is in the oven, combine the melted butter, minced garlic and remaining Old Bay.
Serve: Serve the baked crab legs hot with the warm garlic butter and fresh lemon slices or wedges.
Substitutions and Variations
Try king crab legs: You can use king crab instead of snow crab, but the legs are much thicker and may need additional heating time. Use crab crackers to get through the thicker shells.
Change the seasoning: Replace the Old Bay with another seafood seasoning or Cajun seasoning. Keep an eye on the salt if your seasoning blend already contains plenty of it.
Use salted or unsalted butter: Either works for the garlic butter. If you’re using unsalted butter, taste the finished sauce before deciding whether it needs extra salt.
Add a little heat: Mix a pinch of cayenne or crushed red pepper flakes into the garlic butter.
Serving Suggestions
With a side dish: Enjoy this delicious recipe warm from the oven and give everyone their own melted butter dip and a wedge of lemon. It goes well with crusty bread or mushroom focaccia, or a simple tossed green salad.
With vegetables: Keep the sides light and simple because the garlic butter is very rich and you’ll want a nice contrast. Mashed potatoes, boiled potatoes or smoked asparagus would also be good on the side.
How to Store
Store: Keep leftover cooked crab legs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freeze: Freeze cooked crab legs in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Thaw: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheat: Reheat crab legs in a 350°F oven for about 10 to 12 minutes, just until warmed through. If you’ve already removed the crabmeat from the shells, warm it gently in a skillet with a little butter.
Top Tips
Cook them straight from frozen: A reader asked about this, and it’s worth making really clear. I put the frozen snow crab clusters right onto the sheet pan without thawing them first.
Use a rimmed baking sheet: The crab can release liquid as it heats, so you don’t want to use a completely flat baking sheet.
Keep the clusters in one layer: Give the crab legs room on the pan so they heat evenly rather than piling them on top of each other.
Don’t keep baking them unnecessarily: Most frozen snow crab legs are already cooked, so you’re heating them through rather than cooking raw crab meat from scratch. Overheating can make the meat dry and rubbery.
Have crab crackers and napkins ready: Snow crab shells can often be opened by hand, but crackers make stubborn sections easier to deal with.
Baked Crab Legs FAQs
No. This recipe uses frozen snow crab clusters straight from the freezer. Arrange them on the baking sheet, season them and bake at 425°F for 10 to 15 minutes.
For the frozen snow crab clusters used in this recipe, bake them at 425°F for 10 to 15 minutes, just until heated through. Larger or thicker crab legs may need more time.
Baked Snow Crab Legs Recipe
Sheet Pan Crab Legs
Equipment
- Baking Sheet High-Rimmed
Ingredients
- 2 snow crabs, frozen clusters
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 Teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
- 4 Tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 Clove garlic, large, minced
- 1 lemon, sliced, to serve
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Place the frozen crab clusters in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. There is no need to thaw them first.
- In a small mixing bowl, stir together the olive oil and 1 teaspoon Old Bay. Brush the olive oil mixture over each cluster.
- Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the crab legs are heated through.
- Add remaining teaspoon of Old Bay, melted butter, and minced garlic to a bowl. Stir until combined.
- Serve crab alongside garlic butter and lemon slices.
Notes
Use a rimmed baking sheet: The crab can release liquid as it heats, so you don’t want to use a completely flat baking sheet.
Keep the clusters in one layer: Give the crab legs room on the pan so they heat evenly rather than piling them on top of each other.
Don’t keep baking them unnecessarily: Most frozen snow crab legs are already cooked, so you’re heating them through rather than cooking raw crab meat from scratch. Overheating can make the meat dry and rubbery.
Have crab crackers and napkins ready: Snow crab shells can often be opened by hand, but crackers make stubborn sections easier to deal with.
Nutrition
Baking snow crab legs has become one of those methods I think looks much more complicated than it actually is. They go straight from the freezer onto the sheet pan, bake for 10 to 15 minutes, and the garlic Old Bay butter is ready by the time they come out. Keep plenty of lemon and napkins nearby and serve them while they’re hot.
Other Recipes to Try
- This Dirty Martini Dip Recipe is perfect for parties or casual gatherings.
- Crab Cake Egg Rolls with Fire Sauce are a twist on a classic appetizer!
- Satisfy seafood cravings with Crab Cakes and Garlic Lemon Chipotle Aioli.
- Warm up on chilly days with cozy Slow Cooker Key West Crab Lobster Bisque.
- Sheet Pan Garlic Parmesan Roasted Carrots is a simple yet elegant side dish that pairs perfectly with any main course!
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
Your recipes are exciting. I can not wait to try them
Hope you enjoy them, Phyllis!
Since my family is a seafood lover, I made it for them this past weekend. Looks like we have a new favorite!
There was no leftovers. It was so good!
Big hit with the family! Will definitely repeat.
Is this cooked from frozen? Or thawed first?
They are cooked from frozen, so you don’t need to thaw them.