Steaming Crab Legs: Express Cooker Method

Steaming crab legs is a simple and effective way to cook crab at home, without needing to go to a high-end restaurant. The gentle, moist heat helps to preserve the sweet taste and tender texture of the meat. It is also less likely to overcook the crab, which can happen when boiling. Steaming crab legs can be done in a few different ways, including in an instant pot, on the stovetop, in the oven, or even in the microwave.

Prepare ingredients

To steam crab legs in an express cooker, you'll need to prepare the following ingredients:

Crab Legs

Firstly, you'll need to decide what type of crab you want to cook. The varieties most commonly sold as legs are king crab and snow crab. Dungeness, blue, and stone crabs are often sold whole. King crabs are larger, with thick, meaty legs, while snow crabs are smaller, with longer, skinnier, less meaty legs. You can usually find these varieties frozen in supermarkets or buy them fresh from a local fish market.

Water

You'll need to add water to your express cooker to create steam. The amount of water required will depend on the size of your cooker, but generally, you'll want to add enough so that the bottom of your steamer basket or trivet is not in direct contact with the water. This is usually around 1-3 inches of water.

Lemon

Lemon is a common ingredient used to add flavour to steamed crab legs. You can add lemon wedges to the water in your express cooker, or squeeze lemon juice over the crab legs after cooking. You can also serve the crab legs with lemon wedges on the side.

Butter

Melted butter is often served as a dipping sauce for crab legs. You can use regular melted butter or clarify it first.

Seasonings

There are several seasonings you can use to enhance the flavour of your crab legs. This includes salt, Old Bay seasoning, garlic powder, paprika, and white wine. You can also make a garlic butter sauce by melting butter and adding minced garlic and lemon juice.

Other Ingredients

Some recipes suggest adding potatoes, corn, sausage, or onions to your express cooker for a heartier meal.

Use a trivet or steamer basket

Using a trivet or steamer basket is a great way to steam crab legs in an express cooker. This method ensures that the crab legs are not immersed in water, which can cause them to lose flavour. Here is a step-by-step guide:

Firstly, you will need to gather your equipment and ingredients. For this method, you will need a multi-functional pressure cooker, such as an Instant Pot, a trivet or steamer basket, crab legs, water, lemon, and butter. You can also add seasonings such as Old Bay or garlic to enhance the flavour.

Once you have your ingredients, place the trivet or steamer basket inside the pressure cooker. Add water to the cooker, ensuring that the bottom of the trivet or basket does not come into direct contact with the water. You only need a small amount of water, around 1-3 inches, in the cooker.

Place the crab legs on top of the trivet or steamer basket. Depending on the size of your cooker, you may need to let the crab legs thaw for a few minutes so that they fit inside. Close and lock the lid of the cooker.

Select the high-pressure setting according to the manufacturer's instructions and set the timer. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of the crab legs and whether they are frozen or thawed. For example, one source recommends 3 minutes at high pressure for frozen crab legs, while another suggests 5 minutes for thawed crab legs.

After the timer goes off, carefully release the pressure using the quick-release method according to the manufacturer's instructions. This step will take a few minutes. Once the pressure is released, unlock and remove the lid.

Use tongs to transfer the crab legs to a serving dish. Squeeze lemon juice on top and serve with melted butter. You can also serve the crab legs with garlic butter or a compound butter of your choice. Enjoy your delicious steamed crab legs!

Cook for 2-5 minutes

Once you've placed your crab legs in the pressure cooker, it's time to cook them. Close and lock the lid, then select high pressure according to the manufacturer's instructions. Set the timer for 2-5 minutes, allowing 10 minutes for pressure to build.

After the timer goes off, carefully release the pressure using the quick-release method according to the manufacturer's instructions. This should take about 5 minutes. Once the pressure is released, you can unlock and remove the lid.

Your crab legs are now ready to be served! Use tongs to transfer them to a serving dish. You can squeeze some lemon juice on top and serve them with melted butter for a delicious treat.

Enjoy your freshly steamed crab legs!

Release pressure and remove lid

Once the timer goes off, move the valve to the "release" position and release the pressure using the quick-release method as per the manufacturer's instructions. This should take about 5 minutes. Once the pressure is released, you can unlock and carefully remove the lid.

It is important to follow the manufacturer's instructions for releasing pressure and removing the lid, as different brands of pressure cookers may have specific instructions that need to be followed for safe handling. Make sure to protect your hand from the steam when removing the lid, as it can be extremely hot.

After removing the lid, use tongs to transfer the crab legs to a serving dish. Be cautious when handling the crab legs, as they will be hot. It is recommended to let the crab legs continue to steam in the pot for an additional 5 minutes before serving.

You can now proceed to squeeze lemon juice on top of the crab legs and serve them with melted butter. Enjoy your delicious steamed crab legs!

Serve with melted butter

Crab legs are best served immediately with melted butter, lemon wedges, or other seafood dipping sauces. You can also serve them with a simple side of melted butter or with a garlic butter sauce.

To make a garlic butter sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, then remove from heat. Add lemon juice and chopped parsley or dill, if desired. You can serve the garlic butter on the side for dipping or drizzling over the crab legs.

If you want to add some spice to your crab legs, you can make a hot garlic butter sauce by adding hot sauce. Alternatively, you can serve the crab legs with a compound butter, which is a type of flavoured butter that can be melted and used as a dipping sauce.

When serving crab legs, it is recommended to have crab crackers and splitters available, as well as a trash can nearby, as the crab leg scraps can create a strong smell if left overnight.

Frequently asked questions