How to Thaw Frozen Crab Legs

eHow may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. Learn more about our affiliate and product review process here.

Things You'll Need

  • Crab legs

  • Refrigerator

Most crab legs are cooked and flash frozen while they are still fresh.

Crab legs are one of the simplest foods you can eat at home. While many people only get crab legs at restaurants, they are easily prepared and served in your own kitchen. Since you will more than likely be buying crab legs frozen, you should know how to thaw them properly.

Advertisement

Step 1

Place the crab legs in the refrigerator overnight. This is far and away the best way to thaw frozen crab legs. Do not thaw crab legs at room temperature for safety reasons.

Video of the Day

Step 2

Thaw crab legs under running water if you don't have the time to thaw overnight. Running a stream of cold water over the crab legs will thaw them much faster than the refrigerator.

Advertisement

Step 3

Once crab legs are defrosted, they just need to be heated. Make sure to do these in two separate steps: thaw, then cook. Since crab legs are usually cooked prior to your purchase, you just need to heat them in whatever way you'd like, such as steaming or grilling.

Warning

Do not microwave frozen crab legs to defrost them, as the meat can begin to cook and get tough.

Advertisement

Video of the Day

Report an Issue

screenshot of the current page

Screenshot loading...