Crab legs are a popular seafood and a hearty source of protein that is globally enjoyed. Though many crabs can be cooked whole, removing and cooking the legs separately from the bodies a common practice.
The two main methods for cooking crab legs are steaming and boiling (but boiling is, by far, the most popular method). Knowing how long to boil crab legs is the hardest part of cooking them, but once you learn, you’ll never forget! This guide will answer all your questions regarding how long it takes to boil different types of crab legs.
- The Basic Steps of Boiling Crab Legs
- How Long to Boil Crab Legs
- How Long to Boil Different Types of Crab Legs
- How Long to Boil King Crab Legs
- How Long Does it Take to Boil King Crab Legs?
- How Long to Boil Frozen King Crab Legs
- How Long to Boil Pre-cooked King Crab Legs
- How Long to Boil Alaskan King Crab Legs
- How Long to Boil Snow Crab Legs
- How Long to Boil Dungeness Crab Legs
- Table: How Long to Boil Crab by Type
- Fresh vs. Frozen vs. Cooked Crab Legs
- How Long to Boil Fresh Crab Legs
- How Long to Boil Frozen Crab Legs
- How Long to Boil Cooked Crab Legs
- Table: How Long to Boil Crab by Temperature
- How Long to Cook Crab Legs in a Seafood Boil
The Basic Steps of Boiling Crab Legs
Though the boiling time will vary depending on the type, size and purpose of your crab legs, the basic steps are essentially the same.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add the crab legs and make sure they’re completely submerged under the water.
- Allow the crab legs to boil for the recommended amount of time (see below for details).
- Remove the crab legs from the water with tongs or strain them and serve with desired seasonings and garnishes, like butter and lemon.
How Long to Boil Crab Legs
How long do crab legs take to boil? Determining how long to cook crab legs in boiling water depends on a few specifics, like the type, size and beginning temperature of the crab legs. Generally speaking, though, you’ll want to boil most types of crab legs for around 5 minutes.
How Long to Boil Different Types of Crab Legs
You’ll need to boil different types of crab legs for different lengths of time, depending on the type of crab you’re using and whether it’s fresh, frozen or pre-cooked. The cooking time will typically vary from 5-10 minutes – recipes almost never call for cooking times longer than that.
How Long to Boil King Crab Legs
King crab legs can range in size from around 6 to 9 inches in length and are typically one of the more expensive options when selecting crab legs, but many find their flavorful meat worth the price. So, how long do king crab legs take to boil?
How Long Does it Take to Boil King Crab Legs?
King crab legs take no longer than 5-7 minutes to boil. Just make sure the legs are completely submerged under the water to ensure even cooking.
How Long to Boil Frozen King Crab Legs
Frozen king crab legs can be boiled for the same amount of time as fresh king crab legs. It only takes around 5 minutes to boil frozen king crab legs.
How Long to Boil Pre-cooked King Crab Legs
King crab legs that have already been cooked can be re-heated by boiling for up to 5 minutes or until they’ve reached the desired temperature. To preserve freshness, most store-bought crab legs have already been cooked at the time they were caught.
How Long to Boil Alaskan King Crab Legs
Alaskan king crab legs are a variety of king crab legs that are large in size and take around 5-7 minutes to boil. This rule of thumb also works for Norwegian king crab, red king crab, brown king crab and most other varieties of large king crab legs.
How Long to Boil Snow Crab Legs
By now you might be wondering about snow crab legs and how long to boil them. Snow crab is typically smaller than king crab, but it takes just about the same amount of time to cook. You only need to boil fresh snow crab legs for 5 minutes.
If you’re looking for information on how long to boil frozen snow crab legs, there is no time difference, but you can add up to two minutes of boiling time if your legs are frozen solid or still cold in the middle.
How Long to Boil Dungeness Crab Legs
Dungeness crab is local to the west coast of North America and is typically boiled whole, but you can boil the legs separately from the body for 5 minutes. The shell should change color and become bright orange or red when the dungeness crab legs are done boiling.
Table: How Long to Boil Crab by Type
| Type of Fresh Crab | How Long to Boil (in minutes) |
| King crab | 5-7 minutes |
| Snow crab | 5 minutes |
| Dungeness crab | 5 minutes |
Fresh vs. Frozen vs. Cooked Crab Legs
How Long to Boil Fresh Crab Legs
When boiling fresh crab legs, aim to boil them between 5-7 minutes, depending on the size of the legs. For shorter legs, boil the crab legs for closer to 5 minutes adding time for longer legs.
How Long to Boil Frozen Crab Legs
If you’re cooking frozen crab legs, it can take somewhere between 5-7 minutes to boil them to perfection. Allow them to thaw, if possible, and boil them the same way you would boil fresh crab legs. If that’s not possible, you can boil them straight from the freezer.
How Long to Boil Cooked Crab Legs
Pre-cooked crab legs only need to be boiled for 5 minutes to bring them up to the desired temperature before consuming them. Be sure not to boil them for too long or the meat will become chewy and unpleasant.
Table: How Long to Boil Crab by Temperature
| Type of Crab Legs | How Long to Boil (in minutes) |
| Fresh | 5 minutes |
| Frozen | 5-7 minutes |
| Pre-cooked | 3-5 minutes |
How Long to Cook Crab Legs in a Seafood Boil
Seafood boils are a popular dish that contains both whole and partial crab legs. To cook crab legs in a seafood boil, boil them for 5-10 minutes in the pot with the other ingredients. They’re usually added last, once other ingredients have partially finished cooking, to allow all the ingredients to finish cooking at the same time.
