Fried Crab Legs starts with frozen Alaskan King Crab Legs, dipped, and breaded in our custom coating. We fry them in lard in a cast iron dutch oven.
These massive king legs were filled with meat, dipped in our homemade breading, and fried to a perfect golden brown crunch… absolutely stunning!
Growing up in Corbin, Kentucky, we ate tons of fish that we caught locally from ponds, but we never saw or heard of Alaskan King Crab Legs. As adults, we love king crab legs but rarely get the opportunity to enjoy them. So, this was an absolute pleasure for us to make them for you. Honestly, nothing compares to our breaded fried king crab legs. The typical side dish for us is our Baked Potato.
Our homemade breading recipe is the slam dunk in this dish. Once you’ve tasted our remarkable Deep Fried Crab Legs recipe, you’ll never see crab legs the same. Their appearance is breathtaking, the taste is unbelievably delicious… that marvelous juicy crab meat, and the breading fried golden brown to perfection!
Our Legs are not just stunning, the breading makes it delectable, and the crab meat is light, juicy, and tasty. This king crab legs recipe will be a gigantic hit for the holidays and can be paired with nearly any side dish.
The appearance of our Legs is fantastic. This will be your favorite King Crab Legs recipe!
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Why you'll love this Fried Crab Legs Recipe
- This is an entirely different way to enjoy crab legs.
- The crunchy breading makes for an easy non-messy finger food.
Ingredients
- Large Alaskan King Crab Legs - thawed
- Eggs
- Water
- Flour
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Cayenne
- Salt
- Pepper
- Old Bay Seasoning
- Panko Breadcrumbs
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Deep Fry Crab Legs
Allow Alaskan King Crab Legs to thaw in the refrigerator.
Use scissors to cut down the back of each crab leg section.
Use your fingers to get inside the leg to loosen the meat and remove it by pulling the meat through the opening. Set aside.
In a shallow dish, beat eggs and water until blended. Set aside.
In a shallow bowl, combine flour, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, cayenne, and ½ teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning.
Whisk to combine and set aside.
In another shallow bowl, whisk together panko and remaining Old Bay seasoning. Set aside.
Dredge meat in flour mixture on both sides and shake off excess.
Dip in egg wash on both sides and allow excess to drip off.
Dip in breadcrumb mixture on both sides and press gently to get breading to stick.
Fry in 350-375 degree oil turning periodically until breading is golden brown (about 5 minutes).
Place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
Substitutions
Missing some of these ingredients? We have a couple substitutions that might help you out:.
- Alaskan King Crab Legs: You can use snow crab legs or even jumbo lump crab meat.
- Panko Breadcrumbs: You can use regular breadcrumbs, though the breading won't be as crispy.
- Seasonings: You can adjust the amounts or types of seasonings to your liking, or add other herbs and spices such as thyme, oregano, or smoked paprika.
- Oil: You can use a different type of oil for frying such as canola oil, vegetable oil, or peanut oil.
Variations
There’s also a couple other ways you can change things up with this recipe:
- Simple (not so spicy) - Remove the onion powder, garlic powder and cayenne pepper.
- Spicier- Double up on the cayenne pepper.
- Sauces - Skip the butter and serve these up with Cocktail Sauce or our Homemade Tartar Sauce.
Top tips
These deep-fried crab legs are pretty easy to make, but here are a few tips to make sure they turn out perfect:
- Use a deep-fry thermometer to ensure that the oil temperature stays between 350°F and 375°F. If the oil is too hot, the crab legs may burn on the outside before they cook on the inside. If the oil is not hot enough, the crab legs may become greasy and soggy.
- Fry the crab legs in small batches to avoid overcrowding the pot and to maintain the temperature of the oil.
- Use a slotted spoon or tongs to carefully place the crab legs into the hot oil to avoid splatters and burns.
- Drain excess oil from the crab legs by placing them on a paper towel-lined plate or a wire rack.
- Serve the deep-fried crab legs immediately while they are still hot and crispy. You can also sprinkle some additional seasoning such as salt or Old Bay seasoning on top for extra flavor.
FAQ
Depending on the size of the crab legs, you should fry them for 4-5 minutes or until they turn golden brown and the crab meat is hot and cooked through. It's important to monitor the frying process closely and adjust the time as needed.
Yes, you can use frozen crab legs for deep-frying, but you should thaw them first in the refrigerator overnight. Pat the crab legs dry with a paper towel before coating them in the breading.
Yes, you can reheat leftover deep-fried crab legs in the oven at 375°F for 10-12 minutes or until heated through. Alternatively, you can reheat them in the microwave for 30-60 seconds, but they may become soggy.
ou can store leftover deep-fried crab legs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat them before serving.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with [this recipe]:
After making our Fried Alaskan King Crab Legs, please glimpse through our other southern dishes.
Check our website for our dinners, sides, or dessert offerings.Thank you for choosing to spend some time with us!
Have a wonderful day!
Fried Alaskan King Crab Legs
from SeniorSkillet.com
Ingredients
- 3 Alaskan King Crab Legs
- 2 Eggs
- 2 tbsp Water
- ¾ cup Flour
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Onion Powder
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ¼ Pepper
- 1 ½ tsp Old Bay Seasoning divided
- 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper divided
- ¾ cup Panko Breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Use scissors/crackers to cut breakdown crab legs and remove meat. Set aside.
- Discard shells.
- In a shallow dish, beat eggs and water until blended. Set aside.
- In a shallow bowl, combine flour, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, 1 teaspoon Old Bay and ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper.
- Whisk to combine and set aside.
- In another shallow bowl, whisk together panko, remaining Old Bay seasoning and remaining cayenne pepper. Set aside.
- Dredge meat in flour mixture on both sides and shake off excess.
- Dip in egg wash on both sides and allow excess to drip off.
- Dip in breadcrumb mixture on both sides and press gently to get breading to stick.
- Fry in 350-375 oil for turning periodically until breading is golden brown (about 4 minutes).
- Place on paper towel lined plate to drain.
Video
Come visit us to see the latest updates, video recipe, handy tips and finished pictures at https://seniorskillet.com.
crab legs
These look SO GOOD. My husband and I do steamed crab legs on Christmas Eve every year, but we're thinking of switching it up a little bit for 2020. I did a test run of this recipe last night, and needless to say we will be using it for the holidays this year!
Mike
I'm glad you liked them. Have a great Christmas!
Patrice
I Will be trying this on Valentines day!
Anne
My husband and I enjoyed these last night! This episode reminds me of Tim Conway and Harvey Korman skits 😂
Bryan
Easy and delicious. Loved it fried.
Thanks
Shashi
I'm so excited to make these. However, in the above directions you mention frozen crab legs. So are you starting that I cut them out of the shell and freeze
them overnight, before I did them in the batter?? So there are frozen when I do so? Please advise!
Monroe “the fry goddess”
Never thought of this before. Just fixed these and they turned out incredible. Everybody was amazing at how good they looked and tasted. It was such a huge hit that we are going to try your fried lobster tail next!
Thank you guys, loved the videos!
Sandra Seay
Thank u.being trying to get the recipe did not give up.now i will be having my crabs on the 4th yes fried Thank u.
Moxon
The best directions ever. Your video was too funny and really helpful. The family loved them, we will be doing these again for sure.
Thank you guys so much and we’ll be watching more of your videos.