Alaskan Snow Crab Legs
Alaskan snow crab legs are the sweet, mild, easy-to-crack legs of the opilio crab, harvested from the cold water of the Bering Sea. Ours are cooked and flash-frozen at sea within hours of coming out of the water, then shipped to your door frozen solid on dry ice. That is the whole reason they taste the way they do.
Each pack is approximately 8 oz of single legs, ready to steam, boil or bake straight from frozen.
Why frozen at sea beats the fish counter
Most snow crab sold as "fresh" has been thawed for the display case, and it has usually travelled some distance to get there. Crab starts losing its texture the moment it thaws. Freezing at sea, on the boat, stops that clock at its best point. What you thaw at home is closer to what came out of the pot on deck than anything you can buy at a counter.
We are a fishermen-owned company. The boats that catch this crab are the boats we know, and you can read about them on our harvesters page.
How to cook snow crab legs
Do not thaw them first. Snow crab legs arrive already cooked, so all you are doing is heating them through.
- Steam: 5 to 7 minutes over boiling water, from frozen.
- Boil: drop into salted boiling water for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Oven: 375°F for 8 to 10 minutes, in a covered dish with a splash of water.
They are done when they are hot right through and the shell smells sweet. Overcooking is the only way to ruin them, and it happens fast, so pull them early and check. Serve with melted butter and lemon. A pair of kitchen shears beats a cracker for opening the legs cleanly.
Questions people ask
What is snow crab?
Snow crab is the common name for opilio crab, a cold-water crab caught in the Bering Sea. It has long, slim legs, a sweet mild flavour and a shell soft enough to open by hand or with shears. It is the crab most people picture when they think of crab legs.
Are these snow crab legs already cooked?
Yes. They are cooked and flash-frozen at sea, so you only need to heat them through.
How much snow crab do I need per person?
Roughly 1 lb of legs per person as a main course, or 8 oz as a starter or as part of a larger meal.
How is snow crab different from king crab?
King crab legs are much larger, meatier and richer, with a hard spiny shell. Snow crab legs are slimmer and sweeter, easier to open, and cost considerably less per pound. If you want volume and easy eating, snow crab. If you want a centrepiece, king crab.
- Serving Size - 5oz
- Calories - 85cal
- Fat - 1g
- Carbs - 0g
- Protein - 16g
To ensure the highest quality and safety, follow these recommended methods for thawing seafood:
Refrigerator Thawing: Place the seafood on a plate and thaw in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours or overnight. This method maintains a safe, constant temperature and preserves the best quality.
Cold Water Thawing: For faster thawing, place your vacuum-sealed seafood in a bowl of cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes. Once thawed, remove the seafood from the packaging, rinse gently with cool water, and pat dry.
Whidbey Island Seafood Company offers to ship to all orders outside of Whidbey Island, Washington. For more information please refer to our Shipping Policy Page.
