Fast delivery
Get in as fast as 1 hour
It’s all local
Shop your favorites
Direct chat
Connect with shoppers
Crab Legs for Delivery or Pickup
The Instacart guide to crab legs
About crab legs
When it comes to seafood, crab legs are one of the most succulent options available. Crab legs typically come from either king crabs or snow crabs, as the other types of crabs are smaller and, therefore, sold whole. King crab legs offer the most meat, but snow crab legs have meat that's a little sweeter. Although crab legs are seasonal, you can usually find them in the supermarket all year long. This is because they're often frozen, which preserves them for selling in the off-season.
It's also important to note that you can get crab legs that are either fresh or precooked. If you go with the precooked version, you can rest assured that the meat will taste just as good as fresh crab legs. Fishers immediately cook the crab legs on the boat and then flash freeze them to lock in their freshness. Keep in mind that the longer your crab legs defrost, the more flavor they lose.
While preparing crab legs isn't very difficult, for some, eating them can be. If you haven't perfected your crab leg-cracking skills, the process can be quite messy. Make sure you have a table cloth or something else covering your eating surface to make cleanup after a crab feast a breeze. The outer shell of a crab leg can be difficult to crack, so you might need a special tool, such as a nutcracker or a lobster cracker. To pull the meat out of the leg once you've cracked the shell, you can use a skewer or long fork.
Cutting the shell with a pair of kitchen scissors is another way you can get to that savory crab meat more easily. Some people like to devour their crab leg meat as they go, while others prefer to save it up and enjoy it all at once or add it to another dish. No matter how you like to eat your crab leg meat, using the Instacart app makes it easy to get crab legs when you want them. Simply place an order through the app, and an Instacart shopper will deliver the same day!
Cooking tips for crab legsÂ
Even though many people only enjoy crab legs at expensive seafood restaurants, they're quite simple to prepare yourself at home. These are the three main and most popular ways to prepare crab legs at home:
- Boil: Boiling crab legs is probably the most common way people cook them. This method requires you to fill a pot with water and add salt. If you'd like, you can also add other flavors, which will penetrate the meat as it boils. Once the water begins to boil, place your crab legs in the pot. Make sure that the crab legs are completely covered by water and bring it back to a boil. If the crab legs are precooked, simmer them for about five minutes. Fresh crab legs only need to simmer for a few minutes more.
- Bake: If you prefer to cook your crab legs in the oven, set the temperature to broil. Spread your crab legs out on a baking sheet, and coat them with a layer of butter. Add garlic or lemon if you'd like a little more flavor. Place the baking sheet in the oven. After about three to four minutes, flip the crab legs over and continue to bake for another three to four minutes. Just like with the boiling method, fresh crab legs may take a few minutes more, but this method gives the crab legs a nice caramelized texture.
- Steam: Steaming is another way to cook crab legs. Put about 1 inch of water in a large pot, and then allow it to come to a boil. Next, place your crab legs in a steamer basket and put it over the boiling water. Cover the crab legs with a lid. Let them steam for five to seven minutes. When they're done, you can serve them with your preferred seasoning and savory garlic butter.
Regardless of how you like to cook your crab legs, you can use the Instacart app to order yours and have them delivered in as little as 2 hours!
Crab Legs and Clusters Near Me
Buy your favorite Crab Legs and Clusters online with Instacart. Order Crab Legs and Clusters from local and national retailers near you and enjoy on-demand, contactless delivery or pickup within 2 hours.
FAQs about crab legs
Crab legs are expensive when compared to other types of seafood. King crab legs are typically more expensive than other types of crab. But overall, crab meat is going to cost you no matter what type you buy. This is because of the short season that fishers can catch crab, which is also a very dangerous job. In addition, many restrictions are imposed on catching crab to protect the animal and keep the prices somewhat inflated. You'll mostly see crab leg prices at market value because the price fluctuates based on availability.