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    Home » Dinner

    12/13/2022

    Snow Crab vs King Crab {Differences + How to Cook Crab Legs}

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    Snow Crab vs King Crab – explore the similarities and differences between the two popular crab legs! They both have an incredibly delicious taste and pair great with clarified butter and other seafood sauces, but there are several differences between the two.

    If you love seafood and want to try different ways to enjoy crab meat, check out our Crab Cake Bites, Stuffed Crabs, and Spicy Crab Rolls.

    Whether you’re ordering in a restaurant or cooking your own at home, you’ll find everything you need with this complete guide.

    Snow Crab vs King Crab – explore the differences between the two popular crabs! Whether you’re ordering in a restaurant or cook your own at home, you’ll find everything you need with this complete guide.

    There are many types of crabs including snow crabs, king crabs, Dungeness crabs, and stone crabs. Snow crabs and king crabs are common for culinary use, and you can find their legs available at grocery stores. Most of the legs were cooked and flash-frozen for easy transport. 

    They both have delicate and sweet white meat, which primarily comes from the legs, and can be cooked the same way, but they are also quite different in many aspects. 

    Table of Contents Show
    The differences between snow crab and king crab
    1. Different sizes
    2. Different tastes and texture
    3. Different prices
    4. Ease of eating
    5. Fishing season
    Snow crab legs vs king crab legs
    Which crab to buy: snow crab or king crab?
    How to cook snow crab legs and king crab legs
    Snow Crab vs King Crab (Crab Legs Recipe )

    The differences between snow crab and king crab

    There are 6 factors distinguishing snow crabs and king crabs: the size, taste, texture, price, ease of eating and fishing season. The chart below summarizes these differences:

     Snow CrabKing Crab
    SizeMuch smaller than king crabLarge
    TasteSweet and subtly briny flavorDelicate, rich and sweet (lobster-like flavor)
    TextureShred more easily (more fibrous)Tender and smooth
    PriceMore affordableMost expensive
    Ease of eatingEasier to handle More difficult, and have to use crackers
    Fishing seasonFall to summerLate fall to early winter

    1. Different sizes

    King crab is much larger than snow crab. The weight of a king crab could be over 20 pounds while a snow crab weighs 1-3 pounds on average.

    2. Different tastes and texture

    Snow crab’s meat has a sweet and subtly briny flavor. The texture is firm and shred more easily into pieces (therefore more fibrous) than king crab meat. King crab’s meat is more delicate and softer with a rich and sweet flavor.

    Closeup of snow crab meat dipping into melted butter.
    Snow crab meat
    Closeup of king crab meat dipping into melted butter.
    King crab meat

    3. Different prices

    Due to its superior lobster-like flavor and limited availability, king crabs are much more expensive than snow crabs. The legs from snow crabs are also thinner and less impressive, making them a more affordable option.

    4. Ease of eating

    Snow crab leg shells are softer and most of the time you can crack them open with your hands, while king crab is more labor intensive to eat. You’ll need crab crackers to take the meat out from king crab legs.

    Snow crab
    Snow crab: easier to crack
    King crab
    King crab: need a cracker to open

    5. Fishing season

    While frozen snow crab legs and king crab legs are available year-round at the grocery store, the harvesting season for snow crab is from late fall to the summer. Alaskan king crab fishing usually occurs during the fall and winter months. Most king crabs are harvested in the North Pacific and Bering Sea. 

    Snow crab legs vs king crab legs

    Snow crab legs are smaller and cheaper than king crab. They’re sold in clusters with some body meat attached to the legs and claw, weighing in at about a half-pound per cluster (5 legs).

    King crab legs have the largest, meatiest legs and are the most sought-after! They have a spiny and prickly shell that can be tricky to handle. King crab legs are often sold in 1 pound packages in supermarkets.

    Close up of snow crab legs
    Snow crab legs
    Closeup of king crab legs.
    King crab legs

    Which crab to buy: snow crab or king crab?

    Choosing between snow crab and king crab largely depends on your budget and personal preferences. In terms of flavor, you won’t go wrong with whichever you pick.

    How to cook snow crab legs and king crab legs

    As most king crab and snow crab you’ll find have been caught, cooked and flash frozen on the finishing boat, all you need to do is to thaw and reheat in order to get them ready to serve. You can reheat by boiling, steaming, baking or even grilling. My favorite method is to bake them in the oven. Here is a recipe that works well for both snow crab and king crab legs.

    Brushing crab legs with the mixture of melted butter and chopped parsley.

    First thaw the crab legs overnight in the fridge. When they’re completely thawed, place them on a baking sheet and brush with the mixture of melted butter and chopped parsley. Bake at 375°F (191°C) for 7-8 minutes or until cooked through. I like to serve them with lemon wedges and dip into melted butter.

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    Snow Crab vs King Crab – explore the differences between the two popular crabs! Whether you’re ordering in a restaurant or cook your own at home, you’ll find everything you need with this complete guide.

    Snow Crab vs King Crab (Crab Legs Recipe )

    Learn how to cook snow crab and king crab legs with this easy recipe guide.
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 8 minutes
    Total Time: 13 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Author: Izzy

    Ingredients 

    • 3-4 pounds crab legs snow crab or king crab
    • 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
    • 1 lemon
    • 1/2 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley plus more for garnishing

    Instructions 

    • Thaw crab legs in the fridge the night before. (If you forget to thaw them before cooking, you can place them under cold running water for about 15 minutes.)
    • Preheat oven to 375°F (191°C).
    • In a small bowl, mix together melted butter and chopped parsley.
    • Place the crab legs on a baking sheet and brush with the butter and parsley mixture.
    • Bake for 7-8 minutes or until cooked through.
    • Remove from oven and sprinkle more fresh parsley on top.
    • Serve with lemon wedges and melted butter.

    Notes

    • Make sure you don’t overcook the crab legs, otherwise, they can get rubbery and chewy.
    Author: Izzy
    Course: Dinner, Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Snow crab vs king crab
    Tried this recipe?Follow or tag us on Pinterest @izzycooking

    Filed Under: Cooking Basics, Dinner Tagged With: butter, king crab, lemon, parsley, snow crab

    About Izzy

    I'm Izzy, a food lover and photographer. Here you’ll find a collection of simple recipes that are perfect for busy people. My blog aims to help you make and enjoy delicious and healthy food at home.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lily says

      December 26, 2020 at 8:44 am

      Wondering what is the purpose of brushing the shells with melted butter when the shells will be discarded? Thanks.

      Reply
      • izzycooking says

        December 26, 2020 at 10:04 am

        Hi Lily, there’s always some meat exposed and will soak up the flavor from the butter. In addition, your crab legs will smell so good with butter. But feel free to skip this step, and just dip the crab legs into melted butter during serving. Hope this helps.

        Reply
    2. John says

      September 06, 2021 at 2:54 pm

      I throughly defrost, place 3 half crab legs in baking disk, cove with old bay, cover baking dish with Sarah wrap, microwave forv3 minutes, eat

      Reply

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