This Air Fryer Crab Legs recipe is a simple yet sophisticated dish perfect for weeknight dinners and weekend cookouts. You can make this yummy air fryer seafood recipe in under 15 minutes and with just a few ingredients!
When the heat is on outside, it’s the air fryer to the rescue inside! Su
nshine and seafood is always a welcome summer combo, and this Air Fryer Crab Legs recipe lets you enjoy the seafood in the sun without breaking a sweat.
Recipe ingredients
Crab legs – Most grocery stores and seafood shops sell packages of crab legs, so you don’t even need to break down the whole crab. Just buy the crab legs!
You can use Snow Crab legs or Dungeness Crab legs. I use Dungeness Snap and Eat Crab Legs shipped directly to my home from Premier Catch. I love it because the legs come individually scored, which make it super easy to “snap and eat.” Dungeness crab have a sweet, mild flavor and tender meat.
Garlic – I use minced garlic because I love the flavor that fresh garlic cooked in the air fryer gives the crab legs. But you can also substitute a half teaspoon of garlic powder if you prefer.
Old Bay Seasoning – Old Bay seasoning adds so much nice flavor to any seafood, and especially to crab legs! You can also use a homemade Cajun seasoning if you prefer a little more kick.
Step-by-step instructions
Check out how EASY it is to make delicious crab legs in the air fryer!
Pat the crab legs dry with a paper towel, then place onto a sheet of aluminum foil that is just large enough to wrap around the crab legs.
In a medium bowl, add the olive oil, melted butter, garlic, parsley, Old Bay seasoning, and lemon juice. Give it a good whisk.
Brush the mixture over all sides of the crab legs. Make sure you especially brush sauce on the exposed crab meat.
Then bring the sides of the aluminum foil up to wrap the seasoned crab legs up like a bundle. Place into your air fryer basket.
Air fry at 370° for 5 to 7 minutes. I usually air fry a pound of crab legs for 6 minutes, and that ends up being perfect. Every air fryer is different, so yours may take just a little bit longer or cook a little bit faster.
When the time is up, very carefully lift the basket out of the air fryer.
PrintAir Fryer Crab Legs
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 minutes
- Total Time: 11 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 1 pound crab legs
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1½ teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
-
Pat the crab legs dry with a paper towel, then place onto a sheet of aluminum foil that is just large enough to wrap around the crab legs.
-
In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, melted butter, garlic, parsley, Old Bay seasoning, and lemon juice.
- Brush the mixture over all sides of the crab legs. Bring the sides of the aluminum foil up to wrap the seasoned crab legs up like a bundle. Place into your air fryer basket.
-
Air fry at 370° for 5 to 7 minutes.
Serve with lemon wedges and additional melted butter, if desired.
Notes
Tips for buying crab legs: Most stores sell crab legs without the full crab, so look for just crab legs for this recipe. Dungeness crab legs and snow crab legs work well since they tend to have legs that fit into most air fryers. If you use King crab legs, you may need to add a little more cooking time since they are larger. You may also need to cut the crab legs and/or air fry them in two batches, depending on the size of your crab legs.
