Thick shell-on claws
Put the claw on a stable board under a towel. Use a seafood mallet or cracker to make several small cracks. Peel the shell pieces away and check the meat carefully. Too much pressure can crush the meat and scatter fragments.
The crab kitchen
How to crack
and eat crab legs.
Open the shell without losing the good meat. A clear walkthrough for fully cooked king, snow, and Dungeness crab legs and clusters.
One clear technique. A little patience. Every good bite.
Before you begin
Set the table for shellfish.
Have these ready
- A seafood cracker and kitchen shears
- A seafood pick or small fork
- A folded towel and stable cutting board
- A bowl for shells and a clean plate for meat
- Tongs if you are warming the crab first
Prepare first. Crack second.
These steps open crab that is already cooked. Read your product’s label, thaw as directed, and use the cooking guide for your crab if you want it warm. Let warmed shells cool enough to handle.
Five clear steps
From the joint to the good part.
The shell changes by species; the sequence stays familiar. This tutorial covers legs and clusters, rather than cleaning a whole raw crab.
Separate one leg at the joint.
Hold the cluster securely with a towel if the shell is spiny. Gently twist a leg away at the joint. Work with one leg at a time on a stable board rather than pulling apart the whole cluster at once.
Divide the leg into manageable sections.
Bend or gently twist at the joints. Some meat may slide out as a section separates; set it on the clean plate. If the joint resists, use the cracker with controlled pressure rather than forcing it with a knife.
Open the shell along the leg.
For thick king crab shells, use kitchen shears along the softer underside, keeping the blades away from the meat and your supporting hand. For snow or Dungeness legs, use shears or a cracker to make small openings, then peel the shell apart.
Lift out the meat gently.
Peel the shell back, then lift out the meat in pieces as large as possible. Use a seafood pick for smaller sections. Remove any firm tendon or cartilage, and keep broken shell pieces out of the meat.
Pick the shoulder, check, and serve.
For clusters, open the shoulder into manageable sections and use the pick between the thin shell partitions. Check all the meat for shell fragments. Serve with simple sides, lemon, and your preferred sauce; keep cooked crab chilled until serving if serving cold.
Match the format
Claws need their own approach.
Cap-off Jonah cocktail claws
Our cap-off cocktail claws have the main shell removed. Hold the remaining claw tip as a handle. Shell-on Jonah products are different, so check the format before choosing tools.
Picked crab meat
Skip the shell-opening steps. Check for small shell fragments and follow the storage and recipe directions for your product. These steps do not apply to crab cakes or crab-roll kits.
A few good questions
Before the first crack.
Can I crack crab legs without a cracker?
Kitchen shears are useful for leg shells. Thick claws need a suitable cracker or seafood mallet. Avoid using a sharp knife as a lever or forcing the shell toward your hand.
Should I cook the crab again before cracking?
Check the label. Fully cooked crab can be served chilled or gently warmed as directed. Raw crab needs complete cooking instructions; cracking a shell is not cooking.
Why is the shell breaking into lots of pieces?
Use less pressure and make small openings. A towel helps contain fragments. Peel pieces away gradually and check the meat before serving.
Choose your next crab night.
Compare species, formats, care, and preparation.
Shop Our Snow Crab Collection!
We are excited to now offer giant snow crab for sale online at Maine Lobster Now. Our snow crab legs comes directly from the ice cold waters of the Pacific Northwest. Enjoy Alaskan snow crab legs, clusters, or cocktail claws. All are pre-cooked and arrive frozen for you to easily open, heat and serve. Order yours online today.
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