If you’re under the impression that reheating food cuts down on nutritional value, then I’m here to tell you that’s a myth! For me, I absolutely hate wasting food, especially when I’ve spent time prepping and cooking. Sometimes it can be easier throwing food out but I’m here to tell you that’s isn’t necessary. I say, savor the food you have. Reheat and enjoy the deliciousness of food. Well, at-least, I follow this golden trick and stay clear from wasting food. In this post, I will detail how to reheat crab legs without kissing goodbye to the juicy and flavorsome taste of the protein. (And yes it is a strong source of protein, yielding 15g of protein for 3 ounces.)
I’m a sucker for crab meat and it’s one of my go-to dishes in the summer. The sweltering heat of the summer is a lot to endure but crab legs make it take much easier to entertain. Since refreshing light meals are perfect for the scorching weather, seafood steps in as the best resort. It is delicious, light, protein-rich, but the best bit – seafood and herbs are a match made in heaven.
Crab legs are undoubtedly a big ‘YAY’ in summers. Relish the scrumptious, juicy, and sweet meat with a citrusy salad on the side. Your meals are more than perfect in the weather that’s hot enough to scald a lizard.
Reheating crab legs is much easier than you think. I’ve outlined numerous ways you can reheat your crab meat and enjoy it on day 2.
Methods
How To Reheat Crab Legs By Boiling?
Boiling is a simple technique. To kick-start with the process, you must adhere to the following steps:
How To Warm Up Crab Legs by Steaming?
Steaming – the technique is pretty simple and can be described as a healthy form of cooking. To kick-start the cooking process, you need utensils like a steamer pot or a bamboo steamer. Wondering how to reheat your crab legs in a steaming pot? We’ve outlined the steps below.
- 1. Fill your pot with lukewarm water. If you are keen on adding an extra oomph to your steaming liquid, drizzle in some white wine or beer.
- 2. At this point, it is essential to bear in mind that the water is just lukewarm. To proceed with the steaming process, set your stove on a high flame and place the steamer on it. Watch for the water to boil. Once the water is ready, place the crab legs in a steamer and put the lid on it.
- 3. Turn down the heat from high to medium. Steam the crab for around five minutes and finally, take it out and serve it along with side your favorite dips and sides.
Frankly speaking, steaming crab legs yields the best results. It heats the crab but makes the meat tender, juicy, and delicious.
Heat the shellfish – It’s simple, just grill em’!
When speaking of reheating methods, the discussion is fairly incomplete without explaining the perks of grilling. It certainly warms up the cold-crab. But, there is a distinct change of flavor in the shellfish too. Without much ado, let’s learn the ropes of grilling crab legs. Here’s how you reheat crab legs by grilling:
- Step 1 – Aluminium foil is the
cardinal part of the process. Stack a couple of crab legs in sheets of aluminum foil and stick them on the grill. Allowing as much as 10 minutes is enough to get the crab legs warmed up. Soon after the shellfish is heated up, remove the foil and grill the legs for 3 minutes on each side. Believe it or not, but in less than 13 minutes, you have a lip-smacking crab dish to devour. - Step 2 – This is slightly a
different route, an easier one, really! Instead of wrapping the crab legs in a foil, you can chuck them on the grill straight away. However, there are a few things you must keep tabs on. First, the leaner tips of the crustacean must be placed at a distance from the fire. Second, do not grill your shellfish for more than 6 minutes. It might turn rubbery and throw off the entire flavor and texture of the dish.
Grilled crabs are incredibly appetizing. The sweet meat of the crab with some added chariness is a blessing to your taste-buds. You can pair it with a couple of lemon wedges or dress it with hot sauce. The crab legs will leave you salivating and craving for more.
Can You Microwave Crab legs?
When the world is raving about cutting-edge technology and innovations to make life simple, the microwave is a classic example. It makes kitchen chores easier than ever. Heating crab legs is a cakewalk when you have a microwave at your disposal. Here’s how to microwave crab meat:
- Step 1 –Start by wrapping up the crab legs along-with sprigs of dill. I usually prefer clubbing three legs in a bunch.
- Step 2 – Depending on your total number of servings, keep your bunch of shellfish legs ready. Now, secure each bunch with paper towels. For added insulation, wrap the bundled legs with cling film. Please note: the protein should not be in direct contact with the cling film. It is extremely unhealthy and not advised.
- Step 3 – When it’s time to heat the crab, chuck the secured bundle in the oven and give it at least two minutes. The crab legs should be warm by now. Toss aside the cling film and paper towel wrap and serve the juicy crustacean with some lemon wedges, butter, and sides you love.
If you’re short on time then microwaving is one of the quickest options. A word of advice, though – microwaving crab legs might not add to the taste or deliciousness of the shellfish.
Bake and Heat The Crab Legs
Tender, succulent crab meat is pure bliss. Placing them on too of a high heat kills the texture and flavor of the shellfish, making it extremely dry and flavorless. If the oven is what you are keen on using, let’s take a look at a recommended method to heat the crab legs. Please bear in mind; the process is a tad bit time consuming, but the flavor is worth it.
- Step 1 – Crank the temperature of the oven and preheat at 350F. Don’t sit back while your oven is heating up. Start by taking a baking dish and cover the bottom of the dish with an aluminum foil. Now, place the crab legs in the dish and throw in seasonings like crushed garlic cloves and herbs. This is done to pack in heaps of flavor to the already delicious and sweet meat.
- Step 2 – When your oven is ready, place the prepped crab legs in it and bake for a good 15 minutes. Allow the crab legs to cool and settle for a couple of minutes. Pull out the meat, and that’s it, the crab is ready to eat.
- Step 3 – There is an alternative technique, as well. To proceed with this, fill a baking tray with water and refrain from using aluminum foil. Now place the crab legs on a baking dish and cover it with the foil. Poke and create a few holes to allow the steam to circulate. This helps in the cooking process of the crab too. The meat is soft, juicy, and amazingly scrumptious.
Conclusion
There are multiple ways of reheating crab legs. You can steam, bake, microwave, grill, or follow any other technique. What’s crucial is to ensure that the crab meat doesn’t turn dry and chewy. It is the succulence and sweet flavor of the meat that hits the mark. If you’re looking for a pairing option, then we recommend our copycat wingstop fries recipe.
Don’t toss away the leftovers just yet. Stack it in the refrigerator and reheat when you are craving for crab legs again. Believe it or not, the crab legs taste just as appetizing and fresh as if you had cooked it fresh. Now you know how to reheat crab legs in many ways, make your choice based on timing and how easily you can access the right equipment.
