Smoked Crab Legs with Honey Garlic BBQ Butter

While these crab legs are typically boiled or steamed, you can heat them up on the smoker to add an extra layer of smoky flavor to this delicious treat.

This post was sponsored by Crowd Cow.

Smoked Crab legs with honey garlic BBQ butter

Ingredients you’ll need

• Crab legs – King, snow crab clusters and Dungeness will all work
• Unsalted butter
• Garlic
• Hot honey – Can use regular honey if you don’t want any heat
• Salmon seasoning

Equipment you’ll need

• Grill
• Wire rack
• Baking sheet
• Small bowl
• Basting brush

If you love crab, check out our smoked crab cakes recipe.

What type of crab legs to buy

There are several varieties of crab legs on the market, but my favorite is King Crab.

King Crab is larger than most other varieties and is prized for their sweet, succulent flavor and tender meat.

They are one of the most premium crabs that you can purchase, but the old saying is true: you get what you pay for, because the flavor and texture of King Crab is worth every penny.

Other great options for this recipe include snow crab clusters and Dungeness crab legs.

Are my crab legs pre-cooked?

Most crab legs that are available are pre-cooked, meaning that all you need to do is heat them up.

A good way to determine if your crab legs have been pre-cooked is to examine their color. If they are brown or gray, they are uncooked, but if the shell already has a red or orange hue, then they have been cooked.

Where to buy King Crab legs

For this recipe, I used Wild Alaskan Red King Crab from Crowd Cow. It’s prized for its mouthwatering taste, sweet meat, and delicate, tender texture. They ship them in 2lb bundles and leave the shell fully intact so you can crack and peel it yourself.

Crab legs from Crowd Cow are sourced from sustainable producers, so you can rest assured that your seafood will be caught and handled sustainably. The crabs were raised in the best possible manner to ensure that you have the highest quality every single time.

As with most crab legs, they come pre-cooked and frozen, so they are ready to heat and serve. These legs are great for boils or steam pots, but preparing them on the smoker is a great way to add a nice layer of smoky flavor to this tender and succulent dish.

How to make smoked Crab legs with honey garlic BBQ butter

They only need to go on the smoker for about 45 minutes until they’re heated through. You want to make sure that you don’t cook them too long or the meat will start to fall apart, and you won’t have the delicate, tender crab meat that we all know and love.

Another way to pack extra flavor into your crab is with the honey garlic BBQ butter – its sweet, savory, and buttery flavor really compliments the sweet and succulent flavor of the crab meat so it’s a match made in heaven!

1. Defrost your crab

If you purchased frozen crab legs, you should let them thaw before cooking.

Some say that you can throw the frozen crab legs on the smoker and let them defrost, but I find that the meat ends up a bit tough and stringy with that method.

For the best results, place your frozen crab legs in the fridge for a day before you are ready to cook them, and they should be thoroughly defrosted by the time you’re ready to put them on the grill.

If you don’t have the time, you can alternatively place them in a bowl of cold water with the cold faucet running on top for 45 minutes to an hour, and they should defrost. 

2. Honey garlic BBQ butter

This step is technically optional because crab legs are delicious on their own, but adding a honey garlic BBQ butter during the cooking process adds an extra punch of flavor. I also like making enough to have some on the side to dip my crab meat into.

Mix the butter, hot honey, salmon seasoning, and minced garlic in a pot and place it on the smoker or stovetop to melt.

2. Fire up the grill

Fire up your grill to 250°F.

As I mentioned before, most crab legs come pre-cooked, so you’re essentially just heating them.

I smoked these on my Camp Chef XXL Pro pellet grill with Bear Mountain Sweet BBQ pellets and a few chunks of hickory wood in the firebox.

Place the crab legs on a jerky tray (wire rack) on top of a baking sheet to help make cleanup easier. You can also place them directly on the grates if you want.

Baste with the honey garlic BBQ butter.

You want to let them smoke for about 45 minutes until they are heated through.

Brush the butter over your crab legs every 15 minutes during the cooking process, then keep the rest off to the side for dipping when you serve. 

Other recipes using Crowd Cow products

• Smoked Whole Turkey
• The Best Deep Fried Turkey
• Grilled Bison Burgers
• Smoked Lobster Tails
• Smoked Duck Breast