Keto king crab legs are about as low carb as a meal gets, virtually zero net carb, and they are already cooked, so all you do is warm them through and melt the butter. It is the rare splurge that is also the easiest thing on the table.
My husband and I try to keep Valentines Day low-key, by staying home instead of braving the crowded restaurants. I give myself a semi day off from cooking by splurging on King Crab Legs from Costco. These are so easy to cook and taste amazing. Along with my quick and easy cheesecake mousse, this was the perfect Low Carb Valentines Day feast!
Already cooked, so you are only reheating
Alaskan king crab is steamed and flash-frozen right on the boat, within hours of being pulled from the Bering Sea, which is why it turns up in the freezer case a deep cooked red instead of raw. That changes the whole job in the kitchen. You are not cooking crab, you are warming cooked crab back to hot, which is why ten minutes in the oven is all it takes and why it is almost impossible to get wrong. Thaw the legs first so they heat evenly, then warm them gently with a little steam under foil.
The only mistake is overcooking it
Because the crab is already done, the one way to wreck it is to keep heating it. Pushed past warm, the sweet meat tightens up and turns rubbery and stringy. Pull the legs the moment they are hot through, an internal 145°F, when the shells are hot to the touch and the kitchen smells like crab. Serve them with plenty of drawn butter and a squeeze of lemon, the only two things this needs. It is a natural partner to a side of shrimp scampi for a low carb seafood night.
Sources:
USDA FoodData Central, nutrient reference for king crab and butter
USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, safe reheating temperature for cooked seafood
Sugarfreechic test kitchen, king crab legs notes
