Red king crab from Bristol Bay is Alaska's signature winter shellfish, harvested briefly in October and served whole steamed or split with melted butter at downtown anchors.

The Bristol Bay red king crab fishery opens in October when stocks allow, with quotas set annually by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The Whale's Tail at Hotel Captain Cook and Crow's Nest stock king crab through winter, and Snow City Cafe's signature Kodiak Benedict pairs a king crab cake with poached eggs and hollandaise on an English muffin year-round.

Where to eat Alaska king crab in Anchorage

4 editor picks for Alaska king crab in Anchorage, ranked by editorial score. All Anchorage signature dishes · Alaska king crab across every city.

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Make it at home

Serves 225 minEasy

Ingredients

  • 900g Alaska red king crab legs, thawed
  • 115g unsalted butter
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges
  • 1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • Flaky sea salt

Method

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a steady simmer.
  2. Place the king crab legs in the pot for 5-7 minutes if thawed; they are pre-cooked, so you are warming through.
  3. While the legs warm, melt the butter in a small saucepan with the minced garlic over low heat for 3-4 minutes; do not brown.
  4. Drain the legs and use kitchen shears to slit the underside of each shell.
  5. Pour the garlic butter into a serving bowl, scatter parsley and place lemon wedges alongside.
  6. Crack the legs at the table, dip the meat into the warm garlic butter and finish with flaky salt.

Editor tip. Frozen king crab legs are already cooked. The single biggest mistake is boiling them past warm-through and toughening the meat.

Common allergens: Shellfish.