What To Serve With Crabs Legs - 42 BEST Side Dishes - Pantry & Larder (2024)

If you’re wondering what to serve with your crab legs, you’ve come to the right place.

In this article, I list 42 of the most popular side dishes for crab legs.

In a rush? Here’s the short answer.

The best dishes to serve with crab legs are cheddar chive biscuits, Caesar salad, grilled corn, Hawaiian coleslaw, and Greek potato wedges. You can also serve potato salad, truffle mac and cheese, garlic knots, and coconut curry rice. For a surf-and-turf meal, try grilled ribeye.

Ready? Let’s jump right in.

Great flavor pairings for crab legs

Crab legs contain tender white meat that have a mildly sweet taste and a hint of brine. Popular types include King Crab, Dungeness Crab, and Snow Crab.

They pair well with:

• Rich flavors – crab legs are often served with melted butter for dipping because it adds a rich flavor that complements the crab’s natural sweetness. You can also try creamy dipping sauces like aioli.
• Herby flavors – fresh herbs like dill, rosemary, and parsley enhances the crab legs’ mildly sweet flavors. Try incorporating them in your side dishes or in dipping sauces.
• Zesty flavors – the combination of heat and tang adds a bright, delicious flavor to the mildly sweet crab legs. Try using Old Bay Seasoning when boiling or steaming the crab legs to achieve this flavor (or one of these old bay substitutes)

Starches

Starchy dishes are a must-have side for crab legs.

Take inspiration from Red Lobster (a popular restaurant) and whip up a batch of cheesy biscuits for a decadent meal or go tropical with a lightly sweet coconut rice.

Cheddar chive biscuits

We all know lobsters are fabulous with biscuits, so why not pair them with crabs too?

My favorite are these cheddar chive biscuits. They’re super flaky, cheesy, and oh-so-buttery, with a hint of onions and a slight garlicky note thanks to the chives.

Pro-tip: fold your dough using the envelope method to achieve those flaky layers.

Why we love this recipe: it’s restaurant-quality.

Featured recipe
Cheddar chive biscuits
Make it fusion
Cornmeal biscuits
Make it dairy-free
Fluffy vegan biscuits

Truffle mac and cheese

This luxurious version of mac and cheese features a silky sauce made with bechamel and two kinds of cheese – Parmigiano Reggiano and Dalewood Fromage Huguenot.

Can’t find these cheeses? Swap them for a younger parm and swiss gruyere combo instead.

But what really elevates this dish is the grated black truffle topping. The truffle adds an earthy flavor that cuts through your sauce’s creaminess.

Why we love this recipe: it’s a decadent, grown up version of a childhood classic.

Featured recipe
Truffle mac and cheese
Make it dairy-free
Vegan truffle mac and cheese
Make another classic
Pasta puttanesca

Instant pot coconut curry rice

This rice has a subtly sweet and creamy flavor from the coconut that works well with the bold flavors of curry powder, giving you a perfectly balanced bite.

With an Instant Pot, you can have this ready to serve in 15 minutes.

But if you don’t have one you can use the stovetop. Serve the rice with crab legs on top for a funky fusion meal.

Why we love this recipe: it’s a quick and easy one-pot dish that’ll leave everyone satisfied.

Featured recipe
Instant pot coconut curry rice
Make it low-carb
Coconut lime cauliflower “rice”
Change the flavor
Black beans and rice

Garlic knots

Garlic knots are a unique fluffy alternative to garlic bread.

These buttery little bites of heaven are super addicting, so don’t let your guests eat too many or they might have to skip the crab legs!

Just remember to brush the garlic knots before and after you cook them to lock in all the garlicky goodness in.

Why we love this recipe: they look hard to make but are actually really easy.

Featured recipe
Homemade garlic knots
Make it simple
Dough balls
Make it fun
Pretzel bites

Greek potato wedges

These potato wedges are another delicious starchy side to enjoy with crab legs.

They’re lightly crisp, with soft, fluffy interiors and a bright, citrusy flavor that pairs well with the crab legs’ mildly sweet meat.

Pro-tip: roast for potatoes at 450°F, then adjust the heat to 500°F to give your potatoes a perfect, golden crust.

Why we love this recipe: these wedges look as good as they taste.

Featured recipe
Greek potato wedges
Make it fun
Hasselback potatoes with gremolata
Skip the potatoes
Skinny cajun sweet potato fries

Vegetables and salads

Crab legs are lean protein and pairing them with a veggie side makes for a nourishing meal.

Roasted veggies are a tasty, effortless option, but you can also go with something simpler like steamed green beans.

Hawaiian coleslaw

Jazz up your usual slaw by swapping the mayo dressing for a ginger-soy lime vinaigrette and adding fresh pineapple chunks.

These modifications give you a zesty, refreshing slaw with a fruity sweetness.

Serve it with some steamed crab legs for a meal that’ll make you feel like you’re on an island getaway.

Why we love this recipe: it’s a tasty and unique take on the traditional coleslaw.

Featured recipe
Hawaiian coleslaw
Skip the pineapples
Mango jicama slaw
Make it different
Pineapple chutney

Caesar salad

If you want a salad with your crab legs, classic Caesar salad is the way to go.

The crisp lettuce and crunchy croutons bring a nice textural contrast to your tender, juicy crab meat.

And the homemade Caesar dressing’s tangy flavors make the whole thing irresistible!

Why we love this recipe: everything (including the croutons and dressing) are made from scratch.

Featured recipe
Caesar salad
Make it hearty
Caesar pasta salad
Make it Asian-inspired
Thai crunchy salad

Balsamic roasted vegetables

If you want the crab legs to be the main attraction, a light side dish like these roasted veggies is the way to go.

The balsamic marinade is the key to perfecting this dish. It adds a delightfully rich, sweet, and tart flavor to your veggies.

And the best part? You can use any vegetables you have to hand for this dish.

Why we love this recipe: it’s a flavorful, low-effort dish that will be ready in 35 minutes.

Featured recipe
Balsamic roasted vegetables
Skip the oven
BBQ grilled vegetables
Add a starch
Grilled vegetable orzo pasta salad

Blistered green beans with garlic

On the hunt for a warm, healthy side you can whip up in a flash?

You can’t go wrong with these blistered green beans – and they only need about five minutes to get beautifully charred.

To finish them off, the beans are tossed in a garlic infused oil and red pepper flakes for a hint of spice.

Why we love this recipe: it’s tasty but won’t overpower your crab legs.

Featured recipe
Blistered green beans with garlic
Make a salad
Green bean salad
Make it fun
Beer-battered green beans

Stuffed artichokes

Stuffed artichokes are a classic Italian side that involves filling the petals with garlicky bread crumbs, then baking them with a buttery lemon and white wine sauce.

They’re eaten by peeling each petal off and dunking them in the sauce they’re baked in.

Hit two birds with one stone and dip your crab legs’ meat in the artichoke’s butter and white wine sauce too – yum!

Why we love this recipe: it’s a detailed guide on making this classic Italian dish.

Featured recipe
Stuffed artichokes
Fire up the grill
Grilled artichokes
Make a salad
Italian artichoke salad

Cookout favorites

Planning to grill your crab legs? Throw in some ears of corn for a simple cookout meal.A creamy macaroni salad also works if you want something indulgent.

Or why not go all out and also grill a juicy piece of steak for a surf-and-turf treat?

Grilled ribeye with chimichurri sauce

Ribeye is my favorite cut of steak – it’s a bit fatty, but I like this because the meat is extra juicy.

All the steak needs is a quick sear in a pan. But grilling gives the meat a delectable smoky flavor that pairs delightfully well with the bright and zippy homemade chimichurri sauce.

Serve your grilled ribeye and chimichurri sauce with steamed crab legs for a luxurious surf-and-turf feast.

Why we love this recipe: it’s 5* dining in the comfort of your own home!

Featured recipe
Grilled ribeye with chimichurri sauce
Ditch the grill
Herb butter basted cast iron steak
Make it budget-friendly
Baked stuffed flank steak

Cajun remoulade

Crab legs are usually dipped in clarified butter, but if you want to shake things up, why not try them with this Cajun remoulade?

It’s a creamy mayo-based sauce with a spicy kick, courtesy of the horseradish, grainy mustard, and of course, Cajun spices.

Psst… want to go the extra mile? You can use homemade mayo for this sauce.

Why we love this recipe: it’s fabulous with other seafood dishes, sandwiches, salads, and more.

Featured recipe
Cajun remoulade
Go back to basics
Tartar sauce
Make it different
Dill aioli

Grilled corn on the cob

Corn on the cob is a classic accompaniment for crab legs.

There’s so many ways to cook corn, but for me you can’t beat grilled corn.

Especially when it’s slathered in cilantro-lime butter.

Psst… you can also melt this flavored butter and use it for your crab legs.

Why we love this recipe: it’s ideal for cookouts and seafood boils.

Featured recipe
Grilled corn with cilantro-lime butter
Make it trendy
Smoked corn ribs
Mix the veggies
Succotash

Southern potato salad

Looking for a summer side dish to pair with your crab legs?

Go for a classic Southern potato salad.

It features a traditional mayo-based dressing, and gets better the longer it sits, so try to make it a few hours in advance.

Pro-tip: use waxy potatoes (like Yukon), so they won’t disintegrate and become mush.

Why we love this recipe: it’s summer comfort food.

Featured recipe
Southern potato salad
Preheat the oven
Roasted potato salad
Make it fusion
Deviled egg potato salad

The best side dishes to serve with crab legs

• Cheddar chive biscuits
• Truffle mac and cheese
• Instant pot coconut curry rice
• Garlic knots
• Greek potato wedges
• Hawaiian coleslaw
• Caesar salad
• Balsamic roasted vegetables
• Blistered green beans with garlic
• Stuffed artichokes
• Grilled ribeye with chimichurri sauce
• Cajun remoulade
• Grilled corn on the cob
• Southern potato salad