Crab legs are a popular delicacy across the country. They are also quite expensive making you think twice before putting them on a table for the party. But – you must know how much crab leg per person is enough if you are determined to have them for the party. It will enable you to buy just enough crab legs to meet your requirements. As a result, you will save a lot of money and the excessive meat will not go to waste as well.
Crab legs can cost you more than $100 for a pound. Only a few fancy restaurants can afford this privilege. However, they are quite easy to make at home. You can cook them in many different ways using different ingredients. All you need to know is how many crab legs per person and you can throw a good party even for a crowd.
As a general rule of thumb, a casual seafood eater will consume half a pound of the crab leg. Make it two pounds for people who love seafood if you are hosting them alone. However, you don’t need exact amounts for a crowd, especially if you are also serving other dishes.
What is the Ideal Amount of Crab Leg per Person?
You can prepare too little or too much if you don’t know the preferences of each of your guests. You need to know the total number of guests as well as how many of them eat seafood. How many of them are seafood enthusiasts and how many are not? You must have all this information beforehand because it can make or break things for you. You should also get to know how many pounds of crab each person will eat.
Some people don’t eat crabs at all while some will only take a couple of bites at most. For such people, try to put as many other delicious appetizers and dishes as you can.
However, you must buy at least two pounds of crab legs for people who eat them with zest to avoid any embarrassment during the party.
The following table shows how many pounds of crab per person you should buy for the party.
| Total Number of Guests | Pounds of Crabs Legs You Should Buy |
| 1 | 0.5-2 pounds |
| 2 | 1-4 pounds |
| 5 | 2.5-10 pounds |
| 10 | 5-20 pounds |
| 15 | 7.5-30 pounds |
| 20 | 10-40 pounds |
Some Things to Remember
The above table shows the pounds of crab legs you would serve on the table. You may have to buy even more because meat makes only 50% of a crab leg. For example, you would only get 1 pound of meat from 2 pounds of crab leg once it is cooked to perfection.
Seafood including crab legs is expensive. Therefore, don’t prepare more than your guests can eat. You need to eat seafood quickly and keep it cool. You don’t want such costly leftovers to go bad. However, it is fine to have a little extra meat.
You must not cook more than the recommended amount even if some guests have a big appetite. Crab meat is juicy and rich and only a small serving can satisfy the hunger of big eaters as well.
You must keep other foods you are preparing and the preferences of your guests in mind. For example, you can serve less crab if you are also preparing another kind of meat or offering a lot of vegetables.
How much Crab Legs per Person for Different Events
Once again, it comes down to the total number of guests and how many of them eat crab legs eagerly.
For example, you don’t invite many guests to intimate parties like birthdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. You will only host close friends and relatives and immediate family members. On most occasions, it will be 15 to 20 people only. Therefore, 10 to 40 pounds of crab leg is enough for them.
You can expect from 50 -100 people for big parties like weddings depending on the size of your family and circle of friends, colleagues, and acquaintances. Buying 25-200 pounds of crab leg can be overkill even for such a big party. Therefore, it is better to count people who eat seafood and those who don’t separately and buy crab legs accordingly.
How much does Crab Legs Cost?
The price of crab legs varies from variety to variety or area to area. They will be cheaper in coastal areas and costly in more inland cities. Similarly, snow crabs are cheaper than most other kinds of crabs. You can also expect to pay more if you buy crab legs online because you will also have to bear delivery costs.
Generally, crab legs can cost you from $100-$40. The expense can add up fast if you have a lot of guests for dinner or you host too many parties.
Both wild Alaska giant king crab legs and colossal king crab legs are available at $400 for 10 pounds on many websites. Similarly, you can easily buy 10 pounds of snow crab legs for up to $110 at some stores. This is of course the cheaper option than buying king crab legs online.
How many Crab Legs per Pound?
Keep in mind that one pound of meat would have multiple crab legs. For example, there will be 7 to 10 legs in a pound if the package reads 7/10. Some packets also indicate the size of legs by writing sizes such as “Jumbo” and others.
Also, note that king crab legs are sold individually. Snow crab legs, however, are available in clusters. They are also smaller and much cheaper than king crab legs. Therefore, you can calculate them in pounds instead of legs.
What are Crab Legs and Why they are Popular?
Crab legs are an expensive but popular kind of meat. It has become a sort of status symbol for most people. People serve crab legs at parties to show their affluence and impress their guests. Similarly, it is only available at fancy restaurants and hotels because not many people can afford to eat them. However, it is a terrific way of entertaining your guests and making them feel valued. Similarly, they also offer some health benefits as well.
There are many different ways to cook crab legs. You can serve them as a main meal or with other dishes. You can always tempt your guests to eat crab legs and other meals whether they like it or not.
Normally, people cooking crab legs at home boil, steam, or broil them and subsequently, serve them with lemon wedges or melted butter. You can remove the legs from the shell, sprinkle them with lemon juice, and dip them in the butter before eating them.
Are Crab Legs Easy to Cook?
Crab legs are quite easy to cook. You can boil, steam, or broil them and serve them with lemon or butter. They can be prepared in a jiffy especially if you have already cooked and frozen legs at your disposal. You just need to reheat them.
The hardest nut to crack while eating crab legs is breaking the shell. Some of your guests may not know how to open crab legs. You should provide such guests with a crab shell cracker. They can crush the meat if they commit any mistake because the process is quite tricky.
You also need to crack the joints of snow crab legs and use the scissors to split open the legs of the king crab. Now, you can extract the meat and enjoy your dinner.
Where Can You Buy Crab Legs?
Crab legs are available in many online stores, even at Amazon. You can also buy them from most stores. They are cooked and frozen immediately after they are caught at sea. On most occasions, you will only buy frozen crab legs.
Your chances of buying fresh crab legs increase manifold if you live near the sea. You just have to visit the local dock or the market. Fresh crabs are much more delicious and juicy compared to cooked and frozen ones. Therefore, you should certainly avail the opportunity if you can.
Don’t forget to put crab legs in the fridge after returning them from the market. However, you must use them within two days because this is the most they can last even in the fridge. The other solution is to freeze them before they start going bad.
What are the Best Crab Legs to Eat?
There are numerous varieties of crabs. However, you cannot eat all of them. Some of them just don’t have enough meat while others are toxic to the human body. But – some of them are not only delicious but extremely healthy as well.
The following are the most flavorful crab legs to eat.
Snow Crabs: the cheapest of all crabs, they are most commonly used in dinners and buffets. You don’t need any tool to snap them because they are quite easy to break.
Alaskan King Crabs: they are the largest species of crabs. They have a lot of meat because of their size, making them the crowd favorite.
Dungeness Crabs: you must try Dungeness Crabs if you want to enjoy more tender meat. Their meat is sweet and succulent to taste.
Stone Crabs: stone crabs look magnificent during their peak season thanks to their black-tipped red claws. They are quite delicious to eat as well.
Blue Crabs: you can easily remove the meat from the legs of blue crabs. They are also quite popular among enthusiastic seafood eaters.
Also Read: How To Measure 3 Oz Of Meat Without a Scale?
Frequently Asked Questions
How many pounds of crab legs per person is enough?
0.5 to 2 pounds of crab legs is enough for a person depending on his preferences. Some people are not eager seafood eaters and will eat less. Others may have a big appetite and will eat more. However, this is the ideal amount for one person.
How many people do 5lbs of crab legs feed?
5lbs of crab legs can feed from 2 to 10 people. A single person can eat somewhere from 0.5lbs to 2lbs. You should know the preferences and appetites of your guests beforehand otherwise you can cook too little or too many crab legs for the party.
How many crab legs for 4 adults?
Generally, an adult will eat up to 1 to 1/2 lbs of the crab leg. Some big eaters can eat up to 2 pounds. Therefore, you should know how much your guests eat before cooking the crab legs.
Is 1 pound of crab legs a lot?
It is more than enough for a person, especially if you are also serving other meat dishes. You can cook fewer crab legs in this case. Similarly, cook small plates of snow crab legs or prepare them in tapa-style.
Final Thoughts
So, how much crab legs per person are needed? You need to prepare 0.5 to 2 pounds of crab leg per person to play safe. Crab legs are also very juicy, tender, and satisfying, and even a small bite can satiate you. Crab leg meat is quite expensive as well but goes a long way in showing your respect and affection for your guests.