What to Serve with Crab Legs (Crab Dinner Ideas)

Wondering what to serve with crab legs for dinner? I’ve got you covered with this handy guide of 20+ EASY side dish recipes!

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These simple side dishes served with your crab dinner will guarantee an amazing, meal! Perfect for quick, weeknight cooking.

Be sure to check out these 10+ Dipping Sauces for Crab Legs too!

The BEST Sides for Crab Legs

Small bowl of crab butter next to cracked crabs on newspapers.
Learn how to make dipping butter, a rich and buttery sauce that’s a must with crab legs. Keep it simple with the base recipe or take it up a notch with any of the 3 flavor variations (garlic, lemon, and spicy)!
Crab Butter Sauce
Overhead close up of combined vinegar slaw in large white mixing bowl.
Red Cabbage Slaw is a super simple side dish recipe made without mayo. It’s tangy, delicious and crunchy. 
Get the RECIPE
Overhead shot of mac and cheese in speckled bowl with spoon and grated cheddar scattered about.
This is the BEST Instant Pot Mac and Cheese! Made extra creamy with a secret ingredient plus delicious cheddar & parmesan cheese. It can be made in just 4 minutes with your electric pressure cooker.
Get the RECIPE
Overhead close up of zucchini fries on platter.
Air Fryer Zucchini Fries with Lemon Tarragon Aioli are perfect for snacking. Strips of zucchini, coated in panko cook up perfectly crispy in the air fryer. Dip them in an easy-to-prepare creamy aioli flavored with tarragon and lemon. 
Get the RECIPE
Spears of asparagus cooked sous vide topped with parmesan shavings.
How to cook perfect asparagus sous vide. Bright green, perfectly cooked spears. With three options for flavoring – garlic, parmesan or lemon.
Get the RECIPE
Shirazi salad centered in frame with serving spoon.
This simple Shirazi Salad recipe features fresh cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, and crisp red onion. Dressed with plenty of fresh herbs and tossed with a tangy dressing made with lime juice and olive oil. Every bite is bursting with refreshing flavors!
Shirazi Salad
Ears of corn on the cob in a grey serving dish with a pat of butter and sprinkling of parsley.
Learn how to make the BEST Instant Pot Corn on the Cob. This fresh corn on the cob recipe uses a simple, secret ingredient to guarantee that your corn is sweet, tender and delicious! 
Instant Pot Corn on the Cob
Hawaiian coleslaw in white serving bowl.
Hawaiian Coleslaw with pineapple, cabbage, carrots, sesame seeds and a ginger-soy lime vinaigrette brings a tropical taste to traditional slaw.
Hawaiian Slaw
Overhead shot of air fryer baked potato split open and topped with butter.
Learn how to make Air Fryer Baked Potatoes with crispy skins! They cook up easily in your air fryer with perfect, crispy & salty skins.
Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
Prepared radicchio salad in grey bowl with serving utensils.
This delicious Italian Radicchio Salad is dressed in a creamy lemon-vinaigrette and tossed with buttery calvestrano olives, tasty breadcrumbs and nutty parmesan cheese. And, a special tip ensures that your radicchio won't be bitter!
Radicchio Salad
Cooked french fries in air fryer.
These Air Fryer Frozen Shoestring Fries come out exactly like your favorite fast food fries! They’re crispy, golden on the outside and perfectly fluffy inside. SO much better than deep frying or baking! Plus, you can cook different types of fries – waffle fries, steak fries and more!
Air Fryer Frozen Fries
Close up of mussels in marinara sauce served over spaghetti with lemon wedges.
Mussels Marinara is a quick & easy recipe to make at home.Serve them with crusty bread as an appetizer, or over pasta as an entree. Spicethem up with red pepper flakes to make Mussels Fra Diavolo.
Mussels Marinara
Overhead shot of din tai fung cucumber salad on grey plate with chopsticks.
This copycat Din Tai Fung Cucumber Salad is bursting with flavor. Beautifully marinated cucumbers drizzled in chili oil is an outstanding vegetarian appetizer you can enjoy for any special occasion!
Din Tai Fung Cucumber Salad
Pasta salad in bowl on wooden cutting board next to bowl of pepper flakes.
This Zucchini Pasta Salad recipe may be the best I've tried to date! Packed with sauteed zucchini, loads of parmesan cheese, fresh dill and crunchy walnuts.
Zucchini Pasta Salad
Arugula Salad ready to be served.
This Arugula Salad recipe with red wine vinaigrette is my go-to green salad. The arugula has a peppery bite to it which pairs wonderfully with the acid in the vinaigrette. It’s the perfect salad for pairing with rich dishes.
Arugula Salad
Bowl of seafood boil sauce with spoon next to seafood boil spread on newspapers.
Learn how to make Seafood Boil Sauce from scratch! It’s a rich and layered butter sauce that’s perfect for Southern seafood boils and for sprucing up your usual weeknight dinner. Easy to make in 20 minutes!
Seafood Boil Sauce
Overhead shot of bowl of cold cucumber soup.
Enjoy this cold Cucumber Soup as a refreshing summer appetizer or side dish. Made with garlic, jalapeno, yogurt, and olive oil, this easy recipe blends up in seconds and has playful and savory flavors.
Chilled Cucumber Soup
Overhead shot of shaved fennel salad in green serving bowl on pink table.
This Fennel Celery Salad comes together quickly and has such a delicious light lemon-parmesan vinaigrette and wonderful crunch. It's the perfect side salad for rich and hearty dishes like pasta or braised short ribs.  
Shaved Fennel Salad
Peppers with grill marks scattered on counter.
Learn how to make perfectly tender and blistered Grilled Bell Peppers at home! It’s one of the best and easiest side dishes you can add to burrito bowls, fajitas, or pair with grilled meats.
Grilled Peppers
Lobster Bisque recipe made easy with big chunks of garlic butter lobster tails in every bite and a quick homemade stock! So smooth and creamy!

RECIPE from Cafe Delites
Easy Lobster Bisque
Creamy Clam Chowder with potatoes and vegetables is one of my favorite easy soup recipes! It’s thick and creamy and tastes as if it came straight from a restaurant! It’s SOO GOOD!

RECIPE from The Recipe Critic
Best Ever Creamy Clam Chowder

How to Make Ahead and Store

Many of these crab side dish recipes can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for a few days or even in the freezer. Simply check the individual recipes for full storing instructions and details on how to make ahead. 

Sauces for Crab Legs

More Side Dish Recipes

Did you Make Any of These Sides for Crab Legs?

Please leave a comment and rating below, if you loved this round up of what to serve with crab legs. Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.

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Collage of side dishes for crab legs.

What to Serve with Crab Legs: 20+ Side Dishes

Wondering what to serve with crab legs for dinner? I've got you covered with this handy guide of 20+ EASY side dish recipes! Try this Red Cabbage Slaw. A super simple side dish recipe made without mayo. It’s tangy, delicious and crunchy. 
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 12 people

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Add cabbage and carrot to a large bowl.
  • Whisk together apple cider vinegar, honey, olive oil and salt. Pour over cabbage mixture.
  • Toss well to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.

Notes

In place of the cabbage and carrot, you can use a 16-ounce package of shredded cabbage mix. 
Did you make this recipe?Mention @platingsandpairings or tag #platingsandpairings!

Nutrition

Calories: 39kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 214mg | Potassium: 169mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1276IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg

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