What to Serve With King Crab Legs

King crab legs are a delicious meal, but knowing what to serve with them can be tricky. Eating king crabs legs is a very involved process that produces a lot of mess, for the table and for your guests. Serve side dishes that will not distract from the crab legs and will compliment the hands-on element of the meal and the distinct flavors of the meat.

For a tasty and creamy compliment to your crab legs, serve baked or mashed potatoes. Potatoes are a traditional side dish for seafood because of their texture and mild taste. Serve your potatoes with garlic butter and top with sour cream and chives. For a summer potato option, serve a cold potato salad made from baked and sliced small red potatoes. Toss the potatoes with a dressing of mustard, olive oil and garlic. Sprinkle the potatoes with sliced red onions and chopped fresh herbs, such as rosemary, parsley and thyme.

Corn is another traditional option to serve with crab legs. Grill or roast corn on the cob and top with a spicy butter mix made with chopped chipotle peppers and adobo sauce. Alternatively, serve the corn with butter and garlic salt for a milder side dish. If corn on the cob is out of season, serve canned or frozen corn with melted butter, sprinkled with salt and pepper. For a summer option, try serving a corn salad made by mixing corn kernels, chopped red onion, kidney beans and chopped jalapenos. Toss the salad with olive oil and 2 tbsp. of white wine vinegar. Add chopped cilantro and salt and pepper to finish the salad.

Serve fresh and simple vegetables with your crab legs. A crudite plate is a perfect and refreshing accompaniment to the crab legs. Blanch broccoli crowns, asparagus and sugar snap peas. Toss them in an ice bath to preserve the crispiness and color then strain. Drizzle olive oil on top of the vegetables and sprinkle with salt and pepper. For a warm vegetable dish, steamed asparagus or broccoli topped with melted garlic butter is a tasty option. Steamed artichokes are almost as much fun to eat as the crab legs. Serve the artichokes with a bowl of melted butter with garlic.