Shrimp & Crab Legs Pot Recipe

Clean and prep seafood

Rinse shrimp and pat dry. If shrimp are not deveined, remove the vein. Rinse clams or mussels and discard any that are open and don’t close when tapped. Thaw crab legs if frozen and rinse briefly.

Prep vegetables and aromatics

Halve the small red potatoes. Cut corn into 3–4 pieces per ear. Thinly slice the shallot (or small onion). Mince garlic for both the broth and butter sauce. Cut the lemon into wedges and chop the parsley.

In a large, deep pot or steamer pot with a lid, combine the stock and white wine (if using). Add the sliced shallot, minced garlic (from the broth & seasoning list), Old Bay seasoning, smoked paprika, sea salt, and black pepper. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat.

Add the halved potatoes to the simmering broth, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, add the corn pieces to the pot, re-cover, and simmer another 8–10 minutes until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork and corn is heated through.

Once the potatoes and corn are nearly done, nestle the cleaned clams/mussels into the pot. Cover and steam for 4 minutes, then add the shrimp and crab legs on top of the vegetables and shellfish. Cover and steam for another 4–6 minutes, until shrimp are pink and opaque (internal temp ~120–135°F) and clams/mussels have opened (discard any that remain closed). Crab legs are pre-cooked and will just need to heat through.

Carefully lift the lid away from you to avoid steam. Use a slotted spoon or tongs to transfer seafood and vegetables to a large serving bowl or platter, reserving the cooking liquid.

While the seafood finishes cooking, melt the unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic (for the butter sauce), cook gently 1–2 minutes until fragrant but not browned. Stir in the lemon juice and hot sauce (if using). Taste and adjust seasoning with a pinch of salt or more lemon if desired.

Scatter chopped parsley over the seafood and vegetables. Serve the melted garlic butter in a small bowl alongside lemon wedges. If you like, ladle a little of the reserved seasoned cooking liquid into a separate small bowl to serve as a dipping broth.

Place the steampot on the table (protect the surface). Provide crab crackers or kitchen shears for the crab legs and small forks or picks for the shrimp and shellfish. Encourage diners to dip into the garlic butter and squeeze fresh lemon over their portions. Reheat reserved broth if desired to spoon over servings.