Food and Recipes Seafood Crab The Best Side Dishes to Pair With Crab Legs By Emma Phelps Published on January 27, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Kellie Kelley; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke We often envision crab legs with a heaping bowl of garlicky butter, but there's a world of side dishes to be paired with the iconic main and its appropriate dipping sauce. No matter how you like to enjoy your crab legs, we've rounded up the best side dishes for crab legs so you're sure to find a colorful recipe in this rotation that fits your special menu. The true beauty of crab legs is the versatility in direction you can take with the meal's flavor palate. If you're craving something particularly rich, try our Gruyère Scalloped Potatoes. If you're in the heat of summer and hoping to prepare a light, refreshing meal, stick with our Spicy Pepper Jelly Coleslaw or the Grilled Peach-and-Arugula Salad with Feta. Sometimes the best side dishes for crab legs also happen to be the best side dishes for crab cakes. That certainly sounds like a way to satisfy all audiences. Now it's no time to be crabby! Your crab leg side dish dreams await. 01 of 16 Gruyère Scalloped Potatoes Photographer: Isaac Nunn, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn Recipe: Gruyère Scalloped Potatoes If you're looking for a rich, creamy side to go with your crab legs, this decadent spin on scalloped potatoes is the recipe for you. 02 of 16 Curried Okra Shoestring Fries Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Curried Okra Shoestring Fries Of course, it wouldn't be a true Southern crab leg meal without some form of fried vegetable. We love this twist on fried okra by Ann Taylor Pittman because it combines the familiarity of a beloved Southern dish with the unique flavors of curry powder and chutney. 03 of 16 Twice-Baked Potatoes Antonis Achilleos Recipe: Twice-Baked Potatoes In all honesty there's not a potato recipe that wouldn't go well with crab legs. Twice-Baked Potatoes offer the best of both worlds with crispy skin and a fluffy filling that's a worthy combination paired with rich Alaskan king crab legs. 04 of 16 Classic Grilled Corn on the Cob Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Classic Grilled Corn on the Cob The crunch of sweet corn on the cob can't be beat, especially as a side for your seafood boil. Grilling the cobs give them a delicious smoky flavor to contrast tender and sweet crab legs. 05 of 16 Spicy Pepper Jelly Coleslaw Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Spicy Pepper Jelly Coleslaw Coleslaw is a summertime staple – as such, it deserves to be on the table beside a pile of crab legs. This hot-and-sweet version of coleslaw kicks up the heat and tang with fresh cabbage, bell peppers, cilantro, red onion, and a dressing of lime juice, pepper jelly, and cayenne pepper. 06 of 16 Lisa Cericola's Herbed Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Margaret Monroe Dickey; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Lisa Cericola's Herbed Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes Although Southern Living Senior Food Editor Lisa Cericola isn't big on mashed potatoes at every meal, her Herbed Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes are a great side dish for a special occasion. Butter, half-and-half, cream cheese, and a swirl of herbed brown butter on the top makes these mashed potatoes ultra-rich and deliciously tender. 07 of 16 Permanent Slaw Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Toni Brogan Recipe: Permanent Slaw Trust us on this all-purpose slaw recipe. The longer it sits in the fridge, the better the flavor gets. 08 of 16 Southern Skillet Cornbread Southern Living Recipe: Southern Skillet Cornbread Are you team sugar or no sugar when it comes to cornbread? This recipe skips the sugar and uses every Southern mama's secret cooking weapon: bacon drippings. 09 of 16 Fried Artichoke Hearts with Roasted Red Pepper Aïoli Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Christina Daley Recipe: Fried Artichoke Hearts with Roasted Red Pepper Aïoli In true Southern fashion, we've taken a jar of marinated artichoke hearts and dredged them with buttermilk and breadcrumbs. On the slim chance that you have any leftover artichoke hearts and crab meat, consider making a delicious Hot Crab-and-Artichoke Dip. 10 of 16 Grilled Peach-and-Arugula Salad with Feta Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Kellie Kelley; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke Recipe: Grilled Peach-and-Arugula Salad with Feta This salad is the ideal pairing for crab legs because it can be prepared right beside your grill. Ripe summer peaches receive a delicious char before they're tossed in a honey and Dijon vinaigrette with bitter arugula, nutty pistachios and tangy feta cheese. 11 of 16 Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Shallots Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Shallots Brussels sprouts and bacon were meant to be served together. We'll take this crispy casserole as a side for rich crab legs any day. 12 of 16 Easy Grilled Asparagus Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Melissa Gray; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford Recipe: Easy Grilled Asparagus Step up your grilling game and try cooking this beloved spring veggie over the flames. Topped with bacon and a sherry vinaigrette, your guests will ask for a second helping of this bright side dish. 13 of 16 Seared Steak-and-Field Pea Salad Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Seared Steak-and-Field Pea Salad Pair this Seared Steak-and-Field Pea Salad with your crab legs for an innovative surf and turf combination. 14 of 16 Skillet Mac-and-Cheese with Crispy Breadcrumbs Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Skillet Mac-and-Cheese with Crispy Breadcrumbs You've heard of Lobster Mac and Cheese, but give this recipe a try alongside crab legs for a decadent flavor combination. 15 of 16 Chef Mike Lata's Carolina Gold Rice Middlins Peter Frank Edwards; Prop Styling and Floral Design: Sara York Grimshaw Recipe: Chef Mike Lata's Carolina Gold Rice Middlins This Southern side dish from Charleston Chef Mike Lata pairs well with any seafood main course. 16 of 16 Caesar Salad with Garlicky Croutons Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Caesar Salad with Garlicky Croutons It's high time that the Caesar salad received a modern makeover, and we think this recipe does the job. 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