Copycat Red Lobster Crab Alfredo

There is something to be said for a hearty pasta diner, especially when it's as rich and creamy as this Copycat Red Lobster Crab Alfredo. Tender linguine, a silky homemade Alfredo sauce and big, sweet pieces of crab meat make it feel like a night out, without ever leaving your kitchen!

This crab Alfredo recipe has been a reader favorite for years, and it's so much easier than it looks. The sauce comes together in one pan with butter, cream cheese, half and half, Parmesan and garlic, and it's ready by the time your pasta is done. What can be better than butter, cream, and fresh crab legs? Not much!

We've made our fair share of pasta around here, but when we want something a little fancy, this is the one we make. It's no wonder it's been one of the most popular recipes on the blog for years. (I've given it a little refresh with some new photos. But don't worry - the recipe remains the same!)

Key Ingredients & Substitutions

Crab legs! These are the star of the show, of course. Snow crab or king crab legs give you the big, sweet chunks of meat you get at Red Lobster. Most crab legs at the grocery store are sold already cooked and frozen, so you're really just warming them up. About 2 pounds of crab legs gives you roughly 12 ounces of meat.

Lump or canned crab (alternative). If crab legs aren't available, or you'd rather skip the mess, use 12 ounces of packaged lump crab meat. It's usually in the seafood section of the grocery store, in a refrigerated tub. Canned crab works too. Drain it well and pick through it for bits of shell. Imitation crab is the budget option, but it's usually softer and sweeter, so go in with appropriate expectations if you try that!

Half and half. This is a lighter take on Alfredo sauce, and it saves you a few calories over the recipes that call for heavy whipping cream. We've made it with heavy cream too, which is equally delicious, just a bit richer. Use the same amount.

Cream cheese. Just 2 tablespoons helps thicken the sauce and keeps it smooth and creamy. Let it soften first so it melts right in.

Parmesan. Grab a wedge of real Parmesan and grate it yourself for the best results. The pre-grated kind in a can doesn't melt as smoothly, and it's the number one cause of a grainy sauce. Pecorino Romano works too if you like a saltier, sharper bite.

Butter and garlic. Unsalted butter lets you control the amount of salt, since Parmesan and crab are both on the salty side already. The recipe uses garlic powder to keep things easy. If you'd rather use fresh garlic, cook 2 or 3 minced cloves in the butter for a minute before adding the cream cheese.

Pasta. Red Lobster serves theirs with linguine, but I prefer Fettucine. It doesn't make any difference - any kind of pasta will do just fine!

Red Lobster Alfredo Sauce Recipe (Just the Sauce!)

Lots of readers come looking for just the sauce, and I get it. This Red Lobster Alfredo sauce recipe is good on so much more than crab! And making Alfredo sauce from scratch is much easier than you might think.

Here's the gist. Melt ½ cup butter over medium-low heat and whisk in 2 tablespoons of softened cream cheese until smooth. Add 2 cups half and half and 1 teaspoon garlic powder, then let it simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes until it thickens a bit. Turn the heat to low, stir in ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan, and season with salt and pepper. That's it!

You'll get about 2 cups of sauce, which is enough for a pound of pasta. Spoon it over grilled chicken, steamed broccoli or a baked potato, or use it to make our Easy Steak Alfredo. It even makes a yummy dip for copycat restaurant breadsticks.

Helpful Tips

Keep the heat low so the sauce doesn't separate. Alfredo is happiest at a gentle simmer. If it boils hard, the butter can separate and the sauce turns oily. Keep the burner at medium-low, stir often, and turn it down to low before the Parmesan goes in.

Add the Parmesan last, a handful at a time. Stir until each handful melts before adding more. Dumping it all into a bubbling pot is how you end up with clumps. If your sauce does start to look grainy or separated, pull it off the heat and whisk in a splash of warm half and half or pasta water. It usually comes right back together.

Save some pasta water. Scoop out about ½ cup of the cooking water before you drain the linguine. A splash loosens a sauce that's gotten too thick and helps it cling to every noodle.

Have seafood crackers on hand for the crab legs. One bit of advice, if you are making this recipe with crab legs, be sure to have some good seafood crackers on hand. They make the job of getting the meat out SO much easier! Snap the legs apart at the joints, then crack the shell along its length (kitchen shears work great on snow crab) and slide the meat out in big pieces. Pat it dry with paper towels so it doesn't water down your sauce.

Fold the crab in gently at the end. The crab is already cooked, so it only needs to warm through. Fold it in carefully to keep those big, pretty chunks, and save a few pieces for the top.

Fun Variations

• Shrimp alfredo. Swap the crab for 1 pound of peeled shrimp, cooked in a little butter for 2 to 3 minutes per side until pink. Or go half crab, half shrimp for a seafood Alfredo.
• Lobster alfredo. Use lobster tail meat for an extra-special dinner. Our Lobster Alfredo walks you through it.
• A lighter sauce. Use whole milk for half of the half and half and cut the butter to ¼ cup. The sauce will be thinner, so let it simmer a few extra minutes and let the cream cheese and Parmesan do the thickening.
• Cajun crab alfredo. Stir 1 to 2 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning into the sauce for a little kick.
• Add some veggies. Steamed broccoli, peas, sautéed mushrooms or a big handful of baby spinach wilted right into the sauce are all delicious.

Serving Ideas

Don't forget to serve up some bread on the side! Personally, we can't get enough of this delicious Copycat Rosemary Bread. It's the perfect loaf for just about any Italian dinner. And for the full Red Lobster experience, a basket of Copycat Red Lobster Cheddar Biscuits is a must.

Something fresh and crunchy balances out all that rich sauce. A simple green salad, a Caesar, or our Italian Salad with homemade dressing all work great. Roasted asparagus or steamed broccoli is nice too.

This is a great pick for date night, a birthday or any special occasion dinner. Pure deliciousness on a plate!

A little facelift! This recipe has been on the blog for a long time. It's always been delicious, but the old pictures definitely left... something to be desired. So I've given it a bit of a facelift with some new photos this week. This was the original that published with the recipe back in 2017. I think we've improved things a bit, huh?

Storing & Reheating

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Seafood is best eaten fresh, so I don't push it past that.

Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of half and half or milk, stirring until warmed through. The microwave works too. Use 50% power in 30-second bursts and stir in between, or the sauce can separate.

I don't recommend freezing crab alfredo. Cream sauces tend to turn grainy and the crab gets rubbery once it's thawed. If you'd like to get a head start, you can crack and pick the crab meat up to 1 day ahead and keep it covered in the fridge.

More Copycat Recipes

If you love this Copycat Red Lobster Crab Alfredo, be sure to try these other restaurant favorites at home:

• Copycat Red Lobster Cheddar Biscuits
• Bang Bang Shrimp - Copycat Bonefish Grill Recipe
• Copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup
• 55 Restaurant Copycat Recipes for a Romantic Date Night at Home
• See all of our copycat recipes

Recipe

Copycat Red Lobster Crab Alfredo

This copycat Red Lobster crab alfredo tosses linguine and sweet crab leg meat in a rich, garlicky homemade Alfredo sauce. A special dinner that's easy enough for any night!

4.6 from 193 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Main dishes

Cuisine American

Servings 4 servings

Calories 955 kcal

Equipment

• large stainless steel stock pot
• seafood crackers

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 1 pound linguine or fettuccine
• 2 pounds crab legs snow or king crab, about 12 ounces of meat (or 12 ounces lump crab meat, see notes)
• ½ cup butter unsalted
• 2 tablespoons cream cheese softened
• 2 cups half and half 1 pint, or heavy cream for a richer sauce
• ¾ cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated, plus more for serving
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh parsley chopped, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the linguine according to the package directions until al dente. Scoop out about ½ cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta and set it aside.
• Meanwhile, bring a second large pot of water to a boil. Add the crab legs and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, until heated through (most crab legs are sold already cooked). If your crab legs are raw, cook them for 8 to 10 minutes, until the shells are bright red and the meat is opaque.
• Drain the crab legs and let them cool until you can handle them. Crack the shells with seafood crackers or kitchen shears and pull out the meat in large pieces. Pat the meat dry with paper towels and set it aside.
• In a large, deep skillet or saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the cream cheese and whisk until it melts and the mixture is smooth.
• Whisk in the half and half and garlic powder. Bring to a gentle simmer (don't let it boil) and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce thickens slightly.
• Turn the heat to low. Stir in the Parmesan a handful at a time, letting each handful melt before adding the next. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Add the drained linguine to the sauce and toss to coat. If the sauce is too thick, loosen it with a splash of the reserved pasta water. Gently fold in most of the crab meat.
• Divide among bowls and top with the remaining crab, chopped parsley and extra Parmesan. Serve right away.

Video

Notes

For a richer, creamier sauce, use heavy cream in place of the half and half.

Using lump or canned crab: skip steps 2 and 3. Drain 12 ounces of lump crab meat well, pick through it for bits of shell, and fold it in at step 7.

Use freshly grated Parmesan from a wedge. Pre-grated Parmesan from a can doesn't melt smoothly and can make the sauce grainy.

Leftovers keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat gently over low heat with a splash of half and half. This dish doesn't freeze well.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 955kcalCarbohydrates: 91gProtein: 42gFat: 46gSaturated Fat: 28gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 159mgSodium: 1297mgPotassium: 629mgFiber: 4gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 1402IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 429mgIron: 2mg

Nutrition details are an estimate, per serving.

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