King crab legs calories come to 130 for one leg (134 g) and 97 per 100 g of cooked Alaska king crab. The calories are not the number to watch. The salt is: one leg carries 1,436 mg of sodium, 62% of the daily value, alongside 25.9 g of protein.
130kcal
1 leg · 134 g, Alaska king, cooked
85%protein
26 gProtein
0 gCarbs
2.1 gFat
How to burn off 130 kcal
—Walking, brisk
—Jogging
—Cycling, moderate
—Swimming
Skip the math. BodyPal counts these calories from your steps and workouts automatically.
Nutrition facts
Alaska king, cooked · per 134 g
Calories
130 kcal
Protein
26 g
Carbohydrate
0 g
Fat
2.1 g
Saturated fat
0.2 g
Cholesterol
71 mg
Sodium
1436 mg
Potassium
351 mg
Iron
1 mg
Source: USDA FoodData Central
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Verified nutrition data
Numbers on this page come from USDA FoodData Central, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food composition database, and from manufacturer labels where a branded product is named. Last verified October 2026. How we verify our data →
King crab leg: calories, protein and sodium by serving
Percent of daily value uses the FDA reference of 2,000 kcal a day.
Serving
kcal
Protein
Carbs
Fat
Sodium
% DV kcal
1 leg (134 g)
130
25.9 g
0 g
2.1 g
1,436 mg
6%
3 oz portion (85 g)
82
16.4 g
0 g
1.3 g
911 mg
4%
100 g
97
19.4 g
0 g
1.5 g
1,072 mg
5%
3 × 1 leg (134 g)
390
77.8 g
4,309 mg
5 × 1 leg (134 g)
650
129.6 g
7,182 mg
One leg is 130 calories, a platter is not
A single cooked king crab leg of 134 g comes to 130 calories, about 6% of the daily value for energy. That is a modest number for the main protein of a meal. The catch is that crab is often served by the pound, and few people stop at one leg.
The total climbs in a straight line. Two legs (268 g) come to 260 calories and 51.9 g of protein. Three legs (402 g) reach 390 calories. A five-leg feast, 670 g of crab, lands at 650 calories with 129.6 g of protein. The calories stay reasonable for a big seafood dinner. The sodium, covered below, does not.
For a smaller plate, the standard 3 oz portion (85 g) holds 82 calories and 16.4 g of protein. That is the size to use when crab shares the plate with pasta, salad or rice instead of being the whole meal. Log by the leg or by grams, whichever you actually measured, and the count stays honest.
Nearly every calorie is protein
Protein supplies 85% of the calories in king crab, fat supplies 15%, and carbohydrates supply 0. Per 100 g that works out to 19.4 g of protein, 1.5 g of fat, 0 g of carbs and 0 g of fiber. Few foods are this one-sided.
Fat barely registers. A full leg holds 2.1 g of fat, and saturated fat is just 0.1 g per 100 g. Cholesterol sits at 53 mg per 100 g and potassium at 262 mg. The calorie count moves almost entirely with the protein, which makes king crab a very lean choice.
Protein per calorie is the strong point. One leg gives 25.9 g of protein, 52% of the daily value, for 130 calories. Even the 3 oz portion covers 33% of the daily protein value at 82 calories. If you are trying to hit a protein target without spending many calories, crab does the job.
Sodium is the row to watch
Cooked king crab in the USDA data carries 1,072 mg of sodium per 100 g. One leg brings 1,436 mg, 62% of the daily value, in a food that supplies only 6% of daily calories. That mismatch is the single most useful fact about this food.
The numbers stack fast. Two legs reach 2,873 mg, already past a full day's daily value for sodium. Three legs come to 4,309 mg, and five legs hit 7,182 mg. Even a modest 3 oz portion holds 911 mg, or 40% of the daily value.
If you watch sodium, portion is the main lever. Keep the crab to one leg or a 3 oz serving and build the rest of the plate from unsalted foods: plain vegetables, potatoes, rice without added salt. Skip extra salt in the cooking water if you heat the legs yourself, and go easy on salty dips. The crab already brings plenty.
Build the plate around the crab, not the butter
With 0 g of carbs and 0 g of fiber, king crab leaves the rest of the plate open. Vegetables, a whole grain or a baked potato fill the fiber gap, and a squeeze of lemon adds flavor without adding much else. The crab covers the protein side on its own.
The usual dip changes the math more than the crab does. Melted butter is almost pure fat, so generous dunking can quietly add a lot of calories to a lean meal. If you are counting, measure the butter or switch to lemon, cocktail sauce or a light vinaigrette.
Packaged legs from Aqua Star, Alaska Seafood or Packers Red King Crab are the same food in these tables, so check the bag for the weight per leg before logging. BodyPal can log the crab from a photo, which helps on a seafood night when the plate holds several things at once.
How does king crab leg compare?
Here is how king crab legs stack up against crab meat and crab claw meat, per 100 g and per usual serving.
Verdict: For the fewest calories and far less sodium, pick crab meat or claw meat at 83 calories and 395 mg of sodium per 100 g. Pick king crab legs when protein is the goal, since they carry 19.4 g per 100 g against 17.9 g.
Most popular king crab leg brands in the United States
Ranked by popularity in the BodyPal database
# Productkcal / 100 g
1Alaska Seafood Wild Alaska King Crab Legs & Claws6 oz · 170 g47 kcal
2Marine Fishing International King Crab Legs and Claws3.5 oz · 100 g97 kcal
3Beaver Street Fisheries King Crab Legs3 oz · 85 g94 kcal
4Aqua Star King Crab Legs & Claws6 oz · 170 g47 kcal
5Great American Seafood King Crab Legs & Claws1 leg · 134 g75 kcal
6Packers Red King Crab Legs3 oz · 84 g95 kcal
Some labels count the shell in the weight of legs and claws, so they read lower than the meat-only numbers above. Source: manufacturer labels / USDA FoodData Central.
King crab leg FAQs
How many calories are in one king crab leg?
About 130 calories in one cooked king crab leg (134 g), or 82 calories in a 3 oz portion.
Is king crab good for weight loss?
King crab has 97 calories, 19.4 g protein, 1.5 g fat and 0 g carbs per 100 g. It is also salty, with 1072 mg sodium per 100 g.
King crab vs blue crab meat: which has fewer calories?
Cooked blue crab has 83 calories per 100 g, while cooked king crab has 97. King crab has more protein, 19.4 g versus 17.9 g.
How much protein is in a king crab leg?
One cooked king crab leg (134 g) has 25.9 g protein and 2.1 g fat, with 1436 mg sodium.
How many calories are in a 3 oz serving of king crab?
A 3 oz portion (85 g) of cooked Alaska king crab has 82 calories. It also brings 16.4 g of protein, 1.3 g of fat, 0 g of carbs and 911 mg of sodium.
How many calories are in 2 king crab legs?
Two king crab legs (268 g) come to 260 calories. They also carry 51.9 g of protein and 2,873 mg of sodium, so the sodium climbs much faster than the calories.
How much sodium is in king crab legs?
One king crab leg has 1,436 mg of sodium, 62% of the daily value. Per 100 g the figure is 1,072 mg, far higher than plain crab meat at 395 mg per 100 g.
Does king crab have any carbs?
No. King crab has 0 g of carbs and 0 g of fiber per 100 g. Its 97 calories per 100 g come 85% from protein and 15% from fat.
Is king crab high in cholesterol or fat?
King crab has 53 mg of cholesterol per 100 g. Fat is low at 1.5 g per 100 g, with only 0.1 g of saturated fat.
