Red Lobster Crab Alfredo

Red Lobster Crab Alfredo has been a long-time favorite recipe at the restaurant. You can recreate this delicious seafood pasta dish yourself with this easy copycat recipe.

A plate of alfredo pasta with crab


The Best Crab Alfredo

Red Lobster is known for many menu items that everyone loves. But the one that stands out from the rest is the crab alfredo. The sauce is thick and creamy, and the crab is always perfectly cooked. If you are a pasta fan, this dish is a must!

I’m such a huge fan of this dish that I made my copycat version so I can eat it at home anytime I want. It tastes just like the real thing. So you can enjoy this copycat Red Lobster recipe.

Ingredients

Here is a list of what you need to make crab alfredo:

  • Half and Half Cream
  • Unsalted Butter
  • Cream Cheese
  • Shredded Parmesan Cheese
  • Garlic Powder
  • Crab Meat
  • Linguini Pasta

crab, pasta, and alfredo sauce ingredients

How to Make Crab Linguini Alfredo

  1. In a saucepan, melt butter, then add cream cheese.
  2. When the cream cheese is softened, add heavy cream and Parmesan cheese.
  3. Add garlic powder and stir well. Simmer for 15-20 minutes on low.
  4. Boil crab legs for six minutes.
  5. Remove the crab legs from the water. Use a cracker to remove the meat from the crab legs.
  6. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain pasta.
  7. Place pasta in a large bowl. Add the alfredo sauce and stir well.
  8. Add crab meat to the pasta after it has been mixed. Gently fold in the crab meat.
  9. Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese if desired.

a plate of Crab Linguini Alfredo

Crab Linguini Alfredo Tips

This is probably one of the easiest meals I have made lately. You shouldn’t have any problems. But here are a few tips that will help you out.

Best Type of Crab to Use

Fresh crab meat makes the perfect addition to my alfredo sauce. I always recommend using the freshest ingredients because they have the best taste. You can use snow crab legs, and you don’t have to buy the expensive Alaska King Crab legs.

But you can also use canned crab meat too. If you are going to use canned crab meat, I suggest using lump and backfin meat. The claw meat comes out super shredded and in tinier pieces which can get lost in the sauce and the noodles.

You can also choose to use imitation crab meat.

Is imitation crab meat already cooked? Yes, imitation crab meat is normally pre-cooked. But always check the packaging just in case.

How do you cook packaged crab meat?

Cooking packaged crab meat is super easy. Heat up some butter in a pan and saute the meat for about 5 minutes. It will be ready to add to your sauce and noodles.

How to reheat alfredo sauce

While this dish is a very easy and quick to prepare, I will say you should only make the amount of the Red Lobster Crab Alfredo that you will need to eat in one sitting.

Typically Alfredo sauce and pasta do not reheat well after they have been combined. If you need to save some for later, I would divide up the sauce and the pasta. Often the pasta will soak up the sauce once it is stored. I’m not too fond of the result of reheated pasta.

Crab Alfredo Pasta on a plate

Do you love Red Lobster? Try these copycat recipes

Make your favorite Red Lobster menu item at home!

More Crab Recipes

Be sure to check out more of my casual dining restaurant copycat recipes and the best seafood recipes.

A plate of alfredo pasta with crab

Red Lobster Crab Alfredo

Craving a comforting seafood pasta dish for dinner? Make this quick and easy Red Lobster Crab Linguini Alfredo copycat recipe! Super creamy and delicious.
5 from 12 votes
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Seafood
Keyword: Red Lobster Recipes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 617kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 pint half and half
  • 4 ounces unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons cream cheese
  • 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 8 ounces crab lump meat
  • 16 ounces linguini pasta cook according to package directions

Instructions

Alfredo sauce preparation

  • In a saucepan, melt butter.
  • When butter is melted, add the cream cheese. When the cream cheese is softened, add half and half, and the Parmesan cheese.
  • Add garlic powder and stir well. Simmer for 15-20 minutes on low. You may wish to season with a little salt and pepper. 

Crab Leg preparation

  • Boil crab legs by filling a large stockpot half full of cold water. Add a tablespoon of salt to the water. Turn the temperature up to high, when the water comes to a boil, add the crab legs.
  • Once the crab legs are added reduce the temperature to medium, and simmer for six minutes. Remove the crab legs from the water. Use a cracker to remove the meat from the crab legs.

Pasta directions

  • Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain pasta.

Assembly

  • Place pasta in a large bowl, pour over alfredo sauce. Stir well. Add crab meat to the pasta after it has been mixed. Gently fold in the crab meat. Plate the pasta and crab met immediately.

Notes

Normally, cream cheese isn’t used, but it does help thicken the sauce up without much difference to the taste. You can omit it–just be prepared to stay with the sauce a little longer to thicken it. Boil crab legs as you normally would in boiling water. Crack open legs, dab meat lightly with paper towel to remove excess water, and place the meats on top of the alfredo sauce and pasta.

Nutrition

Calories: 617kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 99mg | Sodium: 571mg | Potassium: 372mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 925IU | Vitamin C: 3.4mg | Calcium: 273mg | Iron: 1.4mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Samantha Bielli

    5 stars
    My husband’s favorite red lobster dish, made at home, as the last time we had it in the restaurant it fell flat. He was super happy with the turn out. I used snow crab legs, added a bit more garlic powder, and taste tested for salt. The recipe is spot on, thank you so much for this share!

  2. linda beachy

    I lot ok
    ve red lobster crabmeat alfredo. Would it hurt to use imitation crabmeat and I always add alittle butter to my drained pasta for extra kick and to prevent it from sticking is tha

  3. Liz Nelson

    5 stars
    I made the Red Lobster Crab Alfredo for a girls night gather at my house and it was a hit. Everyone could not stop raving about how great it was!

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