This study aimed to study the effects of sterilization temperature and time on the quality of canned Antarctic krill pretreated with L-lysine (Lys) at the same sterilization intensity. Pretreatment with either water or the water-retaining agent sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) served as control. Four combinations of sterilization temperature and time were established as follows: 115 ℃ for 60 min, 117 ℃ for 38 min, 119 ℃ for 24 min, and 121 ℃ for 15 min. After sterilization at 115 ℃ for 60 min, the Lys-treated group had lower hardness and chewiness and the lowest degree of lipid oxidation. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) analysis indicated the largest peak area of immobilized water and the highest signal intensity in the pseudo-color image. The microstructure analysis showed that the muscle tissue treated with Lys had a more regular and complete structure with uniformly distributed pores. The sensory evaluation results showed that Antarctic krill meat treated with Lys and sterilized at 115 ℃ for 60 min had better flavor and texture, and scored highest in acceptability. In conclusion, Lys could be a substitute for phosphate to improve the quality of canned Antarctic krill, and sterilization at 115 ℃ for 60 min was the optimal sterilization conditions to maintain the quality of canned Antarctic krill. Lys pretreatment combined with this sterilization process has good applicability in actual production.