The Best Crab Cakes
Chock full of jumbo lump crabmeat, the Best Crab Cakes are light on fillers for the most perfect tender bite you’ll ever take. Simple to prepare, these crab cakes are perfect for easy weeknight dinners or elegant dinner parties.
Crab Cakes
If you didn’t get your fill of seafood this summer, you’re in luck. I’m sharing my FAVORITE recipe ever with you today and it’s made the only way it should be. The Best Crab Cakes ever made have very little filler making them tender, succulent and perfect.
I’m a very picky crab cake eater so I tend to shy away from them at restaurants. A lot of places tend to keep their costs down by plumping up their crab cakes with tons of fillers…mainly breadcrumbs. Lots and lots of breadcrumbs.
Then, they dredge them in MORE breadcrumbs before frying them….and basically what you’re left with is a mealy crab dip, deep fried and coated in crusty crumbs. I’m more of a purist when it comes to my crab cakes. I make my Tuna Patties much the same way.
How To Make Crab Cakes
This easy Crab Cake comes together quickly making it ideal for a quick dinner.
I like them loaded with jumbo lump crab meat, a little mayo, a little mustard, a teensy bit of breadcrumbs, parsley, a squeeze of lemon and some seasoning. Keep it simple and you will have the best Maryland style Crab Cake in your life.
- Whisk together the mayonnaise, hot sauce, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and mustard.
- Pick over the crabmeat for shells.
- Fold the crab meat and breadcrumbs into the sauce being careful not to break up the crab too much.
- Shape the crab into 6 equal size patties and arrange on a baking sheet.
- Chill the patties for 30 minutes to allow them to firm up.
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat.
- Add the crab cakes to the pan and cook until golden. Flip and continue to cook on the other side until golden.
- Transfer to a platter and serve with lemon.
What are Crab Cakes
If you’re a crab lover, crab cakes are the best thing ever. Maryland crab cakes are a type of fish cake, similar to my salmon patties, made of crab meat mixed with mayonnaise, breadcrumbs, lemon, mustard and little else.
They’re usually pan fried, baked, broiled or even deep fried but this recipe we use the pan frying method because it gives the outside a nice crust but leaves the inside tender.
Some versions even mix in Old Bay seasoning which adds a nice eastern shore flavor but I prefer to make them without it.
What Type of Crab To Use
We use jumbo lump crab only for this recipe. Jumbo lump crab comes from larger crabs and is sold in tubs or cans in your grocer’s seafood department.
It is quite expensive so you can use a less expensive lump crab for this recipe if you prefer or if Jumbo Lump is unavailable.
Tips for Perfect Crab Cakes
- Pick over the crab meat for shells. I guarantee you’ll find one or two and you definitely don’t want to find them when you’re eating your crab cakes.
- Fold the crab meat into the sauce, carefully. You can’t to keep as much of the crab in tact as you can so don’t manhandle it when mixing the ingredients together.
- CHILL your cakes before cooking. By chilling your crab patties, this will help them from falling apart while cooking.
- Breadcrumbs matter. We use Panko Breadcrumbs, which are lighter and less dense than traditional breadcrumbs. The lighter crumb helps them remain light and tender.
How To Freeze
- Arrange crab cakes in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment and transfer to the freezer.
- Freeze until firm.
- Wrap each cake in plastic wrap and transfer to a freezer bag or freezer safe container.
- Freeze for up to 6 months.
This homemade Crab Cake recipe is great for weeknight dinners because they come together in less than 30 minutes. But they also make a great first course for entertaining or make little mini crab cakes for a passable appetizer for the holidays.
Best Sides for Crab Cakes
Crab Cakes are super versatile and can be served with just about anything. We love them in a casual setting the Baltimore way with a side of coleslaw and a pile of Truffle Fries.
We also love to make the ultimate crab cake sandwich for a low key summer dinner!
Or you can serve them surf and turf style with a juicy Filet Mignon! Top them with homemade cocktail sauce or drizzle them with hollandaise.
They’re a great addition to a buffet with this simple Shrimp Cocktail and these super amazing Tuna Sundaes (don’t let the name sway you…they’re spectacular.)
I bet you never knew how versatile and easy a crab cake can be, am I right? And this is the World’s Best Crab Cake Recipe…..for reals.
More Easy Crab Recipes
- The Best Hot Crab Dip
- The Best Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
- The Very Best Cold Crab Dip Recipe
- Maryland Crab Soup
- Crab Imperial
If you’re in the mood for crabs in the shell, these Dungeness crabs are as easy as they are tasty!
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Get the Recipe: The Best Crab Cakes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound jumbo lump crab meat, picked over for shells
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce, I use Tabasco
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tsp fresh lemon zest
- 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Equipment
- 1 skillet
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, carefully pick over the crab and remove any shells.
- In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, dijon, worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, egg, pepper, lemon zest and parsley.
- Add the mayonnaise mixture to the crab and, carefully, fold together being careful not to break up the crab meat too much. Gently fold in the breadcrumbs.
- Form 1/3 cup of the crab mixture into 8 patties and transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment. Chill for 15-20 minutes.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the crab cakes and cook over medium heat until golden, approximately 3-4 minutes. Turn the crab cakes over with a spatula. Cook until golden brown, crispy and cooked through, approximately 3 minutes.
- Transfer to a serving platter and serve immediately with tartar sauce and lemon wedges, if desired.
149 Comments on “The Best Crab Cakes”
Born and raised in MD you don’t put hot sauce in crabcakes you use Old Bay!
Well, not everyone likes Old Bay….even people from MD. I do mention you can add it to the crab cakes but it’s not necessary. It’s still an amazing crab cake whether you add it or not.
I just love to cook all types of food
Me too, thank yoU!
Excellent and easy recipe. Followed directions exactly and got rave reviews. I am going to try your crap salad next. Thank you
Thank you! You’ll love the salad.
This looks really good please send me the website thank you
You are on the website, the recipe is above where you left a comment.
The recipe card is right above where you left the comment.
I’m a former fish market owner. I made these to bring for Christmas. They were spot on. I did coat the outside with Panko before frying. That way they held together better. Made a simple lemon remoulade.
Sounds perfect! Thank you for your comment!
We loved these! I am so surprised how easy they are to make, great recipe!
They’re our favorite! So glad you liked them!
Mmmm!! I could way more than I should!! Crisp & golden, but still soft & delicious!! These are such a crowd-pleasing appetizer!!
I love how I can make delicious crab cakes at home! Not too difficult and so good!
This is one of the best crab cake recipes that I have tried! It was easy to make, the instructions are also easy to follow. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
I’m so glad you liked it! Thank you for your comment!
We made these crab cakes last night for dinner and they were so delicious. An easy recipe that will be on our menu often.
Thank you so much! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
I just came across this recipe a little bit ago and wrote it down, but forgot to make it. Yall it was so good! Our family is not crazy about crab meat anything, but this was so good! I didn’t even have any leftovers left! I was hoping to sneak one for lunch today, guess Ill have to make more!
Hi Kellie, Just came across your recipe for the best crab cakes and was wondering if you could make them in an air fryer instead of in a pan with oil?
I haven’t tested them out in an air fryer but you can bake them in the oven at 350˚ for 15-20 minutes until crispy on the outside so I assume it would work in an air fryer.
The Eastern Shore of Maryland was my backyard growing-up in the 80’s.. In the open water, we’d float by crabbers and trade a case of beer for a bushel of crabs…. This recipe impressed me. Only variation, I used 1/3 cup mayonnaise and substituted cilantro (parsley tastes like grass to me). The acidity of lemon wedges put this over the top. Great recipe! Thank you for posting…
Thank you so much!!!
We live in the Pacific NW so we have LOTS of fresh Dungeness crab, not the Maryland type. It is so wonderful and sweet right out of the shell, but last night I made this recipe as a crab cake first course to dinner. It was fantastic and guests raved! I served with a little homemade lemon aioli. Definitely this will be my crab cake “Go To!”
We LOVE Dungeness crab!!! I bet this was a phenomenal crab cake because of it!
So good. My family does not like old bay seasoning. Can’t taste the crab that way. These were excellent!
Thank you, Patti!