Crab Cakes

Here’s an easy and flavorful Crab Cake recipe for you! Made with mostly (or all, if you like) lump crab meat, they were a huge hit when my neighbor served them recently at her baby shower! You can watch me make these on Instagram or TikTok.

Crab Cakes Ingredients

Feel free to jump to the full recipe, but here are useful notes about the ingredients you will need to make this Crab Cakes recipe:

• Lump crab meat: The bulk of our crab cakes. I did make these initially with all lump crab, but I didn’t like the way they looked or held together. If you want to use all lump crab I’d add another egg to this recipe. No matter what type of crab you go for, the fresher the better. If you have to use canned look for the refrigerated cans in the seafood section.
• Claw meat: I added a half-pound of claw meat to the recipe in order to get the flaky look when the cakes are broken apart that I wanted. Taste-testers reported no discernible preference.
• Mayonnaise, egg: These bind our filling together so it sticks, and provide moisture, too.
• Saltine crackers: Not many, a handful really. Just enough to make things sticky and give the oil something to brown.
• Flat-leaf parsley: For color, and fresh flavor.
• Creole mustard, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, hot sauce: Flavor, obviously. Dijon mustard can be subbed for Creole mustard. I used Old Bay Hot Sauce.
• Creole seasoning, kosher salt, black pepper: I used Old Bay for the seasoning, too. It’s what I recommend, but if you have a preference go for it. Only add the extra kosher salt if you need it.
• Equipment: Only a few things are required for this recipe:

How to Make Crab Cakes 

Full instructions are included in the recipe below, but here is a basic overview of what you’ll need to do, along with some important tidbits to help you make the most of this Crab Cakes recipe:

• Pick through your crab meat. Gently separate the crab meat with your fingers and feel through it. If it was hand-picked it’ll be less likely, but there’s still a chance there are bits of shell in there. Make sure there aren’t before you begin, then set it aside.
• Combine the ingredients. In a bowl combine the egg, mayo, mustard, Worcestershire, lemon juice, hot sauce, and creole seasoning. Whisk everything together until it’s well combined. Then, stir in the crushed saltines until they’re completed saturated.
• Fold in the crab. Add the crab meat and fold it in gently. Use a silicone spatula. You don’t want to break up the pieces of lump crab, so it’s important to have a soft touch.
• Make the crab cakes. Oil up the inside of a 1/3 C measuring cup. I like to spray it with cooking spray, but you can rub the inside with an oil-soaked paper towel. Scoop up the crab mixture, and transfer it to your palm. Use your hands to shape it into a fat ball, pressing it together with your cupped hands. Don’t flatten it, just push it into itself, like you’re making a snowball. Line them on a baking sheet or a large plate and pop them in the refrigerator for half an hour. This helps them set up nicely.
• Fry ’em up! Heat a shallow layer of oil in a cast-iron skillet. Test it by dropping a small piece of crab mixture into the oil, it should bubble and rise to the surface. Add the crab cakes in a single layer and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip carefully and fry for another 2-3 minutes. Drain on a wire rack or paper towels (I’m not as militant about these as I am draining chicken).
• Alternatively, bake ’em! Preheat your oven to 450°F while the Crab Cakes are chilling. Melt a few tablespoons of unsalted butter in the microwave. Line a baking sheet with nonstick foil or a silicone liner. Arrange the crab cakes into rows and brush them all over with the melted butter. Bake until just golden brown, about 12-15 minutes. Don’t flip. They’re fragile.
• Broiling works too. Line a baking sheet with nonstick foil or spray it with cooking spray. Arrange the crab cakes into rows and Put a pat of butter on each Crab Cake. Set the broiler to low and place the sheet pan on the top rack. Broil until they begin to brown, about 7-8 minutes, then turn the broiler to high and broil until golden brown. Don’t flip. They’re fragile.

Spicy Cajun Remoulade

Pictured above are the crab cake sliders I made, with baby spinach and cherry tomatoes. They’re sauced with my Spicy Cajun Remoulade, the recipe for which I’ve included below:

• 1/2 C mayonnaise
• 1/4 C pickled jalapeno peppers
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp creole mustard
• 2 tsp ketchup
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp cajun seasoning, to taste
• 1 tsp horseradish, drained
• 1 tsp granulated garlic
• 1/4 tsp celery seed
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt, to taste

Making this remoulade to accompany your Crab Cakes is super easy: just combine it all together! Dump everything directly into a container that has an airtight lid and whisk it together really well. Seal it up and stick it in the fridge for at least two hours to let the flavors meld. Then use it how you like! Use it within about a week tho, I don’t think it’ll last much longer than that.

It’s also great as a dipping sauce! Looking for a side? My Spicy Yellow Rice recipe goes very well with this one.

Come back and rate this recipe if you try it! Here’s the Pinterest graphic:

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