Easy Crab Cake recipe (2024)

I think crab should be the primary flavor in Crab Cakes – not mustard or spices or bread crumbs: crab! Well crab and a buttery crisp crust. Do you agree? If so, then this easy Crab Cake Recipe is for you!

In restaurants, I almost never order crab cakes (or Crab Salad). Only if I’ve seen them and know that they actually look like crab on the inside and not like breadcrumb patties. So often crab cakes are loaded with filler ingredients and too many other flavors.

What sets these crab cakes apart.

For this crab cakes recipe, I start with fresh crab meat and add just a few simple ingredients to hold them together. Then coat them in panko breadcrumbs so they have that delicate crunch on the outside once you fry them. (I love to fry them in a mixture of oil and butter because butter and crab are made for each other!)

This is often referred to as ‘Maryland-style’ (though it’s not technically a Maryland crab cake unless it’s made with Maryland blue crab). I love how the Detroit Free Press defines it: “A trueMaryland crab cakehas discernible pieces ofcrab. It’s made with just enough filler to hold it together, and it has a sweetcrabflavor.”

FAQ

I tried several recipes to come up with just the right ingredients to highlight but not overpower the taste of the crab. Most recipes call for dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and/or Old Bay Seasoning, ingredients that I like for some foods, but not for crab cakes as they overwhelm the crab flavor. And I skipped the bell pepper and/or celery that many recipes call for, opting for just some minced green onion. Again, crab should be the star!

Important Recipe Tip

There is one challenge to this lump crab cake recipe: you’ll have to be gentle when flipping them – they’re not little hockey pucks, so they require some finesse. But you’ll also find them forgiving.

Once you add the crab cakes to the pan, gently press down on the tops with a spatula to flatten them slightly and if they crumble a little on the flip, you can gently press them back together with your spatula. You’ll get the hang of it, I promise. And the delicately crispy, buttery, crab-forward (is that a thing?) result will be totally worth the effort.

Pair With

Serve these crab cakes with lemon wedges (for that perfect little squeeze of lemon) and Remoulade Sauce or French Remoulade Sauce (similar totartar sauce) for dipping.

To make these a meal add a Little Gem Salad or Wedge Salad. And, for a feast, add a wedge of skillet cornbread, a scoop of Cheesy Mashed Potatoes or Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes, a platter of Brabant Potatoes,or a bowl of Tomato Bisque. Hungry yet?

How to Make Crab Cakes

Step 1: Whisk together egg, mayonnaise, lemon juice, hot sauce and green onion and gently fold into crab.

Step 2: Scoop out crab mixture and shape into 1/2-inch thick crab cakes. Gently coat each crab cake in panko breadcrumbs and transfer to parchment lined platter or baking sheet.

Step 3: Fry crab cakes in a large, hot cast iron or nonstick skillet in a sizzling blend of butter and olive oil. cook 4-5 minutes on each side until golden brown. Serve with lemon wedges and remoulade sauce for dipping.

Recipe Video