This no-fuss crab cake recipe has lots of flavor (and lots of crab) in every bite. Crab patties are pan-fried until crispy on the outside and tender inside.
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You’ll LOVE These Crab Cakes Because…
- They’re easy to make with lump crabmeat or canned crab.
- Each bite is meaty and flavorful with bright herbs and a zesty citrus twist.
- These have a perfect golden brown finish with a quick pan-fry.
- These crab cakes are great as appetizers, side dishes, or the main course.
Choosing Crab for Crab Cakes
For the best flavor, use fresh crab meat or lump crab meat (often sold in a jar near the seafood counter). Lump crab has bigger pieces, but canned crab works too.
No matter which you use, pick through the meat first and remove any shell bits or cartilage.
Other Ingredients
- Seasoning: Dijon mustard, a hint of Worcestershire, and Old Bay seasoning. Fresh herbs add great flavor.
- Breadcrumbs: I use very little filler, just enough to bind it together. Panko with a little bit of mayo is my favorite choice for the best texture. You can replace the breadcrumbs with crushed saltine cracker crumbs.
Crab Cake Variations
- Add 1 to 2 tablespoons finely diced red bell pepper or green onions.
- Add a pinch of cayenne or Cajun seasoning for gentle heat.
- Try mini crab cakes for appetizers and shorten the cook time.
How to Make Crab Cakes
- In a large bowl, whisk mayonnaise, egg, mustard, and Old Bay seasoning.
- Add the remaining ingredients (recipe below). Toss very gently so you don’t break up the crab too much. Form into patties.
- Chill crab cakes and cook them in a large skillet until lightly browned.
Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice and your favorite dipping sauce. Try homemade tartar sauce, remoulade sauce, or garlic aioli.
Storing, Freezing, and Reheating
- Fridge: Store cooked crab cakes in an airtight container and refrigerate up to 3 days.
- Reheat: To make them crispy again, reheat them in a dry saute pan on medium heat or in the air fryer.
- Freeze: Freeze cooled crab cakes for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Thaw overnight in the fridge for the most even results, then pan-fry or air fry to reheat.
Leftover crab cakes can be chopped and added to a crab salad, or mixed into a cheesy crab dip.
What to Serve with Crab Cakes
Did you make these easy Crab Cakes? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound lump crab meat
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- ½ cup Panko bread crumbs unflavored
- 1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- ¼ cup canola oil
- lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Check the crab meat for any hard and sharp cartilage, remove, and discard.
- In a bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, beaten egg, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and Old Bay seasoning.
- Add crab meat, bread crumbs, parsley, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Gently fold to combine, being careful not to break up the crab.
- Gently press to shape into 6-8 crab cakes using ⅓ cup each, then place on a plate. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Heat the oil in a large nonstick over medium heat. Cook the crab cakes 3-5 minutes per side or until golden brown.
- Serve immediately with tartar sauce and lemon wedges.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Appetizer, Main Course, Seafood
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Absolutely delicious and easy to make!
I wanted to have these crab cakes for Christmas Eve; I prepped the mixture the day before and used a 1/3 cup measuring cup to pressed the mixture into it which made perfectly formed cakes!
I refrigerated them overnight and fried them the next day. They were delicate and required care when handling but they held up beautifully and did not fall apart!! I received a lot of compliments! This recipe is a keeper!