I prefer making crab cakes at home rather than ordering them in some fancy restaurant. I make them just how I like them: full, and I mean full of crab meat with just enough filler to pull it together. I add a little texture with panko along with tons of spice like Old bay and some citrus. Fry these babies up and serve with tartar sauce or remoulade and that’s some good eating.
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Video Tutorial
How to Make Crab Cakes
Step 1: In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, eggs, parsley, mustard, lemon juice, Old Bay and cayenne until combined.
Step 2: Next fold in crabmeat and breadcrumbs.
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Step 3: Shape into 6-8 crabcakes. Place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
Step 4: Add butter and olive oil to the skillet over medium heat. Cook crab cakes for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden brown. Drain on paper towels then serve.
Crab Cakes Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper can go up to 1/2 tsp if you want more spice
- 2 lbs fresh crabmeat drained, flaked and all cartilage removed
- 3/4 cup plain panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp oil canola, vegetable or olive oil is best
- 1 tbsp butter
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, eggs, parsley, mustard, lemon juice, Old Bay and cayenne until combined.
- Next fold in crabmeat and breadcrumbs and shape into 6-8 crabcakes. Place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
- Add butter and olive oil to the skillet over medium heat.
- Cook crab cakes for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden brown.
- Drain on paper towels then serve with lemon slices and a side of this remoulade sauce.
Video
Notes
How to Store and Reheat
Be sure to wrap and refrigerate your leftovers promptly after they’ve been served. I wouldn’t eat past a day or two in the fridge. To reheat: bring your crab cakes to room temp for about 30 minutes, preheat the oven to 325 degrees and lay the cakes on a foil-covered baking sheet with a pat of butter on each cake. Heat for 10-15 minutes. Don’t microwave.Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Avoid Canned Crab if you can: Canned options are typically flavorless and rubbery. For a brand that I love that is fresh, check out Pontchartrain Blue Crab. It is imported regularly and can be found at Whole Foods Market. You will find it over ice in the seafood section so it stays fresh.
- Ask your Local Grocery Store Seafood Section Attendant: They usually have fresh crab in the back of the store and will go to their fresh deliveries and gather and weigh it for you if in stock. This guarantees you get fresh delicious crab for your crab cakes.
- Grab flaked: I highly suggest “flaked” lump crab meat which refers to smaller pieces of meat that come from the claw. The flavor is delicious and the texture melts in your mouth.
- For Frozen: be sure to properly defrost, rinse and dry off excess moisture. The result will be a bit different but nonetheless, delicious.
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I don’t know what I did wrong but these did not turn out as crab cakes 🙁 we were so sad, but we ended up eating it as scrambled crab cakes and were so delicious! We did only have 1lb of crab instead of 2 but yeah any tips?
Did you change the other ratios as well?
Can I substitute the mayo and egg with Greek.yogurt? I dont eat mayo or eggs.
Definitely give it a try and let me know how it turns out.
This was so good! For my first time making crab cakes could not have loved a recipe more!
Looks good – will try it soon
Can’t wait to try this recipe (crab cakes)
We bake crappie (fish) to substitute for the crab in the recipe. The “crappie cakes” are a hit. Thank you for the recipe! We were looking for new ways to cook our catch and this is perfect.
My husband took one bite and declared they were the best crab cakes in the world! I agreed… perfectly crabby . I would not change a thing! Thank you.
I have made these crab cakes several times and they are on the menu again tonight! My only recommendation is to use the entire egg instead of just the yolks. The first time I made them I went strictly by the recipe but I found that I had to be very gentle when flipping them in the pan, even using two turners with the cakes sandwiched between when flipping them over. I also had to be equally gentle when I removed them from the pan. I remedied the fragility by simply using the entire egg and the cakes stick together just fine.
Seriously the best crab cakes I’ve ever had! Love that they aren’t super heavy with sauce.
These are AMAZING. I’ve eaten a lot of crab cakes and these are better than a restaurant. Working on my second batch now, thank you so much for the recipe!