Our homemade Crab Cakes have a crisp, golden brown outside and soft, flaky inside! Made with all the best simple ingredients to make the perfect appetizer. Follow this step by step process for an easy recipe that the whole family will love!
The Best Crab Cake Recipe
There is something about a perfectly seared crab cake dipped in spicy mayo that is ALWAYS good! We are big seafood recipe fans and have very high crab cake standards, therefore we have tested this easy crab cake recipe many times to make sure it is perfect. Not only is the taste perfection, but the star of it all was …. wait for it… the FRESH CRAB! So, so good. The mixture of lump crab meat and fresh crab leg meat was the best idea ever. Just serve them up with the spicy mustard mayo in the recipe card or a homemade tartar sauce!
Looking for another yummy seafood recipe? You have to try our Crab Salad, Clam Chowder or Seafood Fettuccine!
What You Will Need
- fresh or frozen crab legs – pick-up a cluster of crab legs from your local grocery store or seafood market and then we boil the crab legs for a quick turnaround.
- jumbo lump crabmeat – typically you can find a package of imitation crab meat in the deli section.
- saltine crackers or bread crumbs – option to crush saltines into crumbs or use some panko breadcrumbs.
- egg & mayo – the binding ingredients in this crab cake recipe.
- dijon mustard & worcestershire sauce – a little bit of each combine to add so much flavor!
- garlic – everything is always better with a little bit of fresh garlic in the mix.
- fresh cilantro – a light & refreshing fresh herb that hits the spot or sub with some fresh parsley.
- Old Bay seasoning & kosher salt – simple seasonings that really pack a flavor punch!
- baking powder – just a little to help with the baking process.
- olive oil or butter – coat the bottom of the pan in either to help sear the outside of the jumbo lump crab cakes.
- spicy mustard sauce – a combination of spices, mayo, and mustard for a simple sauce for crab cakes!
How To Make Crab Cakes
The first steps to making these easy crab cakes are to gather all of the ingredients.
For best results, we highly recommend that you include fresh crab leg meat! To get this fresh crab meat you will need to purchase crab legs and cook them to get the meat out of the shell. This can be done by boiling them in hot water (as instructed below), make grilled crab legs, or place crab legs on a baking sheet to cook in the oven.
Let the hot crab legs cool for a bit and then carefully remove the meat from the shell. Place large chunks of this fresh lump crab meat in a large bowl with the jumbo lump crab meat and breadcrumbs or cracker crumbs. Mix to fully combine.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, mayo, dijon mustard, worcestershire sauce, garlic, cilantro, Old Bay seasoning, baking powder, and salt.
Add this egg mixture to the crab mixture and gently fold together. Try not to break apart the large pieces of crab. Cover the mixture in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for one hour.
Now scoop about a half cup of the crab mixture at a time, roll between your hands into a ball, and then flatten into a small cake. Continue until you have used it all and place them on a plate. Sprinkle the tops with some extra breadcrumbs.
Bring a large skillet to a medium heat and add some oil or butter to the bottom of the pan. Place the crab cakes in the pan to sear the outside for 3 minutes. Sprinkle the other side of the crab cakes with more breadcrumbs, flip, and continue searing for another 3 minutes. Move the entire pan to the preheated oven to bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes of cook time.
While they are baking, mix the spicy mustard ingredients together in a small bowl (aka the best crab cake sauce ever!).
What To Serve With Crab Cakes
As stated in the recipe card, we love dipping these in our homemade spicy mustard mayo! This traditional fishcake would also be great with tartar sauce, hot sauce, or cocktail sauce. Enjoy with a sprinkling of fresh cilantro, chopped green onions, and fresh squeeze of lemon juice. And if you are looking to make this a main dish, serve with some grilled sweet corn, air fryer asparagus, or a house salad!
Recipe FAQ
To keep it simple you can just use imitation lump crab meat, but we highly recommend that you include some fresh crab meat! It can be Alaskan King crab, blue crabs, dungeness crabs, or some simple snow crab. No matter which one you choose, it will be a great addition and add so much flavor!
If you prefer to not use mayonnaise in your crab cakes, just use some plain Greek yogurt instead! A lighter version that works great!
Absolutely! After the cooked crab cakes of cool off, stack them with parchment paper in between them, and store in a freezer-safe bag in the freezer for up to 6 months.
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Crab Cake Recipe
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Refrigeration Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Description
The perfect Crab Cake recipe that turns out amazing every time! Easy and full of flavor!
Ingredients
Crab Cakes
- approx. 6 oz fresh crab leg meat (about 3 clusters of legs or 2 cups)
- 12 oz lump crab meat (might have to ask at the deli)
- 1/3 cup crushed saltine crackers OR breadcrumbs (or combination)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 tablespoons mayo
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped (sub parsley)
- 1 1/4 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch of kosher salt
- 2–3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil or butter
- Additional breadcrumbs to sprinkle on top of cakes
Spicy Mayo
- 4 tablespoons mayo
- 1 1/2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon stone ground mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- Boil the fresh crab legs in a large pot of hot water on medium-high heat for approx. 8 minutes or until fully cooked. Let cool and remove crab meat from the shells.
- Combine crab leg meat and lump crab meat in a large bowl with the breadcrumb/saltine mixture. Toss to combine and set aside.
- In separate bowl, whisk the egg. Add mayo, Dijon mustard, worcestershire, garlic, cilantro, Old Bay seasoning, baking powder, and salt to the beaten egg. Whisk to combine.
- Add the egg mixture to the bowl of crab and slowly fold together, careful not to break up the crab chunks.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let cool in fridge for 1 hour.
- Take approximately 1/2 cup of the crab mixture and form a ball in your hand. Then gently press into a small cake. Place on a plate and repeat until all of the crab mixture has been used. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top of the cakes – just enough to have a thin layer (this will help hold the cakes together as they sear).
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bring a cast iron skillet to a medium high heat and add a teaspoon or so of oil or butter, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Sear crab cakes in the hot skillet, breadcrumb side down, and cook for 3 minutes. Before turning over, sprinkle some more breadcrumbs on the other side before flipping over. Cook for an additional 3 minutes on the other side. Move skillet to the oven and let cook another 10 minutes to ensure the cakes are warmed through.
- Meanwhile, in a bowl combine the Spicy Mayo ingredients. Taste and add additional mayo or mustard, as desired.
- Serve crab cakes immediately and garnish with fresh cilantro; serve with spicy mayo mustard OR if you would prefer, homemade tartar sauce, and some fresh lemon wedges.
Notes
- Fresh Crab Meat: I have tested these with and without fresh crab meat and they just taste better with some fresh crab in the mix – of course if you would prefer to use all lump crab meat, go for it.
- Storage: leftover crab cakes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days. Highly recommend reheating them in a hot skillet or warm oven.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 crab cake
- Calories: 108
- Sugar: 0.1 g
- Sodium: 707.2 mg
- Fat: 5.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 1.2 g
- Protein: 12.8 g
- Cholesterol: 59.3 mg
Originally published March 30,2016. Recipe has been retested and updated and new photographs taken.
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