These crab cakes are an extremely easy recipe to make that is perfect not just for a special occasion like dinner parties but also for easy weeknight dinners as well. They may seem complicated and a dish you only order out, but you only need a handful of ingredients to make perfectly golden crab cakes at home. Simply mix together the ingredients, form them into patties, and fry them in a pan!
I love making them at home because I can load them up with delicious, fresh crab meat instead of filler ingredients. They taste so much better from scratch! The crab flavor really shines through in this recipe. I love serving these with some tartar sauce, but I can polish them off all on their own. If you want another delicious seafood recipe your whole family will love, then try my shrimp boil recipe, fish tacos recipe, or shrimp ceviche recipe.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Mayonnaise — mayo adds an irresistible tanginess and creaminess to the crab cakes as well as helps bind all the ingredients together.
Parsley — parsley is a must as it adds a fresh, peppery flavor.
Mustard — you don’t want to skip out on the Dijon mustard. It also adds a delicious tangy flavor to the patties.
Worcestershire sauce — a couple of splashes of Worcestershire sauce add a tangy, savory, sweet, salty, and umami flavor.
Lemon — you’ll need lemon zest and lemon juice. I highly recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice as the flavor is brighter, more flavorful, and tangier than juice from a bottle.
Egg — working together with the mayo, the egg helps bind the ingredients together.
Crabmeat — There are a few kinds of crab meat available such as jumbo lump crab meat, lump crab meat, backfin crab meat, and claw crab meat. I highly recommend using lump crab meat as it consists of larger, whole pieces of crab meat from the crab’s body. Jumbo crab meat is also great but is more expensive, so I suggest going with lump crab meat. It has a sweet and delicate flavor, and its texture adds a nice chunkiness to the crab cakes. You can find lump crab meat in your local grocery store’s seafood section or buy fresh crab meat from a seafood market.
Breadcrumbs — panko breadcrumbs add texture to each bite and help hold them together. You can use unseasoned Italian breadcrumbs if you do not have panko breadcrumbs.
How to Make Crab Cakes
1. Add mayonnaise, parsley, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, zest, lemon juice, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and egg to a large bowl.
2. Whisk together.
3. Add the crab meat and panko breadcrumbs.
4. Gently fold in the crab meat and panko until blended.
5. Shape the crab mixture into 6 (3-inch) patties (about ½ cup each) and place them on the lined baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes or up to 6 hours.
6 . Heat up oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the crab cakes to the hot skillet and cook until golden, about 3 minutes. Using a spatula, gently turn them over and cook until golden and crispy on the other side, about 3 minutes more. Serve immediately with tartar sauce, lemon wedges, and extra chopped parsley.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- To ensure that your crab patties turn out light and perfect for frying, it’s important to handle the crab meat carefully to keep the large chunks of meat intact and not pack the cakes together too hard. They will be dense and heavy if you squeeze the patties together with too much pressure.
- Don’t skip refrigerating the patties after shaping them. This will help them keep their shape better when pan-frying them, especially when you flip them.
- Avoid crowding the pan. Giving them enough space on the pan will ensure you get a nice sear on each of the cakes and ensure there’s enough space to flip them with.
- Before using the crab meat, check for any shell pieces that may have gotten into the package.
- If this is your first time making crab cakes, try using a non-stick skillet, as it’ll keep the cakes from sticking to the pan and falling apart. Flipping them will also be easier.
- If the mixture sticks to your hands while you shape the patties, try wetting your hands with water.
- If you’re wondering what to serve with crab cakes, then try my potato salad, cucumber tomato salad, or corn salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
I don’t recommend using canned crab to make this recipe. Some canned crab meat contains add-ins that can alter the taste and texture of the meat, so use fresh lump crab meat when possible. If you’re having trouble finding fresh crab meat, look for canned crab meat in the refrigerated section of your grocery store.
You can make the patties ahead of time and refrigerate them for up to a day before pan frying. Make sure to cover them with plastic wrap so they don’t absorb any scents from the fridge.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can enjoy them chilled, straight from the fridge, or reheated in the oven.
You can! Once your leftovers have cooled to room temperature, you can flash freeze them on a lined sheet pan and then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag once frozen. Store for up to 3 months in the freezer.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Crab Cakes recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Crab Cakes
Video
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Small baking sheet
- Large skillet
- Spatula
Ingredients
- ½ cup mayonnaise (120g)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 large egg
- 1 pound lump crab meat (450g)
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs (30g)
- Vegetable or canola oil for frying
- Tartar sauce for serving
Instructions
- Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, parsley, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, zest, lemon juice, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and egg. Gently fold in the crab meat and panko until blended.
- Shape the crab mixture into 6 (3-inch) patties (about ½ cup each) and place them on the lined baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes or up to 6 hours.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the crab cakes, working batches if needed, and cook until golden, about 3 minutes. Using a spatula, gently turn the crab cakes over and cook until golden and crispy on the other side, about 3 minutes more. Serve immediately with tartar sauce, lemon wedges, and extra chopped parsley.
Notes
- To ensure that your crab patties turn out light and perfect for frying, it’s important to handle the crab meat carefully to keep the large chunks of meat intact and not pack the cakes together too hard. They will be dense and heavy if you squeeze the patties together with too much pressure.
- Don’t skip refrigerating the patties after shaping them. This will help them keep their shape better when pan-frying them, especially when you flip them.
- Avoid crowding the pan. Giving them enough space on the pan will ensure you get a nice sear on each of the cakes and ensure there’s enough space to flip them with.
- Before using the crab meat, check for any shell pieces that may have gotten into the package.
- If this is your first time making crab cakes, try using a non-stick skillet, as it’ll keep the cakes from sticking to the pan and falling apart. Flipping them will also be easier.
- If the mixture sticks to your hands while you shape the patties, try wetting your hands with water.
- If you’re wondering what to serve with this recipe, try my potato salad, cucumber tomato salad, or corn salad.
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