Dig in; it’s crab cake time! Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner, or as an appetizer.
These no-fuss crab cakes have a lot of flavor (and a lot of crab) in a one bite. Crab patties are pan fried until crispy on the outside and tender inside.
This classic recipe is a keeper for party food like appetizers, side dishes, or even a light entrée with a side salad!
Easy Crab Cakes
- Fresh ingredients: Experience a jumbo lump crabmeat explosion with minimal fillers and panko breadcrumbs, ensuring each bite is meaty and flavorful with bright herbs and a zesty citrus twist.
- Easy-peasy Lemon Squeezy: Never made a crab cake? No worries, they’re easy! Mix, shape, and pan-fry (or bake) to achieve that perfect golden brown finish with a quick pan-fry.
- Versatile: These crab cakes are great as appetizers, side dishes, or even the main course. Pair them with your favorite greens, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, or a splash of hot sauce for an extra kick.
Ingredients for Crab Cakes
- Crab Meat: Go for those meaty lumps and claws! Ensure you pick high-quality fresh crab meat, and always check for any sneaky bits of shell or cartilage. While I prefer lump crab meat, you can use canned crab as well.
- Seasoning: Dijon mustard, a hint of Worcestershire, and fresh herbs add great flavor. for the ideal flavor. And don’t forget the iconic Old Bay seasoning to elevate the taste.
- Breadcrumbs: I use very little filler, just enough to keep it all together. Panko with a little bit of mayo is my fave choice for the best texture. You can use crushed saltine crackers in place.
- Variations: Customize to your heart’s content! Add diced red or green onions, bell peppers, or even a touch of cajun seasoning. Watching your carbs? Swap out the panko with crushed pork rinds for a delicious, low-carb alternative.
How to Make Crab Cakes
For the best crab cakes, chill them so they keep their shape while they cook.
- In a large bowl, whisk mayonnaise, egg, mustard, and Old Bay seasoning.
- Add the remaining ingredients (per recipe below), being gentle so you don’t break up the crab too much.
- Chill crab cakes and cook them in oil for about 10 minutes, flipping halfway through and lightly browned. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.
What to Serve With Crab Cakes
Serve crab cakes with homemade tartar sauce, cocktail sauce, or light garlic aioli.
Leftover Crab Cakes?
Leftover crab cakes can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat them in a dry saute pan on medium heat to make them crispy again or reheat them in the air fryer. Freeze cooled crab cakes for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating. Leftover crab cakes can be chopped and added to a crab salad, or mixed into a cheesy crab dip.
Did you make these easy Crab Cakes? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Easy Crab Cakes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound jumbo 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 finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon 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.
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I commented on this in February and listed our Eastern Shore of MD recipe. Did you ever get to try it? The celery seed may sound bizarre, but that really is the secret ingredient. Please give them a try so I can see what you think. Family has been using this recipe for 75 years. I gave yours 5 stars because everything you post is outstanding. We’re just real purists when it comes to crab cakes! I’m afraid on this one, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks!
Thanks for sharing your recipe, Susan! I completely understand, there are some recipes I grew up that I just don’t change lol
Can these crab cakes be baked in the air fryer?
We haven’t air fried these yet so I am not sure on the exact cook times but they should work well in the air fryer!
Love EVERYTHING you post!!
Thanks, Kerry!
I’m from Maryland and ware very possessive of our crab cakes. This is the first one that is the closest to what we do. You really don’t need the hot sauce or lemon. Be very careful when mixing in crab as to not shred it
Thanks for the tip Gigi!
We’re from the Eastern Shore of Maryland. We have a recipe from a local seafood restaurant that is the ultimate keeper. So simple. Crabmeat (1 lb), grated fresh breadcrumbs (about a slice….just eyeball it), eggs (2), mayo (1 TBS), dry mustard (1/2 tsp), salt (1 tsp or less), black pepper (1/2 tsp) and celery seed (1 tsp). Yes, celery seed is the secret ingredient! Trust me on this one. No extra crab seasoning (we prefer J.O. Spice No. 2 when we use it). Try your next batch with those ingredients. If you love the taste of crabmeat unadulterated, I think you’ll love these! i will not divulge how the recipe was obtained….I will take that secret to my grave!
Was wondering if you can use canned crab meat? If so, how much would you suggest? This is my first go to site for recipes. Thank you for many great meals.
I’ve only made the recipe as written, but I’m sure that would work just fine Cathy! The recipe calls for 1 pound jumbo lump crab meat, so I would use an equivalent amount. Let us know if you try it!
Love Easy Crab Cakes
Delicious
Do you have a recipe for salt cod fishcakes?
I’m sorry Howard, I don’t. But you may enjoy these other recipes:
Can imitation crab be used?
I’ve only made the recipe as written, but I’m sure that would work just fine Darlene! Let us know if you try it!
Can you use a can of salmon instead of crab and use the same ingredients? Thanks a bunch, we love salmon patties, but if you have a recipe I would love to have it. Thanks again.
I am sure that would work Betty, but we also have this salmon croquette recipe or this salmon patties recipe that may work better for you.
Ugh, I used the whole tsp of salt. Noe I wasted expensive crab meat. Way too salty. I guess I should have used better judgement but no one really mentioned the salt amount.
Oh no, I am sorry to hear that Steve. Did you use Kosher salt? We enjoyed this recipe as written, but you can definitely adjust the amount of salt if you prefer it less salty.
Can this recipe be substituted with any other fish like the northern pike?
Of course, Brenda! Enjoy :)
I see salt and pepper on the ingredient list, but not in the instructions. Do you add for your taste preference, or…?
Hi Natasha, you can add them to taste or in the quantities listed. I would add these in step 3 of the recipe.
Can’t wait to see what I can try that’s new to my family!