Perfect Crab Cakes are super easy to make. Use real lump or imitation crab and put together a gourmet crab cake in under 15 minutes. No restaurant required!
Crab cakes are enjoyed by people all over the world! This recipe is a Maryland-style crab cake that is full of flavor. What’s the difference between a Maryland-style crab cake and others? Old Bay seasoning, a proprietary blend of spices that originates from Maryland, is added in to season the crab meat. Anything else you add in will depend on your own personal taste preferences. No matter how you choose to enjoy them, crab cakes are a delicious treat!
What is old bay seasoning?
Old Bay seasoning is the brand name of a spice blend that pairs well with seafood. It contains bay leaf powder, celery salt, mustard, pepper, ginger, paprika, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, red pepper flakes, mace, cardamom, and cinnamon. While you can certainly make your own spice blend at home, it’s very convenient to buy it as a spice blend since it contains such a wide variety of spices.
What kind of crab should I use to make crab cakes?
There are generally two kinds of fresh crab sold: lump crab meat, and lump claw meat. Lump claw meat tends to be far less expensive and still creates a tasty crab cake. It can be sold in a refrigerated can or in plastic bag packaging. You can also buy it at the seafood counter of your grocery store. Lump crab meat is also sold in the canned section of your grocery store near the tuna, but it is not considered fresh. It is not recommended for this recipe. Imitation crab can also be used in this recipe if you are trying to save money. But nothing beats real, fresh crab.
What kind of sauce to serve with crab cakes:
There are lots of options when it comes to sauces that pair well with crab cakes. Tartar Sauce is a classic option, but there are lots of other options as well. Crab pairs well with cocktail sauce, remoulade, wasabi-based sauces if you like heat, or even a creamy horseradish sauce. Garlic butter is also an easy option as well.
What is a good side dish for crab cakes?
Coleslaw, french fries, and fresh or roasted vegetables are all great side dishes for crab cakes.
How long can you keep crab cakes in the fridge?
Seafood is best consumed within 2 days. It’s not recommended that crab cakes be stored in the refrigerator for longer than 48 hours.
This recipe is written for a fried crab cake, but there are other options for cooking your crab cake, including broiling, baking, and air frying. Crab cakes need to be cooked because of the egg. No matter how you choose to make them, they sure are delicious!
Broiling Instructions
Instead of dipping the crab cakes in flour, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and brush on the top of your shaped crab cakes. Place crab cakes onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Place your oven rack in the center of your oven and broil on high for 12 to 15 minutes. If your crab cakes brown too much, lower the rack in your oven to get your crab cakes further away from the broiling heating element
Baking Instructions
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Instead of dipping the crab cakes in flour, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and brush on the top of your shaped crab cakes. Place crab cakes onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake in the 450 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown.
Air Fryer Instructions
Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly grease the air fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray. Instead of dipping the crab cakes in flour, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and brush on the top of your shaped crab cakes or spray the tops lightly with oil. Place crab cakes into the bottom of your air fryer basket and airfry at 375 degrees for approximately 12 to 15 minutes.
If you like this recipe you may also be interested in these other seafood recipes:
Watch the video below where Rachel will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual and we’ve always got you covered with The Stay At Home Chef Cooking Show. You can find the full collection of episodes for free on YouTube, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.
Can you use canned salmon instead of card meat
Worth a try!
What is the technique/secret that has avoided me for 50. years to bread crab cakes, etc., mine fall apart in the recess of breading. I made these w/o breading & they were delicious, only to be made again.
Good grief. Rachel puts out a nice sounding recipe, and it turns into a cat fight! Either try it, or…don’t. You people need to relax. This isn’t your “empowered women” outlet.
Recipe looks great, Rachel ; )
What catfight?
Pretty excited to try this recipe!! My wife didn’t eat any seafood when I first met her, but I’ve been able to show her through the years that it’s good!! One of her favorites is crab cakes and I’ve never tried myself, but I am quite capable in the kitchen (self taught and been at it for over 20 years). Thanks for the easy recipe, they will be on the table tomorrow night! Is it worth going to a specialty seafood market (I live in southwest Florida) for the crabmeat?
I am a huge crab lover so I do try and get the best crab available.
I made the crab cakes today. They were delicious best recipe. I’m from Louisiana made crab cakes often. This is the best recipe I have ever made. All your recipes are awesome !!!
I can not wait to try this recipe. Your recipes are so delicious and easy to fix with normal ingredients.
Thank you for sharing.
Very well put Lisa! Life would be so boring if there was just one way to do things, especially one on life’s finer enjoyments…cooking. I think I’ll try both and see which I prefer.
This is not related to your crab cakes (although they look amazing!), but I just wanted to let you know that I watched your video on Facebook about the importance of being positive and encouraging to others, and I just thought you should know how awesome you are! Thank you for your message. It’s so needed in our day. May the Lord bless you with a long life, full of days. <3
Rachel,
These crab cakes look amazing! I can’t wait to try them!
I was eager to read your recipe as I have always made mine a certain way. But I was saddened to read that you are adding Old Bay (you should have suggested that as an option). Crab meat is sweet and delicate in nature and unless you are committed to eating everything with some degree of heat (Sriracha, Old Bay, hot pepper flakes, or Tabasco), you cannot appreciate the mild and wonderful flavor of crab meat, if you automatically add Old Bay seasoning to your recipe, you will never appreciate the real flavor of the crab cakes. Personally, I don’t believe you should add garlic, salt, bread crumbs or mustard either. If you do, you are just masking the flavor of the star of the show. You shouldn’t be adding bread crumbs either. You are already using an egg and mayonnaise, both of these are binding agents. I hope the next time YOU make crab cakes, you make it without those additions, and you will see what I mean about crab meat and its delicate flavor.
Ironically I just got a comment saying the opposite on Facebook. Someone from Maryland said that if I hadn’t added old bay she would have been super disappointed. To each their own!
That is hysterical. If you don’t like anything added to the crab, then don’t use the recipe. Don’t criticize someone else for how they choose to create crab cakes. I think this recipe sounds fantastic, and I’m about to make it tonight! ?
100% Correct!
So basically you’re giving RACHEL’S review 1 star because it doesn’t align with how YOU make crab cakes? That makes sense.
On a more positive note, can’t wait to try these! I have this recipe coming up next week and I’m super excited. PS your pictures always look so fab!
It would be so helpful if you could put nutritional info with your recipes for those of us that are trying to count calories. These look great and I am making them soon. Thank you.
Because I can’t have every dish analyzed for calorie and nutrition by a food science laboratory, I choose not to publish this information. Anything I publish would be run through an online calculator and could be wildly inaccurate.