Easiest-Ever Crab Cakes

When I think Crab Cakes I think about Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay. I think summers and sandals and maybe even a little sangria!

I also love that Crab Cakes are really pretty versatile when it comes to how you serve them. Make them small and you have fancy and easily-passable appetizers. Make them larger and whip up some homemade tart sauce and plate them like you’re at a fancy seafood restaurant. Or maybe, throw them on a burger bun and eat them at the beach or by the pool. The opportunities are really endless.

With that dished out (see what I did there?) shall we get cooking?

How to Make Crab Cakes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb crab meat
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1½ tsp salt
  • black pepper
  • 1 tsp dry mustard
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 tbsp mayonnaise
  • tbsp parsley, chopped
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • 1 tbsp butter melted
  • 1½ cups breadcrumbs
  • canola oil, for frying or another vegetable oil or substitute

Instructions

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Total time: 35 minutes

  1. Lightly toss the crabmeat with all the ingredients except the oil and breadcrumbs.
  2. Shape into patties or cakes to your desired size.
  3. Roll each cake in breadcrumbs until coating on all sides.
  4. Heat oil in a heavy skillet until it shimmers.
  5. Fry each crab cake for about two minutes on each side or until golden brown.

How to keep crab cakes from falling apart?

According to the Culinary Institute of America’s Chef Bruce Mattel, the egg yolk helps bind the crab meat together. Additionally, according to an Epicurious contributor, if you refrigerate your crab meat before cooking to prevent them from falling apart while cooking.

Is it Better to Bake or Fry Crab Cakes?

According to world renown chefs such as Gordon Ramsay and Chef JJ , pan frying crabs is the absolute best way of cooking crab cakes. The frying helps create the crispy crust that provide a super delicious contrast between crispy crust and the soft, flaky crab meat.

Don’t believe us, here is a quick video of Gordon Ramsay’s Maryland-style crab cakes.

We challenge you to do a taste test between Gordon’s recipe and the recipe below. Send us your videos of your taste test!

Should I Blot my Crab Cakes to Remove Excess Oil?

Yes. To help make your cakes crakes a tiny bit healthier and the ensure that they stay crispy, you should blot off any excess oil from you crab cakes after your remove them form the fry pan.

crab cakes on plate
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Crab Cakes

These crab cakes are super tasty and are really pretty versatile when it comes to how you serve them. Make them small and you have fancy and easily-passable appetizers.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: crab cakes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 301kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 lb crab meat
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1½ tsp salt
  • black pepper
  • 1 tsp dry mustard
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 tbsp mayonnaise
  • tbsp parsley chopped
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • 1 tbsp butter melted
  • 1½ cups breadcrumbs
  • canola oil for frying

Instructions

  • Lightly toss the crabmeat with all the ingredients except the oil and breadcrumbs.
  • Shape into patties or cakes to your desired size.
  • Roll each cake in breadcrumbs until coating on all sides.
  • Heat oil in a heavy skillet until it shimmers.
  • Fry each crab cake for about two minutes on each side or until golden brown.

Nutrition

Calories: 301kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 2184mg | Potassium: 351mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 122IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 142mg | Iron: 3mg

What to Serve with Crab Cakes

Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad

KFC Copycat Coleslaw

Copycat Chick-fil-A Mac and Cheese

Crispy Green Bean Fries

Air Fryer Frozen Broccoli Recipes

What to Drink with Crab Cakes

Tropical Sangria

Blue Motorcycle Drink

Sweet Tart Martini

Blue Hawaiian

Mermaid Rum Punch

More Fish and Seafood Recipes

7 Easy Oven-Bake Salmon Recipes

How to Sauté Fish Fillets

Crab and Shrimp Pot Pie

Coconut Shrimp

And if you’re looking for the perfect pan for cooking fish, check out our article on the 3 Best Pans for Cooking Fish.

crab cake on plate with fork and lemon

Have questions or suggestions? Leave them in the comments below! Until next time: Stay salty, and sweet 😉

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