Sweet, tender lump crab meat is the star of my simple crab cake recipe, which has very little filler. Maryland is famous for crab cakes, but I’m biased towards the crab we get here on the west coast! The Pacific ocean brings us Dungeness crab, all winter long! When the season is high, and fresh crab goes on sale, I make crab cakes!
When I was growing up, this is the recipe my mom followed to use up any leftover seafood we had! If crab isn’t in your budget, this recipe works with cod, salmon, trout, halibut, even canned tuna. For a party-ready crab recipe, try crab dip!
Simple Crab Cake Ingredients
- Crab meat: Look for fresh lump crab meat, which you can ask for at most grocery store seafood counters. Canned crab will work, and is more budget-friendly.
- Old Bay seasoning: My nod to Maryland is to include Old Bay. It’s not a crab cake without Old Bay! I use homemade, but it’s fine to buy it.
- Eggs: To bind the crab cake and help it hold together as you pan fry it.
- Panko: Crispy, airy Japanese breadcrumbs keep my crab cakes light and airy, too.
- Veg: Celery, scallions.
- Dijon mustard: Some recipes include mayo, but I like a hint of Dijon for creamy sharpness.
How To Choose Crab Meat
You can find tubs of shelled lump crab meat at the seafood counter, and yes, the best lump crab meat will be expensive. The upside? Store bought crab meat is pre-cooked, so it’s extremely easy to use. For a slightly more affordable option, and the best crab flavor, cook the crab yourself and shell the crab meat fresh! You could even do this messy job a day or two ahead of time, and store the shelled crab meat in the fridge. In a pinch, it’s OK to use canned crab meat.
How To Make The Best Crab Cakes
See the full recipe card below for detailed instructions.
- Gently combine the crab meat and eggs.
- Fold in the remaining crab cake ingredients.
- Form the crab cake mixture into about eight small patties.
- Pan fry the crab cakes, about 3 minutes per side.
- Dig in!
Tips For The Best Crab Cakes
- Don’t over cook them! Remember that the crab is already cooked, so the pan-fry is mostly just to crisp the outside of the crab cake.
- I say to work gently when mixing and forming the patties, and that’s because crab cakes are delicate. You don’t want a mushy cake, you want big lumps of fresh crab, barely held together (in a good way) by a few binding ingredients.
- If your crab cake patty keeps falling apart, add an extra beaten egg and refrigerate the crab cake mixture for an hour before cooking.
What To Serve With Crab Cakes
- Lemon wedges for spritzing
- Tartar sauce or garlic aioli
- I love serving them with caesar salad, or even over pasta
Crab Cake Variations
- Make it spicy: Add ¼ - ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper to the crab cake mixture.
- Use a different fish or shellfish: Bay shrimp, leftover salmon, trout, halibut — really whatever you’ve got!
- Make gluten free crab cakes: Just swap the regular panko for gluten free!
To Freeze Crab Cakes
- To freeze the crab cakes before you pan-fry them, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid. Label them and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost the crab cakes in the fridge and then pan fry.
- If you want to freeze leftover cooked crab cakes, wrap each cake individually with plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag. When you’re ready to eat them, bake them from frozen at 375°F for about 20 minutes until hot and crisp.
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