Crab cakes 🦀✨ — golden on the outside, tender and crab-forward on the inside (no filler bombs here).
Here’s a classic Maryland-style crab cake that lets the crab shine.
Crab Cakes
Makes: 6–8 cakes
Ingredients
- 1 lb lump crab meat, picked over
- ½ cup breadcrumbs or crushed saltine crackers
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- Salt & black pepper, to taste
- 2–3 tbsp butter or oil (for cooking)
Instructions
- Mix gently
- In a bowl, whisk egg, mayo, mustard, Worcestershire, Old Bay, lemon juice, and parsley.
- Gently fold in breadcrumbs and crab meat. Don’t break up the crab.
- Chill
- Form into patties.
- Refrigerate 30 minutes (helps them hold together).
- Cook
- Heat butter/oil in skillet over medium heat.
- Cook crab cakes 3–4 minutes per side until golden brown.
- Serve
- Squeeze fresh lemon over top.
- Serve with remoulade, tartar sauce, or aioli.
🔥 Pro Tips
- Less mixing = better texture
- Lump or jumbo lump is best
- If mixture feels loose, add 1–2 tbsp breadcrumbs
- Bake instead? 425°F for 12–15 minutes, flipping once
🧠Variations
- Spicy: Add cayenne or hot sauce
- Southern: Swap breadcrumbs for crushed Ritz crackers
- Air fryer: 400°F for 8–10 minutes
If you want, I can give you a no-fry baked version, restaurant-style remoulade sauce, or a mini crab cake appetizer version 👀🦀