Maryland Crab Cakes
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These homemade Maryland crab cakes are the perfect appetizer when I want to serve something classic to my guests. They are ready in about 20 minutes with jumbo lump crab, Old Bay seasoning, and a touch of Dijon mustard. I like to enjoy them with a creamy mustard sauce for a flavorful finish.
I’m all about seafood and never pass up a chance to enjoy it, especially when I’m on vacation somewhere near the ocean. I could eat it every day! If you’re looking for new seafood dishes to try at home, my salmon gravlax recipe or grilled scallops are both great ones to start with.
Crab Cakes
Crab cakes are made by mixing lump crab with spices, eggs, mayonnaise, and breadcrumbs, then shaping them into balls and frying them until golden. They’re most often served as an appetizer, but I’ve also seen them tucked into sandwiches, just like I do in my crab cake sandwich recipe.
The origin of crab cakes can be traced back to Native American cuisine from the Chesapeake region, where they prepared and processed crabs from the shells much like we do today. In the 20th century, people in Maryland and Virginia began adding other ingredients to the crab and cooking it to create the crab cake we know today.
I’ve served crab cakes in just about every restaurant I’ve worked in, and while my Maryland crab cakes recipe takes a little prep, the results are always worth it. I like to keep it simple, but the beauty of crab cakes is you can easily boost the flavor with onions, scallions, garlic, or even jalapeño if you want a bit of spice. Feel free to get creative, but if you stick to my basic recipe, I promise you’ll end up with perfectly flavorful crab cakes and that golden brown color your family will enjoy.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Lump Crab – Jumbo lump crab meat is the best to use, and at least a medium-grade quality.
- Breadcrumbs – You can use regular breadcrumbs or processed saltine or buttered crackers, which is what I used here.
- Spices – Old bay is the classic spice to use in crab cakes, but any seafood boil spice blend will do.
- Eggs – This is used as a binder as well as fat to flavor the recipe.
- Mayonnaise – A full-fat mayonnaise is best to use.
- Dijon Mustard – If you do not have Dijon, yellow mustard works fine.
- Parsley – I like to use it finely minced so it blends right into the crab cakes and adds a fresh flavor.
- Oil – For frying, you can use canola, grapeseed, or olive oil. All of them work great for getting that crispy golden crust.
How to Make Maryland Crab Cakes
Mix the ingredients: First thing I do is add all the ingredients to a large bowl. Then, I gently mix everything together until it’s thoroughly combined.
Form the crab cakes: Next, I take the crab mixture and form it into tight balls, then gently press them down to shape them into crab cakes.
Coat: I coat each crab cake on both sides with the leftover buttered cracker crumbs and set them aside on a plate while I heat the oil.
Fry: I fry the crab cakes in oil for about 3 to 4 minutes per side until they’re golden brown and cooked through.
Serve: I like to serve them on their own or with my favorite crab cake sauce on the side for dipping. Either way works great.
chef tip + notes
When making these flavorful Maryland crab cakes, I always handle the mixture gently and firmly compact the cakes with my hands when forming them. This helps keep them from falling apart while cooking and ensures they hold their shape.
- Mix properly: I always make sure there’s enough mayonnaise and egg mixed in well. This helps the crab cakes hold together when cooking.
- Fry or bake: I prefer frying the crab cakes for the best flavor. If I bake them, I use a parchment-lined tray at 375 degrees for about 13 to 18 minutes.
- Cook carefully: I add the crab cakes to the pan one at a time, making sure they are not touching. This gives them space to cook evenly and crisp up.
- Drain well: Once they’re cooked, I let the crab cakes rest on a rack with a tray underneath or on paper towels. This helps drain any extra oil before serving.
Serving Suggestions
There are a bunch of sauces that go great with Maryland crab cakes, and I like to mix it up depending on the day. Mustard sauce is always a classic for me, nice and creamy with a tang.
Sometimes I go for a Cajun-style remoulade if I want a little extra kick, or keep it simple with a homemade tartar sauce loaded with pickles and onions. And of course, you can never go wrong with good honey mustard sauce or my Dijon cream sauce, they both completely elevates the flavors of these crab cakes.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: Crab cakes are meant to be eaten as soon as they are cooked. If you have to you can make them up to 1 hour ahead of time and keep them warm in the oven on a sheet tray with a rack at 225°.
How to Reheat: Place the crab cake in a pan and place them in the oven at 350° for 3-4 minutes or until hot. You can also heat in the microwave until hot.
How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Cover and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.
More Seafood Recipes
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Maryland Crab Cakes
Ingredients
For the Crab Cakes:
- 1 pound jumbo lump crab
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ teaspoons old bay seasoning
- 1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon finely minced parsley
- 1 cup buttered cracker breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup oil
For the Optional Sauce:
- 1 cup bechamel sauce
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
- 2 teaspoons whole grain mustard
Instructions
For Crab Cakes:
- Gently combine the crab, egg, old bay, Worcestershire, mayonnaise, Dijon, and 2/3 cup cracker crumbs until thoroughly mixed.
- Form the mixture into 6 crab cakes by rolling into tight balls and gently pressing down to flatten.
- Coat each crab cake in the remaining 1/3 cup of unused cracker crumbs and then place them on a plate or a cookie sheet tray lined with parchment paper.
- Pour the oil into a large frying pan over medium heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add in the crab cakes and cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked through.
- Set aside to drain on a rack or paper towels.
For the Sauce:
- Heat the bechamel in a sauté pan until hot and whisk in the mustards until combined.
- Serve the sauce alongside the cooked crab cakes and garnish the crab cakes optionally with chopped parsley.
Do you have a very good recipe for Cioppino? I have lost the one that I loved! I remember it had a bottle of clam juice in it, but other than the seafood, I can’t remember enough to duplicate. I would be very grateful if you could help me out! I never go wrong with your recipes! Thanks a bunch
Yes,indeed! You can find the Cioppino recipe on my website.
Please don’t think me blasphemous, but I have some high, high grade tuna and would like to make tuna cakes using this recipe. Possible result?
And I want to add how much I enjoy your recipes as so my sisters who have now also signed up.
I haven’t tested that so I’m not sure. Give it a try.
I made these last night (6/22/24) and they were absolutely top drawer! I had an east coaster at the dinner table that said these were just like she remembered!
Thank you so much and I’ll definitely make these again!
Made these using claw meat that was on sale. Came out delicious. Made a wasabi sauce and a siracha mayo for dipping
I made these Saturday! And the tartar sauce. Delish. And a huge hit with my guests! Thank you!
Always my meal to impress! These crabcakes are loaded with crab and are delish!
Wow! First time making Crab Cakes and boy were these delicious. Instead of frying in oil , (probably the best way to cook) , I sprayed them with olive oil and popped them in the Air Fryer at 400 for 10 mins. Flipping and spraying again at the 1/2 mark. Served with an Arugala salad and hot sourdough.
Thank you, Chef Billy
my pleasure!
Spot on. This recipe is close to how I’ve been making my crab cakes in terms of ingredients, but I have never measured and written down how much of everything I use, I just eyeball it. The ratios here worked to perfection and ensure a consistent, delicious crab cake. My wife and I had them with baked potatoes and broiled asparagus and were delighted!