The Best Maryland Crab Cakes

Our Maryland crab cake recipe is the perfect blend of sweet lump crab meat and just enough binder to hold it all together.

We’re so excited to share our favorite crab cake recipe with you! Growing up on the Chesapeake in Annapolis, MD, we’ve made it our mission to find the absolute best recipe out there, and we finally did.

This recipe is a true Maryland crab cake: all about the sweet, delicious lump crab meat and very little filler. It’s easy to make with a simple list of ingredients. Use our recipe to make classic crab cakes, a delicious sandwich, or even fun, bite-sized crab balls!

Key Ingredients

• Crab: For the best flavor, use fresh, high-quality lump crab meat. I look for it sold in the clear plastic containers in the fresh seafood department. If that’s not available, refrigerated crabmeat (like the cans from Phillips) is a great backup. While blue crab is best for a true Maryland-style cake, I’ve had great results using Dungeness crab, too, which is more available on the West Coast.
• Saltine Crackers: I prefer crushed saltine crackers over breadcrumbs. They’re very light and already seasoned with salt. If you prefer breadcrumbs, panko breadcrumbs are your best bet. Regular breadcrumbs are too heavy and can make these seem like they have more filler than they do.
• Mayonnaise and Egg: These both add flavor and bind the mixture together. When I have it in the fridge, I love using homemade mayonnaise.
• Dijon Mustard: A little Dijon mustard adds a nice pop of flavor.
• Fresh Parsley: This adds color and a bit of flavor, but you can leave it out if you need to.
• Worcestershire Sauce: A bit of Worcestershire sauce makes these taste better. I also use it in my crab dip recipe.
• Old Bay: I don’t add Old Bay to my crab cake mixture, but instead sprinkle it on top after they’re cooked. It reminds me of my childhood, when every restaurant table had a shaker jar of Old Bay. Of course, you can mix it in if you prefer.
• Crab Cake Sauce: Don’t forget the sauce! My homemade tartar sauce is the perfect pairing for these crab cakes.

Find the full recipe with measurements below.

How to Make the Best Crab Cakes

Tip 1: Minimal filler. In Maryland, fillers and extras are a no-no. All the crab house menus promise “no filler” crab cakes, but honestly, you do need a little bit of filler to help them stay together. We use the absolute minimum, opting for a delicious mixture made from crushed saltine crackers, mayonnaise, and one egg. It works beautifully.

Tip 2: Toss the crab with crushed saltines first. Before adding your wet ingredients, toss your fresh crab meat with the crushed saltine crackers. As you do this, try to keep the larger lumps of crab intact. As the crushed crackers sit with the crab, they absorb any extra moisture. Then, you can pour over a mixture of mayo, egg, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. It’s a simple step, but it makes a huge difference.

Tip 3: Chill the mixture in the fridge. After adding the wet ingredients, the crab cake mixture is pretty loose, so we refrigerate it for an hour. This allows the crackers to absorb the liquid, which ultimately holds them together. After some time in the fridge, you can form the crab cakes. Our recipe makes 6 generous cakes or 24 mini crab balls.

Tip 4: Cooking them. You have two choices for cooking: pan-fried or broiled. I love both ways, but broiling tends to be my favorite. Here’s the differences:

• Pan-fried are flatter and have a golden crust, as shown in the photo below. I pan-fry them in a bit of butter for that golden crust.
• Broiled are more domed and have a lighter texture since they aren’t pressed down in the pan. When broiling, I always add a little butter on top so it melts and makes the top a little crispy.

Ask any Marylander, and they’ll have a preferred cooking method. If you don’t know which you like, try them both! You really can’t go wrong. Either way, these will be some of the best you’ll ever taste. Just look at the photo below!

Serving Suggestions

• Classic Crab Cakes: Serve with a few lemon wedges and tartar sauce on the side.
• Sandwiches: Lightly butter and toast a soft bread roll, spread over some mayo or tartar sauce, a layer of green lettuce, tomato, and the crab cake.
• For Crab Balls: Serve them on a plate with a big bowl of tartar sauce and cocktail sauce. These make the best appetizer!
• Crab Cake Benedict: Swap the Canadian bacon for a crab cake in our recipe for Eggs Benedict

Our Favorite Sides

As for side dishes, try Cajun butter corn, roasted corn, or this corn salad. Summer sides like creamy potato salad, macaroni salad, or this no mayo potato salad are lovely.

To mimic our summers on the Eastern Shore, you can serve these next to cornbread, french fries, potato wedges, or sweet potato fries (and don’t forget a side of homemade ketchup!). A side of crab dip is a good idea, too!

For more ways to use fresh crab, see our crab rangoon recipe.