The Best Maryland Crab Cakes
- PREP 1hrs 20min
- COOK 15min
- TOTAL 1hrs 35min
We are in love with these incredible Maryland crab cakes! Our recipe has very little filler for the best texture and flavor. Use blue crab for the most authentic crab cake, although I have made this recipe with Dungeness crab, and it was excellent. We have included two ways to cook the crab cakes. Pan-frying adds a golden crust to both sides, while broiling keeps them more rounded with golden crispy tops.
You Will Need
1 pound jumbo lump crab meat or backfin crab meat, fresh or pasteurized (450g)
20 saltine crackers, crushed into crumbs, just less than 1 cup of crumbs (65g)
1 tablespoon minced chives or parsley, optional
¼ cup mayonnaise, try homemade mayonnaise (55g)
1 large egg
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup avocado oil (60ml)
1 tablespoon butter
Old Bay seasoning, to taste
Homemade Tartar Sauce, for serving
Directions
1Prepare the crab meat: Add the crab meat to a colander to drain, and pick out any rogue shells. Transfer to a large bowl. Toss the cracker crumbs, herbs, and crab meat together, using your fingers to flake apart some of the lumps.
2Make binder: Whisk the mayonnaise, egg, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce together, then use a rubber spatula to fold the mixture into the crab. It will look loose. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
3Form the cakes: Scoop the crab mixture into six ½ cup mounds and lightly pack them into patties about 1 ½ inches thick. For crab balls, use a medium cookie scoop and form into 24 mini cakes.
4To pan-fry: Heat the oil over medium heat in a wide cast-iron skillet. When the oil shimmers, add the crab cakes to the pan. Cook until the underside of the crab cakes is dark golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Carefully flip the crab cakes, reduce the heat to medium-low, and add the butter. Continue cooking until the second side is well browned, 4 to 6 minutes.
5To broil: Position an oven rack 6 to 8 inches from the top of the oven and turn the broiler to high. In a wide oven-safe skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the crab cakes to the pan. Cook until the underside of the cakes is golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Cut the butter into six pieces, then add one to the top of each crab cake. Slide the pan under the broiler and cook until the tops are lightly browned, 4 to 6 minutes.
6Serving: Serve crab cakes with lemon wedges, a dusting of Old Bay, and tartar sauce on the side.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet or in the oven.
- Old Bay: To add it to the crab cake mixture, use ¼ to ½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning in our recipe above.
- Mini crab cakes or crab balls: Instead of making six large crab cakes, divide the crab mixture into 24 mini crab cakes.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.