Our Maryland Crab Cakes are so easy and fresh that they are practically foolproof. They are ready in 30 minutes, made with fresh, simple ingredients and just the right amount of filler, and rival even the best crab cakes from a nice restaurant in the Old Line State.
Excellent! Spot on with flavors, crispness and it's a hit at our house. We love crab cakes. These rival some of the best crab cakes we've had over the years at fine restaurants. If yours are a little too moist (mine were), I made them smaller and yielded 14 crab cakes. Excess moisture gone and they stuck together nicely. ~ Dorothy
Table of Contents
- What are Crab Cakes?
- Why you'll love this Maryland Crab Cakes Recipe
- Ingredients for Maryland Crab Cakes
- How to Make Crab Cakes
- Crab Cakes Recipe tips for success
- How to serve Baked Crab Cakes
- What to serve with crab cakes
- Baked Crab Cakes FAQS
- More Seafood Recipes
- Crab Cakes Recipe
- More States I Have Visited in my American Eats Series
It's time for another installment in my American Eats series, where I'm visiting each state, one at a time, by making some of its most iconic foods. If you have ever visited Maryland and had their famous crab cakes, you’ll know they aren’t like other crab cakes in the rest of the country. And if you are anything like me, you probably went home craving another taste of their delicious flavor and texture!
I have been exploring the most popular recipes in American with my American Eats series by making some of its most iconic foods and for Maryland I had to showcase these plump, juicy crab cakes.
I may not have grown up in Maryland, but I have certainly eaten my fair share of their delicious crab cakes during my visits there to make sure that my recipe was as authentic as possible. A little mayo and breadcrumbs is necessary as a filler to help bind the crab cakes together, but you don't want to overdo it and this recipe is meant to help get that balance just right. I think you’ll agree that this is the best crab cakes recipe on the internet once you give them a try.
We love serving these crab cakes at parties for something special and different from our usual. Some of our other favorite appetizers are Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers and Fried Green Tomatoes.
What are Crab Cakes?
Crab cakes are a well-loved dish made primarily from crab meat that is mixed with various ingredients for seasoning to binding the crab cakes together. Then they are shaped into patties and either baked, grilled, fried, or sautéed until golden brown, depending on the type of crab cakes you are making and personal preference.
Crab cakes are popular in many coastal regions, particularly in the United States around the Chesapeake Bay area (like the Maryland crab cakes we are making here) and in the Gulf Coast. They're often served as an appetizer or main course and can be accompanied by various sauces or garnishes like aioli, tartar sauce, or a squeeze of lemon.
Why you'll love this Maryland Crab Cakes Recipe
- Simple. The flavors are so fresh and the ingredients are meant to complement, not overwhelm, the delicate flavor of the crab meat.
- Quick. You can have a batch of our popular crab cakes ready in right around 30 minutes!
- Delicious. I’ve had many folks who love crab cakes tell me that these are the best they’ve ever had and I’m not going to argue with that.
- Authentic. Our recipe highlights the unique and wonderful flavor of crab rather than bulking them up with too much mayo or breadcrumbs.
Ingredients for Maryland Crab Cakes
- Crab meat: Crab has an almost sweet flavor that seafood lovers will definitely enjoy. Imitation crab meat is just white fish that is pressed into a similar shape and dyed an orange color on the ends.
- Mayonnaise: Use real, full-fat mayonnaise for this recipe. The ingredients are minimal, so you can really tell if reduced fat mayo or Miracle Whip is used. The mayo helps bind the crab cakes as well as keeping them juicy and moist.
- Breadcrumbs: Keeping the amount of breadcrumbs to a minimum is one of the keys to real Maryland crab cakes. It's just enough to help give some structure and hold the crab cakes together while still letting the crabmeat take center stage.
- Mustard: This ingredients increases the depth of flavor.
- Green onions: I love the fresh crunch and zesty flavor of green onions in these crab cakes.
- Old Bay seasoning: This seasoning bland was created in Maryland and plays a starring role in many of the recipes coming up celebrating the 7th state to join the U.S.A.
- Worcestershire sauce: This ingredient adds more flavor and an umami quality.
- Lemon juice: A little fresh lemon juice brightens things and keeps the crab cakes tasting fresh. I like serving them with extra lemon wedges on the side as a garnish to squeeze more juice over the tops of the crab cakes.
- Egg: An egg helps hold the crab cakes together.
- Fresh parsley: A bit of chopped parsley adds another fresh element to these. I don't recommend using dried parsley in its place.
- Salt & pepper: These key ingredients keep food from tasting boring or bland.
What kind of crabmeat should I use for this Crab Cake Recipe?
If you are in Maryland, you would be looking for their famous Chesapeake Blue Crabs. Elsewhere in the country, you might be getting dungeness crab, which is also delicious and will work just fine for this recipe even if the taste is slightly different from Maryland crabs.
Ideally, fresh, real lump crabmeat is best, but refrigerated pasteurized lump crabmeat works too if that's what is available to you. You can also go with frozen crabmeat. Just don't use canned crabmeat (found near the canned tuna) or imitation crabmeat for these crab cakes if you want them to taste like the real thing.
The people at the meat and seafood counter are very helpful in pointing you in the right direction if you aren't too familiar with crab and are having trouble finding it. I have found pretty decent lump crabmeat at Costco here in California.
How to Make Crab Cakes
- Prep work: Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat.
- Mix the flavor enhancers and binding agents: Combine green onions, mayo, egg, parsley, Old Bay seasoning, dijon mustard, worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Whisk everything together with a fork.
- Gently mix in crabmeat and breadcrumbs: Toss gently to evenly moisten the breadcrumbs and meat. Try not to break up the crab meat any more than necessary. The mixture should look similar to tuna fish that you make for a sandwich when you think it still needs more mayo. It will just hold together, but not be overly wet.
- Shape crab cakes: Use a ½ cup measuring cup sprayed with nonstick spray to scoop out 6 equal-sized mounds of the crab mixture. Gently shape them into mounds or fat, round discs about 2 ½ inches across. Arrange the mounds on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake: Place them in the preheated oven for 12-14 minutes. They should be turning golden brown on top and around the edges.
- Garnish and serve: Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce and lemon wedges for squirting over the crab cakes.
Crab Cakes Recipe tips for success
- Don't pack your crab cakes too tightly: When you scoop them out, they should just hold together. You don't want to squeeze them like a snowball or they will turn out like a hockey puck, rather than having a flaky, delicate texture.
- Mix everything together gently: If you are too heavy handed when mixing the crabmeat and breadcrumbs into the mayo mixture, you run the risk of breaking apart the luscious chunks of sweet crabmeat. Think of it as more "folding" or "tossing" the ingredients together rather than stirring.
- Storing Leftovers: Keep uneaten crab cakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze cooked crab cakes for 2-3 months. Thaw and reheat in the microwave or in a 350 degree F oven until hot.
- Freezing Instructions: Uncooked crab cakes can be frozen for 2-3 months. Make the crab cakes, then freeze them for 2-3 hours before wrapping in two layers of plastic wrap. To bake, thaw in the fridge overnight and bake as directed the next day.
How to serve Baked Crab Cakes
We like making a dinner out of these, serving them with some sides and eating them with a fork and some cocktail or tartar sauce on the side. They make great party food, especially since you can prepare them in advance and just bake them right before serving. You can make smaller hors d'oeurves-size versions and serve them as appetizers for a party or other event.
Another option is to make a crab cake sandwich by using a full-size crab cake between a buttered and toasted bun with some butter lettuce and an aioli or other sauce.
What to serve with crab cakes
- Cornbread
- Caesar Salad
- Deviled Egg Potato Salad
- Boiled Corn on the Cob
- Steamed or roasted vegetables
- Coleslaw
- Summer Fruit Salad
- Homemade French Fries
- Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Baked Crab Cakes FAQS
You can either bake or fry these crab cakes. My personal preference is to bake them because it's easier (no risk of them falling apart when you flip them) and they are less prone to drying out (it's easy to overcook the crab cakes when frying them in a pan).
The upside of frying is you get a wonderful crispness on the outside of your crab cakes that I love. I haven't tried these in the air fryer yet, but I'm thinking that might give me the best of both worlds and it's on my list to try the next time I'm making these. If you have one and want to experiment, let me know in the comments how it goes!
Crab cakes should have a golden brown color on the outside when pan-fried or baked and should be firm to the touch and not feel mushy or raw in the center. They are typically cooked until they reach an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C). The cooking time can vary depending on the thickness of the crab cakes and the method of cooking (baking, frying, grilling, etc.).
More Seafood Recipes
- San Francisco Cioppino Seafood Stew
- New England Fish Chowder
- How to Cook Alaskan King Crab Legs
- Classic Shrimp Cocktail
- The Ultimate Shrimp Po Boy Sandwich
- Crispy Coconut Shrimp (Fried or Baked)
- How to Cook Lobster Tails (4 Ways)
Fish & Seafood
Maine Lobster Rolls
Fish & Seafood
How to Cook Snow Crab Legs (4 Ways)
Appetizers
Maryland Hot Crab Dip
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Crab Cakes
Ingredients
Crab Cakes
- 1 pound fresh jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over to remove any cartilage or shell fragments
- 4 green onions, green parts only, chopped
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 ½ teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- â…› teaspoon ground white pepper
- ½ cup plain panko breadcrumbs
Garnish
- Lemon wedges & a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
- Tartar sauce, creamy chipotle chile sauce, remoulade sauce, cocktail sauce, etc.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat.
- Combine green onions, mayo, egg, parsley, Old Bay seasoning, dijon mustard, worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Whisk together with a fork.
- Add the crab meat and breadcrumbs, then toss gently to evenly moisten. Try not to break up the crab meat any more than necessary.
- Use a ½ cup measuring cup sprayed with nonstick spray to scoop out 6 equal-sized mounds. Gently shape them into mounds or fat, round discs about 2 ½ inches across and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes until lightly golden brown on top and around the edges.
- Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce and lemon wedges for squirting over the crab cakes.
Notes
- Frying: If you prefer to fry your crab cakes, you will need an additional ¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour and ¼ cup vegetable oil. After shaping the crab crakes, cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes (or up to 24 hours). Place the flour on a plate and lightly dredge each crab cake in the flour. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a skillet, then fry each crab cake for 4 to 5 minutes on each side in the hot oil before transferring to a wire rack.
- Storing Leftovers: Any leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or frozen for 2-3 months. You can reheat in the microwave or in a 350 degree F oven for 10-12 minutes until hot.
- Freezing Instructions: You can freeze uncooked crab cakes. Just make and shape the crab cakes, then freeze them for 2-3 hours. Once frozen, wrap them well with two layers of plastic wrap. To bake, thaw the crab cakes in the fridge overnight and bake as directed the next day.
- Smaller Crab Cakes: As is, these crab cakes are filling and large. You can make smaller, half-size crab cakes. Decrease the baking time to around 8-10 minutes.
Nutrition
More States I Have Visited in my American Eats Series
Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • New Jersey • New York • Oregon • Puerto Rico • South Carolina • South Dakota • Texas • Utah • Wisconsin
This looks delicious! Crab is our favorite! Thanks a lot for sharing this recipe! Will surely try it!
Excellent! Spot on with flavors, crispness and it's a hit at our house. We love crab cakes. These rival some of the best crab cakes we've had over the years at fine restaurants. If yours are a little too moist (mine were), I made them smaller and yielded 14 crab cakes. Excess moisture gone and they stuck together nicely .
Easy to add some "fried texture"... out of the oven, tiny spritz of oil and into the broiler for 2 minutes...
Great idea! Thanks!
Horrible!!!! So salty could barely eat!
Uh-oh. Are you sure you used only 1/4 teaspoon of salt and not a full teaspoon? There's no way that small amount of salt could make these inedible.
Been our go-to crab cake recipe for a long time…No frying..no grease..just crab cakes as God wanted them to be
Thanks Amy
I feel the same! Glad you enjoy them!
We rang in the New Year with fish and lasagna...so yummy! But the outstanding recipe for the evening was the jumbo lump crab meat cakes...absolute perfection! Everyone agreed that the simplicity and "non cakey" texture was what sets these crab delights from all others. I might add just a little more mayo for bind but not necessary. I also prepared the batter in the morning and put in fridge until I was ready to form and bake. Served with a homemade tarter sauce...bon appetit!
I'm so glad they were a hit! Perfect party food for a celebration!
Sounds delicious! Nothing is better than a good crab cake! What a perfect New Years recipe. I'm glad you enjoyed it.