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4.5 from 432 votes

Easy Crab Cakes

Jump to RecipeVideoPrintRate
By: Joanna Cismaru •3/29/22 140 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

pin for crab cakes.

Delicious and Easy Crab Cakes that are simple to make, ready in no time, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. These succulent pan-fried crab cakes are fast, easy, loaded with flavor and won’t crumble when you fry them. 

crab cakes on a bed of arugula on a white plate.
Table of Contents Open
  • Super Easy Crab Cakes
  • Crab Cake Highlights
  • Ingredients You’ll Need
  • How To Make Crab Cakes
  • What Are Crab Cakes?
  • Can You Air Fry Crab Cakes?
  • How Do I Bake Crab Cakes?
  • Maryland Crab Cakes
  • Serve Crab Cakes With
    • Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Soup
    • American Goulash (Chop Suey)
    • Stout Meatballs
    • Italian Shrimp Bake
    • BLT Pasta Salad
    • Black Bean Corn Avocado Salad
    • Chocolate Chip Muffins
    • Chicken Scampi
    • Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes
    • Indian Lentil Curry
    • Celebrating Mom: Delicious Recipes for a Memorable Mother’s Day
    • Caesar Salad Dressing
  • Expert Tips
  • Leftovers
    • Can You Freeze Crab Cakes?
  • More Delicious Seafood Recipes To Try
  • Easy Crab Cakes
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Video
    • Notes
    • Nutrition Information
  • Did You Make This?

Super Easy Crab Cakes

This is an older popular recipe from the blog for super easy crab cakes which I wanted to re-share with you with better pictures and a video! Crab cakes are all about the crab meat but they don’t have to be expensive. We still use lots and lots of crab but by using canned crab meat we still get delicious crab cakes but so much cheaper.

This is such an easy recipe too, and if you’re like me and love your crab cakes, you’ll probably eat these all by yourself. But I’m not here to judge! As I said, crab cakes should be about the crab meat, the rest of the ingredients should be about giving them some additional flavor and also to hold them and bind them together.

Crab Cake Highlights

  • Incredibly Quick And Easy. With just a few ingredients and a little over 30 minutes you can enjoy these delicious crab cakes! All you have to do is mix everything together, shape into patties and fry.
  • Perfect For Frying, Air Frying or Baking. These are incredibly versatile when it comes to how you cook them. You want to save some calories? No problem, cook them in your air fryer or bake them in the oven.
  • Seriously Satisfying. If you’re a crab fan like me, you’ll love these cakes! Serve them as is with your favorite dip or turn them into sliders for a complete meal.

Ingredients You’ll Need

overhead shot of ingredients needed to make crab cakes.
  • Crab Meat – I used 4 small cans of crabmeat for a total of 12 ounces crab. Make sure you drain it well and squeeze out as much of the water as you can. Fresh crab meat will also work. I would not recommend using imitation crab.
  • Egg – The egg will act as a binder for the cakes, so the patties don’t break apart.
  • Mayonnaise – Not only will this mayo add some tang to our cakes but it will also help bind them together. You can make your own mayo using my recipe or store bought mayo will be fine as well.
  • Onion – I love using green onions in these cakes for a pop of color but you can use regular onion as well grated, or even shallots for a milder taste.
  • Breadcrumbs – Such as Panko breadcrumbs or unseasoned Italian breadcrumbs, any type will do! You can also use saltine crackers all crushed up.
  • Parsley – I love adding some fresh parsley to these cakes but it’s totally optional. You can switch it up for other herbs such as fresh dill.
  • Lemon – You’ll want freshly squeezed lemon juice for this recipe!
  • Hot Sauce – Use your favorite hot sauce such as sriracha or Frank’s hot sauce.
  • Seasonings – I just used salt and pepper here but a great spice to add would be Old Bay Seasoning for some great flavor.
  • Oil – You can use a light olive oil or vegetable oil to lightly fry your crab cakes in. Alternatively, you can use butter as well.

How To Make Crab Cakes

detailed process shots showing how to make crab cakes.
  1. Combine ingredients. Add all the ingredients (except the olive oil) to a bowl and gently mix it all together.
  2. Shape into patties. Form the crab mixture into patties, depending on how big you want the patties, I got 12 patties out of my mixture.
  3. Fry the cakes. In a skillet heat the olive oil over medium-high heat heat. Place the patties in the skillet, a few at a time, I did 6 at a time, and cook until golden brown, about 5 min per side. Gently flip them over and cook for another 5 minutes until golden brown. Repeat with remaining patties.
  4. Serve. Serve with lemon wedges, your favorite dipping sauce such as tartar sauce, lemon garlic aioli, a garnish of parsley or side dish.
a few crab cakes on a bed of lettuce on a white serving platter.

What Are Crab Cakes?

Crab cakes are a variety of fishcakes popular in the United States. They are composed of crab meat and various other ingredients, such as breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, mustard, eggs, and seasonings. Crab cakes can be baked, grilled, deep fried, air fried or broiled.

I love to add a little hot sauce to mine for a bit of spice in them, lots of green onions, an egg, some breadcrumbs and mayo to hold them together. That’s pretty much it to the recipe. Easy peasy! Just be gentle with the crab as you mix it all together and form it into patties.

Can You Air Fry Crab Cakes?

Absolutely! Crab cakes are perfect for the air fryer. Simply spray your air fryer with a bit of cooking spray then air fry them for 10-12 minutes at 375°F, flipping them over halfway through.

How Do I Bake Crab Cakes?

Simply preheat your oven to 375°F, spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and bake them for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Maryland Crab Cakes

You could say that these are a Maryland style crab cakes because usually these cakes are all about the crab meat, with very little fillers. The fillers are usually ingredients you need to bind the crabmeat such as mayo, breadcrumbs or eggs. The main difference between these and Maryland crab cakes would probably be the crabmeat used. You’d have to use fresh crab and use large chunks of crab than you’d probably find in canned crab meat.

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Expert Tips

  1. Make ahead tip. You can make your patties ahead of time and simply refrigerate them for up to a day before frying.
  2. You can refrigerate the crab mixture for 30 minutes in the fridge before forming into patties. This will not only give the crab meat a chance to meld together with all the other flavors, but it will also hold together better when shaping into cakes.
  3. Use a non-stick pan, this will help a lot with the cakes not sticking to the pan and make it so much easier for you to flip them over.
crab cakes on a bed of arugula on a white plate.

Leftovers

If you have leftover crab cakes, they’re perfect for snacking on throughout the week. Simply store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. They’re great cold or re-heat them in the oven at 300°F for about 10 minutes or until heated through.

Can You Freeze Crab Cakes?

Yes, you can! To freeze, place the uncooked cakes on a baking sheet in the freezer just until firm, about 2 hours. Wrap each cake in plastic wrap and place in a plastic freezer bag. Freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost the crab cakes in the refrigerator overnight before cooking as instructed.

More Delicious Seafood Recipes To Try

  • Salmon Patties
  • Lemon Garlic Scallops
  • Crab Rangoon
  • Cheesy Crab Dip
  • Shrimp And Crab Dip Stuffed Tomatoes
  • Maple Mustard Glazed Salmon

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

crab cakes on a bed of arugula on a white plate.
Print
4.48 from 432 votes

Easy Crab Cakes

Prep 15 minutes minutes
Cook 20 minutes minutes
Total 35 minutes minutes
Rate Recipe
Delicious and Easy Crab Cakes that are simple to make, ready in no time, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. These succulent pan-fried crab cakes are fast, easy, loaded with flavor and won't crumble when you fry them. 
12

Ingredients

  • 12 ounce crab meat
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoon mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce
  • 2 tablespoon parsley (fresh, chopped )
  • 3 green onions (chopped)
  • ½ cup breadcrumbs (I used Panko)
  • ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil (or more, for frying)

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions 

  • Combine ingredients. Add all the ingredients (except the olive oil) to a bowl and gently mix it all together.
  • Shape into patties. Form the crab mixture into patties, depending on how big you want the patties, I got 12 patties out of my mixture.
  • Fry the cakes. In a skillet heat the olive oil over medium-high heat heat. Place the patties in the skillet, a few at a time, I did 6 at a time, and cook until golden brown, about 5 min per side. Gently flip them over and cook for another 5 minutes until golden brown. Repeat with remaining patties.
  • Serve. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce such as tartar sauce, lemon garlic aioli or side dish.

Video

Notes

  1. Make ahead tip. You can make your patties ahead of time and simply refrigerate them for up to a day before frying.
  2. You can refrigerate the crab mixture for 30 minutes in the fridge before forming into patties. This will not only give the crab meat a chance to meld together with all the other flavors, but it will also hold together better when shaping into cakes.
  3. Use a non-stick pan, this will help a lot with the cakes not sticking to the pan and make it so much easier for you to flip them over.
  4. Nutritional information is per 1 patty based on 10 crab cakes for this recipe. 

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1crab cakeCalories: 93kcal (5%)Carbohydrates: 4g (1%)Protein: 6g (12%)Fat: 6g (9%)Saturated Fat: 1g (6%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 29mg (10%)Sodium: 405mg (18%)Potassium: 87mg (2%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 1g (1%)Vitamin A: 118IU (2%)Vitamin C: 4mg (5%)Calcium: 27mg (3%)Iron: 1mg (6%)
© Author Joanna Cismaru

Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.

crab cakes on a bed of arugula on a white plate.

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Joanna Cismaru

Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Through Jo Cooks, I invite you to join me in my kitchen as we explore delicious recipes from around the globe, celebrate the joy of cooking, and make every meal a memorable one. Happy cooking!

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140 Comments
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Carol
Carol
Posted: 1 month ago

5 stars
I have made this a few times and they are the best! I have used the canned shredded crab, but the canned lump crab meat is so good! The only extra ingredient I add in is garlic. Bon Appétit!

0
Reply
Edward
Edward
Posted: 2 months ago

5 stars
Crab cakes were really good and so easy to make. Thanks

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Edward
Posted: 2 months ago

Glad you liked them, Edward!

0
Reply
Joeanne
Joeanne
Posted: 3 months ago

do you use fresh or canned crab?

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Joeanne
Posted: 3 months ago

I used canned.

0
Reply
jtrpalmer
jtrpalmer
Posted: 5 months ago

5 stars
This is our go-to recipe for crab cakes! They’re the best and they’re easy! 😊

2
Reply
Niko Bean
Niko Bean
Posted: 1 year ago

4 stars
This recipe worked for me in dire time of need! Thanks

0
Reply
Cookster
Cookster
Posted: 1 year ago

Love crab cakes & yours look really yummy. I would like to know what size cookie scoop you used for the picture & to make the 12 patties.

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Cookster
Posted: 1 year ago

It came in a set of 3 different sizes, and it was the medium size one which has a diameter of 1.7 inches.

1
Reply
Cookster
Cookster
Reply to  Joanna Cismaru
Posted: 1 year ago

Thank you so very much for the diameter at least with that I can see what numbered scoop I would need. I have almost all the sizes of cookie scoops which are numbered like #20, #40 etc.

1
Reply
Cookster
Cookster
Reply to  Joanna Cismaru
Posted: 1 year ago

Hi Jo, the cookie scoop size you used is a #40 which makes a nice size crab cake. That is a basic scoop size to make cookies.

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Cookster
Posted: 1 year ago

Thanks for letting me know. 🙂

0
Reply
Jojo
Jojo
Posted: 1 year ago

Hello – your recipe looks delicious. May I ask what brand of canned crab you use? In preparation for this recipe, I did a google search for canned brands and am seeing too many negatives for lots of the brands. Would love to know what you’ve used and have been happy with. Thank you.

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Jojo
Posted: 1 year ago

Hi there! I’ve made these with both clover leaf and bumblebee and I’ve had good experience with both.

0
Reply
Barb Ortega
Barb Ortega
Posted: 1 year ago

Love these Crab Cakes!!! Easy and Delicious

1
Reply
Sophie
Sophie
Posted: 2 years ago

Soooo delicious I used can crab 🦀 and was a wonderful lunch!

1
Reply
Jason
Jason
Posted: 2 years ago

5 stars
Thanks Johanna, this was something I thought would be complicated but turned out to be so easy and delicious. I baked them at 375 like you said, and at first I thought they would fall apart of out of the oven but once they cooled they held together just fine. I will make these again for sure.

0
Reply
Cwadle
Cwadle
Posted: 2 years ago

5 stars
So simple. Delicious. I’ve never even made salmon cakes and these crab cakes are wonderful.

1
Reply
kathi d
kathi d
Posted: 2 years ago

5 stars
this recipe was excellent. I added some Siracha and a little red pepper.
I had a 16 oz can of crab claw meat so I added 2 eggs and a bit more cracker crumbs. i used a mixture of Italian brad crumbs and crushed Ritz crackers as I was out of panko bread crumbs. Will definitely make these again. A quick and easy dish for dinner, during Lent

1
Reply
Erma M Cody
Erma M Cody
Posted: 2 years ago

5 stars
I like this recipe and I’m going to try it for lint.

1
Reply
Glynda
Glynda
Posted: 2 years ago

Silly question but, do you start with raw crab or cooked crab?

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Glynda
Posted: 2 years ago

I used canned crabmeat, so it’s cooked, cleaned, and pasteurized.

0
Reply
Shelvia lewis
Shelvia lewis
Reply to  Glynda
Posted: 2 years ago

I used imitation crab meat

1
Reply
Monica
Monica
Posted: 2 years ago

5 stars
Great recipe! We get lots of crab meat so love this

1
Reply

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I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is the place where I share my passion for easy and delicious recipes. From comforting classics to global flavors, I believe that cooking should be fun, approachable, and most importantly, rewarding. Join me on this culinary journey and let’s get cooking!

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