Easy 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. 

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 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.

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.

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.

Serve Crab Cakes With

30 minutes mins

Italian Roasted Mushrooms and Veggies

30 minutes mins

Lemon Orzo with Asparagus

25 minutes mins

Balsamic Parmesan Roasted Asparagus and Tomatoes

35 minutes mins

Mashed Potatoes

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

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4.49 from 438 votes

Easy Crab Cakes

Prep 15 minutes minutes

Cook 20 minutes minutes

Total 35 minutes minutes

12

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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. 

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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.

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.