The Best Easy Crab Cakes

Crab cakes are a quintessential summertime dish! Jumbo lump crab meat is held together in perfect cake form by ingredients like eggs and Panko breadcrumbs to give them the best shape and consistency. The flavor is what it’s really all about, though! Lemon juice, Dijon mustard, fresh parsley and more come together to create the best bite.

These crab cakes are the best because they’re Maryland style. Maryland style crab cakes are all about the crab. It’s all about the fresh lump crab meat that has a pronounced taste, some sweetness, and juicy, soft texture. When you bite into it, the most important thing is the crab while everything else is just there to enhance the experience. 

The key to the best crab cakes possible will always be choosing the best crab meat and a lot of it. Second most important thing is to use as little filler as possible as to not overshadow the texture and taste of crab. The rest can totally be optional, so if you don’t like parsley, don’t add it! They’re your crab cakes, so you can make them just how you like them.

Crab Meat – The best crab meat to use in this recipe is jumbo lump crab meat that is refrigerated or fresh. Scroll down for more info on what crab meat to use!

Mayonnaise – You’ll need this for both the crab cakes and the remoulade sauce.

Dijon Mustard – use Dijon mustard, don’t substitute with plain yellow mustard.

Lemon – You’ll need lemon zest and juice for this recipe. For best results, don’t use bottled lemon juice from concentrate.

Bread crumbs – use Panko bread crumbs for this recipe and if needed, use gluten free bread crumbs.

Seasonings – A simple mix of salt, black pepper, and a pinch of cayenne pepper enhances and preserves the natural flavor of crab. For the remoulade, you’ll need some paprika and Cajun seasoning.

Pickle Juice – This is used in the remoulade to add some tangy flavor! Use some juice that’s preferably from a jar of sweet pickles.

See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.

The Best Crab Meat To Use

If possible, use jumbo lump crab meat that is refrigerated or fresh. This will give you truly a superior taste because it’s taken out of the largest muscle and kept in tact. This meat is white in color, looks like lumps of meat (hence the name), and has the best flavor. It is also the most expensive option. 

Another option is backfin crab meat. Backfin meat is a combination of jumbo lump meat and special grade meat. It is also white in color but it comes more broken up and flaked apart. This crab meat can also be labeled a “lump” crab meat. Both will be good to use in crab cakes. 

There is also claw meat. While it’s much cheaper, it does not make superior crab cakes. It’s the meat that comes from the claws, it’s darker than the other types of crab meat. It is not as sweet but it dose have a strong flavor. Save it for soups, dips, sauces, and stews.

AVOID: Crab meat to avoid is canned and not refrigerated. This meat will be better used in soups rather than crab cakes. If canned is the only option, use the one that has to be refrigerated. You can find it in the refrigerated section or seafood counter of your grocery store. 

Crab cakes are so easy to make! And unless you overload on the filler or press the patties too tight, you won’t mess them up.

Sift Through The Crab Meat!

Make sure to check every lump of crab meat by carefully feeling around for any leftover shell fragments. You don’t need to break it apart, just check around the lumps. 

Mix the ingredients: Mix together all of the ingredients except for the crab meat in a bowl and whisk well. Add the crab meat and mix it well.

PRO TIP: I like to break up some of the crab lumps and leave others in whole lumps. This gives a great texture to the crab cakes. 

Shape the patties: To keep all the patties the same size, I use an ice cream scoop to spoon out equal amounts (1). Shape the patties but don’t press them tight, just enough to form the shape of a patty. An average ice cream scoop will give you good size cakes about 3 inches in diameter and about 1 inch in thickness (2).

Cook: Preheat the pan first over medium to medium-high heat and add the oil. Let the oil heat up until hot and add crab cakes. Do not move them after you place them in the pan until ready to flip. Cook crab cakes for 4-5 minutes per side (3). 

PRO TIP: Using an ice cream scoop really is the best way to make sure all of the crab cakes are the exact same size. This helps with presentation value, but also to make sure that they all cook evenly.

Recipe FAQ’s

Storing, Reheating, and Freezing Instructions

Storing: Make sure to store cooked crab cakes in an air-tight food storage container, in the refrigerator. Properly stored, they should last 3-4 days.

Reheating: it’s best to reheat them in a cooking pan, on stove-top, over medium to medium-low heat. Preheat the pan fist and add a little oil if needed. Reheat crab cakes for a couple of minutes on each side, just until heated through.

Freezing: it’s best to freeze crab cakes before cooking. Mix and shape the patties as instructed in the recipe. Place them on a parchment paper covered cutting board and freeze for 2 hours (set a timer so you don’t forget!) Wrap individual frozen crab cakes in plastic wrap and then, place them into a freezer zip-top bag or a freezer storage container that is air-tight. Label and date the container and freeze for 2-3 months.

Try More Recipes Using Crab

Crab Fried Rice

She Crab Soup

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

Crab Mac and Cheese

Creamy Crab and Artichoke Dip

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