The Best Maryland Crab Cakes Recipe
- PREP 1hrs 20min
- COOK 15min
- TOTAL 1hrs 35min
I’m in love with this incredible Maryland crab cake recipe! It has very little filler so that you can taste the crab. Use blue crab for the most authentic crab cake, although I made this recipe with Dungeness crab, which was excellent. We have included two ways to cook the crab cakes. Pan-seared adds a golden crust to both sides, while broiled keeps them more rounded with golden crispy tops.
You Will Need
1 pound (450g) jumbo lump or backfin lump blue crabmeat, fresh or pasteurized
20 saltine crackers, crushed into crumbs (65g or just less than 1 cup of crumbs)
1 tablespoon minced chives or parsley, optional
1/4 cup (55g) mayonnaise, try homemade mayonnaise
1 large egg
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup (60ml) avocado oil
1 tablespoon butter
Old Bay seasoning, for serving
Directions
Prepare Crab Cakes
Drain the crabmeat and pick through it for any rogue shells. Toss the cracker crumbs, herbs, and crabmeat together, using your fingers to gently break apart some of the lumps.
Whisk the mayonnaise, egg, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce together, then fold it into the crab mixture. It will look loose. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Scoop the crab mixture into six 1/2 cup mounds and lightly pack them into patties about 1 ½ inches thick.
Pan-Seared Crab Cakes
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 cakes, reduce the heat to medium-low, and add the butter. Continue cooking until the second side is well browned, 4 to 6 minutes.
Broiled Crab Cakes
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 are 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.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- 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.