These easy homemade crab cakes are seriously the best. Be sure to use real crab meat and not imitation to ensure maximum deliciousness. You can find real crab meat in the refrigerated seafood section usually next to the butcher. It usually comes in half pound containers which makes the perfect amount for four substantial cakes!
How do you make crab cakes from scratch?
Crab cakes are surprisingly simple to make while looking very impressive. First, mix together your fresh crab meat, Panko bread crumbs, some green onion, egg, some mayonnaise (our favorite brand is Duke's), Old Bay seasoning and pepper.
Then form four patties and cover the patties with more Panko bread crumbs.
Then pan fry each cake in olive oil for 4-5 minutes on each side. I used a ten inch skillet, so I fried my cakes in two batches. The second batch didn't take nearly as long as the first batch so be sure to keep an eye on them while they are frying.
What kind of crab meat is best for crab cakes?
To save a little money I used special crab meat for this recipe. Special grade crabmeat consists of small flakes of white crabmeat. It's very versatile and gives a dish good color and delicate flavor. Lump, backfin or claw crab meat would work just as well. Stay away from that imitation crab meat!
How do you keep crab cakes from falling apart?
I used an egg as a binder for this recipe and it helps keep the cakes together.
Is it better to fry or bake crab cakes?
I prefer pan frying my crab cakes to get an extra crispy crust! I find (as with most things) frying always tastes better.
What sauce goes with crab cakes?
Tartar sauce all the way! You could also serve them with hollandaise for brunch too. Oh man would that be delicious.
Need a good homemade tartar sauce for crab cakes? Check out my Homemade Tartar Sauce recipe.
How do you reheats crab cakes?
We reheat our crab cakes in the oven on a sheet pan with a wire rack at 350 for 8-10 minutes until the cake is warmed through.
If you love this recipe, I would love to know! You can rate it, leave a comment, or both! I love hearing from you. Also, you could tag a photo on Instagram @hungrywaitress and I?ll be sure to share it!
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Easy Homemade Crab Cakes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
These easy homemade crab cakes are seriously the best. Be sure to use real crab meat and not imitation to ensure maximum deliciousness.
Ingredients
Crab Cakes
- 1/2 lb special, backfin, lump or claw crab meat, check for any shell fragments
- 3 Tablespoons Panko breadcrumbs, plus 1/2 cup more for coating the cakes
- 1 green onion, chopped
- 1 egg
- 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 1/4 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil, for pan frying
Serve with lemon slices and Homemade Tartar Sauce
Instructions
- In a large bowl mix together the crab meat, 3 tablespoons of Panko breadcrumbs, green onion, egg, mayonnaise, Old Bay seasoning and black pepper.
- Divide the mixture into four equal patties, and cover each with the remaining 1/2 cup of Panko breadcrumbs to form a crust.
- Heat up 1/4 cup olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Fry each cake for 3-5 minutes on each side, or until they are golden brown. As the pan gets hotter, it will take less time to fry.
- Serve with lemon slices and homemade tartar sauce.
Notes
You may be surprised this recipe has no salt. It actually doesn't need it! The crab is salty enough and the lemon garnish provides enough acidity to balance out the richness of these cakes.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Dinner
Sophie
SO delicate and delicious. If you are a person who likes a little spice, they are very good with some hot sauce on them! 🙂
★★★★★
thehungrywaitress
Yay! Thanks Soph!