My favorite crab cake recipe for tender crab cakes loaded with seasoned lump crab meat, drizzled with homemade creamy crab cake sauce, always a hit.
Who's in the mood for Crab Cakes? Crab cakes are a wonderful recipe item to keep on your menu. They're always a hit, and you can serve them as a dinner or an appetizer. Everybody loves them.
The key to making the best crab cakes is nailing the consistency before cooking them so they don't fall apart. Good crab cakes are light and delicate, not dense. These are made with a lot of crab, with just enough other ingredients to help hold them together.
The Crab Cake Sauce, which is a creamy Cajun sauce, can be whipped together in no time while the crab cakes are cooking up for you.
Let's talk about how to make crab cakes, shall we?
Crab Cakes Ingredients
- Bread Crumbs. Or use crushed saltine crackers. Panko bread crumbs are great, too. This is your binder.
- Seasonings. Cajun seasoning or use Old Bay Seasoning), garlic powder, salt and black pepper.
- Egg.
- Mayo.
- Hot Sauce.
- Mustard.
- Worcestershire Sauce.
- Lemon Juice.
- Vegetables. Celery, shallot, and serrano pepper.
- Parsley.
- Crab. Use jumbo lump crab meat if you can.
- Butter.
Crab Cake Sauce Ingredients
- Mayo.
- Mustard.
- Hot Sauce.
- Vinegar.
- Pickled Jalapenos.
- Celery.
- Seasonings. Cajun seasoning (or use Old Bay Seasoning).
- Lemon Juice.
- Garlic.
How to Make Crab Cakes - the Recipe Method
Dry Ingredients. In a large bowl, combine some bread crumbs or cracker crumbs with Cajun seasoning, garlic powder and a bit of salt and pepper.
Wet Ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine an egg with mayonnaise, hot sauce, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, celery, shallot, serrano and parsley.
Combine and Mix. Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry and mix it all up with a fork. Add the crab meat and hand mix. If the crab cakes are not holding together, add in a bit more bread crumbs and possibly mayo and mustard to help them bind.
Make the Crab Cake Patties. Form them into 6 large crab cakes and set them on a large plate. Alternatively, form them into smaller patties for appetizer or small plate portions.
How to Make Crab Cake Sauce
Make the Crab Cake Sauce. Simply process some mayonnaise, mustard, hot sauce, apple cider vinegar, pickled jalapenos, celery, Cajun seasoning (or Old Bay Seasoning), lemon juice and minced garlic in a food processor until smooth.
Store for Now. Pour into a medium bowl and cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Cook the Crab Cakes. Heat a large pan to medium heat and add the butter. Add the crab cakes and cook them for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until they are nicely browned on both sides. You can also bake them at 350 degrees F for 20 to 30 minutes on a baking sheet, or until they are cooked through. I prefer pan frying to get them nicely browned.
Serve! Serve with the homemade crab cake sauce and lemon wedges. I love some extra crab cake sauce on mine. Such a great recipe.
Boom! Done! Your crab cakes are ready to serve, with delicious crab cake sauce. So creamy with a nice level of spice to it. I love these crab cakes. This is my favorite crab cake recipe.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Heat Factor. These crab cakes are in the mild-medium range of spiciness. You can up the heat a bit with extra serrano peppers and/or Cajun seasonings, or use a spicier Cajun blend. I like to make mine with a pinch of ghost powder. Check out my homemade Cajun seasoning blend recipe.
- Firm Crab Cakes. As mentioned, it's important to get the feel for forming the crab cakes properly, otherwise they can fall apart. They should be slightly firm, but not too firm, otherwise they can be dense and mushy on the inside. Refrigerate them for 30 minutes to help firm them up before cooking if needed.
- Crab Cake Sauce. Everyone loves a good creamy crab cake sauce. My version is a base of mayonnaise with a touch of mustard, hot sauce and other flavor-building ingredients. It's basically a Cajun Remoulade Sauce, the perfect sauce for crab cakes. French fries, too! Skip the tartar sauce. This is way better.
Best Crab for Making Crab Cakes
You can use any type of crab to make crab cakes. I enjoy purchasing Alaskan King Crab Legs from our local market, then extracting the meat from the shells for lump crab cakes. You'll get beautiful huge chunks of crab in every bite this way. It's an expensive option, however.
Crab claw meat is also great for making chunky crab cakes. Making crab cakes from canned crab is the most budget friendly option. They're still big on flavor.
We took an anniversary trip to the Chesapeake Bay a few years ago (and had lots of Maryland crab cakes) and chartered a crab boat with a local captain. He took us out early in the morning, where we caught a couple of bushels of blue crab. Such a wonderful trip. I used some of that crab meat to make this crab cakes recipe and they were outstanding. Fresh crab meat is the way to go if you can obtain it. You can ready all about my Chesapeake Bay trip here.
Try Some of These Other Popular Crab Recipes
- Crab Stuffed Peppers with Lemon-Basil Butter
- Roasted Red Pepper and Blue Crab Bisque from the Chesapeake Bay
- Cajun Remoulade Sauce
Try Some of These Other Popular Seafood Recipes
- Grilled Shrimp Po' Boys
- Blackened Fish
- Seafood Gumbo
- Cajun Shrimp Pasta
- Shrimp Ceviche
- See all of my Spicy Seafood Recipes
If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you'll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don't forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I'll be sure to share! Thanks! -- Mike H.
Crab Cake Recipe with Creamy Crab Cake Sauce
Ingredients
- ¾ cup bread crumbs or crushed saltine crackers
- 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning or more to taste
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 egg beaten
- 2 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon of your favorite hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon whole grain spicy mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Juice of a lemon
- 1 stalk celery chopped
- 1 shallot chopped
- 1 serrano pepper chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
- 1 pound fresh lump crab meat
- 2 tablespoons butter
FOR THE CAJUN CREAM SAUCE
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon whole grain spicy mustard
- 1 tablespoon of your favorite hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup pickled jalapeno peppers
- 1 tablespoon diced celery
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- Juice from half a lemon
- 2 cloves garlic minced
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper to make the crab cakes. Mix well.
- In a separate bowl, combine the egg, mayonnaise, hot sauce, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, celery, shallot, serrano and parsley.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix with a fork. Add the crab meat and hand mix. Form them into 6 crab cakes and set them on a large plate.
- Next, make the Cajun Cream Sauce by processing the mayonnaise, mustard, hot sauce, apple cider vinegar, pickled jalapenos, celery, Cajun seasoning, lemon juice and minced garlic in a food processor until smooth. Pour into a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Heat a large pan to medium heat and add the butter. Add the crab cakes and cook them for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until they are nicely browned on both sides. Serve with the Cajun Cream Sauce and lemon wedges.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
NOTE: This recipe was updated on 11/11/20 to include new information. It was originally published on 12/1/18.
Kathy says
Can you freeze uncooked or cooked crab cake mix? I am planning on making tomorrow but not sure if I should 1/2 the recipe or make and freeze?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Kathy, you can freeze the uncooked crab cakes. I would separate them with freezer paper and seal them for freezing. Then, cook as needed. You should be able to cook them from frozen, but be sure to cook all the way through.
Kierra says
Omg! I tried this recipe today! I loved it. Soooo flavorful!!!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Kierra! We love these. A favorite for sure!
Kevin Moser says
The crab cakes were very good. The Cajun Cream Sauce was AMAZING! I used the sauce as a salad dressing, too...
We repurposed the crab cakes later in the weeks in a tuna noodle casserole - of course minus the tuna.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Kevin, Yes, I agree that both the sauce and the crab cakes themselves are easy to re-purpose and make another delicious meal.
crystal frischman says
My crab cakes all fell apart as soon as I flipped them over and i followed the recipe to a T. No worries, I turned it into a stir fry but man they were WAY too salty for my liking. That was a lot of work for such a salty messy crab cake.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Sorry to hear, Crystal. Crab cakes are pretty flaky and light, and can fall apart. Next time you can add in more breadcrumbs to firm them up, or set them into the freezer to help them hold better. I hate to use too much breadcrumbs, as I want the crab flavor to shine. The recipe calls for "salt to taste". If yours was salty, it is probably from the Cajun seasoning blend you used. You may want to review the contents. I like to make my own blend without salt so I can add my own salt to taste per recipe. Sorry again for any issues.
Bryan says
Did anyone else find them to be very salty? I used Slap Ya Mama Cajun seasoning, and 2 tbs seems overwhelming.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Hey, Bryan. Some Cajun seasoning brands contain salt, so that can certainly be a factor. I usually make my own blend without salt then add salt to taste to avoid these types of issues. I love Slap Ya Mama blend, though, but would taste and adjust as I go along. Sorry for the issue.
Tom Fiore says
Start with Old Bay seasoning instead of premixed Cajun seasonings. All of them seem to love their salt way too much. With the heat in Old Bay you probably don't need much of any salt to get good flavor.
Mike Hultquist says
Old Bay seasoning is mentioned in the recipe post as an alternative. Definitely review the salt content of any store bought seasoning. They can often be quite high, which is a reason I like to make my own blends.
Coconut says
Was in search of a nice cajun-type sauce for my Mardis Gras-themed dinner, and Googled upon this site. Only made the sauce part of this recipe...but even just that is amazing! Will definitely be making this again. Thanks so much for sharing your fabulous recipe.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Coconut! I LOVE the sauce, too!
Jen says
The cajun sauce in this recipe is really unique! It gives them that extra something. Can't wait to make them again for a crowd.
Marie says
These crab cakes look delicious and super flavourful! The cajun sauce sounds fantastic and I could see myself using it in other recipes too!
georgie says
these look amazing, I really want to start eating more seafood based meals so these would be perfect! I love salmon patties so only can imagine I'd love these!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
These will definitely get you eating more seafood, Georgie! Enjoy.
Jillian says
These crab cakes look fabulous and I love the idea of cajun kick of flavor!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Yes! Awesome!
Jenna says
MMM. I was looking for a crab cake recipe to surprise my husband who is from the East Coast. Can't wait to make this for Christmas eve.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Perfect timing!
Michael Mantle says
Love crab and salmon cakes but my wife is allergic to eggs and can’t find a recipe or a substitute with out egg.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Michael, I would use some olive oil instead of eggs. I believe it will bind nicely that way. Let me know how it turns out for you.
India says
You can use flax seed and water for substitute! It’s super easy! I’ve used it for egg substitute plenty of times
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Great, thanks!
Tom says
I love crab but the wife hates it. do you think this would work with salmon?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Tom, yes, this would totally work. I also have a recipe for Salmon Patties you might check out as well. Let me know how they turn out for you.
Jeremie says
Looks absolutely delicious! I'll try that in the next days, thank you Mike!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Great, Jeremie! Enjoy.
Jeremie says
Done! Hmm, this one was gorgeous, a rich lemony sauce, solid cakes full of flavors… that’s definitevely a win! …and I love your videos, Mike!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Awesome, Jeremie. Glad you enjoyed them. And the videos. Thanks!