Maryland Crab Cakes
Enjoy this classic Maryland crab cakes recipe any time you like. It is easy to make and is ready in less than 20 minutes. Crab cakes are delicious and the right seasoning makes them even tastier. It’s one of the most coveted seafood appetizer recipe.
I was inspired to make these flavorful crab cakes after having a version of them years ago at a nearby seafood restaurant who served the best crab cakes I’ve ever had.
Have you been timid about making crab cakes? Well, you don’t have to be. This recipe is super easy and so delicious!
What makes the crab cake flavor combination so delicious is the simplicity of it. This recipe shows you that you don’t need complex ingredients to make these classic seafood cakes.
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Helpful tips
- I used canned jumbo lump crab meat because it’s easier. You can even use fresh crab meat if you prefer.
- If you do use canned, make sure to drain the crab fully and pick out any shells.
- Use a paper towel to pat down the crab so there isn’t excess water.
- I use tarragon in this recipe, but you can substitute parsley if you prefer.
- Use a big enough sauté pan or skillet so you can fit all the crab cakes in there at once.
- When cooking them, press down gently with your spatula on the crab cakes to make sure they brown evenly.
How to make Maryland crab cakes
Pre-step
Get a sauté pan or skillet and a large bowl.
Step one
Gather the drained lump crabmeat and dice a quarter of a red bell pepper. (A) Add to the mixing bowl.
Step two
Get Panko breadcrumbs, a large egg, tarragon, mayonnaise, horseradish, salt, pepper, dried mustard and old bay seasoning. (B)
Step three
Add half of the breadcrumbs and all of the other ingredients to the bowl with the crab in it.
Step four
Mix with a rubber spatula until the ingredients are combined. (C)
Step five
Get a shallow bowl or deep dish and add the rest of the breadcrumbs to it.
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Step six
Take a handful of crab mixture and form the crab cakes. I find that this amount of crabmeat yields 5 – 6 crabcakes.
Place each cake in the bowl with the breadcrumbs two at a time. Flip the crab cakes and make sure all the sides are covered. (D)
Cooking the crab cakes
Step seven
Heat the sauté pan on medium to medium-high heat, and once the pan heats up, add olive oil (or if you want to feel decadent – butter) and once that heats up, place all the crab cakes in the pan and sauté them for 4 minutes on each side, until they are golden-brown.
Once they are done, I arrange the crab cakes on my long platter. I add some lemon wedges and dribble store bought horseradish aioli sauce on them.
If I have guests, I will serve these Maryland crab cakes in a stack with the horseradish aioli dribbled on top! It looks pretty impressive.
Time for a bite.
It was soooooo good.
Other popular crab recipes
I hope you enjoyed this Maryland crab cake recipe.
And as always, may all your dishes be delish!
If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on the blog, I’d love the hear what you thought about it in the comments below. I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!
Maryland Crab Cakes
Ingredients
- 8 ounces crab meat (drained, shells removed and patted dry)
- 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
- 2 teaspoons tarragon (or parsley)
- 1 cup Panko bread crumbs (divided in half)
- 1 egg
- 1/8 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (heaping)
- 1/4 teaspoon dried mustard (heaping)
- 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish (optional)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil to fry crab cakes
Instructions
- Drain crabmeat, pick out shells and pat dry with paper towels.
- Add crabmeat, bell pepper, tarragon, 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs, egg, salt, pepper, mayo, dried mustard, old bay seasoning and optional horseradish to a medium mixing bowl and mix with a rubber spatula.
- Make as many cakes as you like. I made 5 good sized cakes.
- Add 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs to a shallow dish and place each cake in and coat the sides until all the cakes are covered.
- Heat a sauté pan and once that heats up, add oil.
- Place as many crab cakes as you can in the sauté pan and cook 4 minutes each side or until they are evenly browned.
- Remove cakes and place on a decorative platter. Drizzle a sauce over the cakes and serve with some tartar sauce or/and cocktail sauce.
- Plate
- Eat
- Enjoy
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- I used canned jumbo lump crab meat because it’s easier. You can even use fresh crab meat if you prefer.
- If you do use canned, make sure to drain the crab fully and pick out any shells.
- Use a paper towel to pat down the crab so there isn’t excess water.
- I use tarragon in this recipe, but you can substitute parsley if you prefer.
- Use a big enough sauté pan or skillet so you can fit all the crab cakes in there at once.
- When cooking them, press down gently with your spatula on the crab cakes to make sure they brown evenly.
Nutrition
From lighting up stages with her BA in theater to food journalist, Elaine Benoit's journey is a testament to passion's transformative power. As the CEO of Dishes Delish, she offers a blend of healthy, comforting recipes and exquisitely crafted cocktails. Beyond the kitchen, Elaine voiced her culinary adventures on her podcast, "Dishing," and co-owns Food Blogger Help, extending her expertise to guide budding food bloggers to success. Whether it's for a heartwarming dish or insights into food blogging, Elaine's diverse experiences make her a beacon in the culinary digital landscape.
These crab cakes are so good. I made them and hubby also approved.
Thank you Joyce! I appreciate it!
These were delicious. I served them at a dinner party!
Thanks, Danielle.
They were so fresh and delicious! Perfect light dish for the upcoming warmer days!
Thanks so much Anna! I appreciate it.
You are so funny, Elaine, your posts always put a smile on my face 🙂 . And your crab cakes are delicious! Pretty easy and super yummy!
Thanks Nicoletta! That made my day!
Crab cakes are one of my favorite dishes and I love the horseradish and tarragon in your recipe! Fabulous.
Thanks Analida! I appreciate it!
Oh my goodness…these were DIVINE! I worked in a restaurant when I was in college and they had the best crab cakes. Your recipe reminds me of them.
Hehe. Thanks Amanda!! That’s sweet of you to say.
You mentioned old bay seasoning initially but did not include it as an ingredient in the recipe. Was that an oversight?
Hi Monica! Definitely an oversight. I’d switched recipe cards and a few of my recipes dropped an ingredient. I caught those but didn’t catch this. I updated the recipe card – it’s a scant 1/4 teaspoon, because a little goes a long way, in my opinion.
I’d like to try this soon at our island rental, where I can get very fresh crab. It looks great and sounds easy. I need more info on is the sauce you mentioned, which seems to be drizzled on the crab cakes in the photo. You said horseradish aioli – is there a brand you can buy or did you make it? Thanks!
Hi Sandrine, I bought the sauce at the grocery store by the seafood. It was Stonewall Kitchen’s horseradish aioli. It was quite delicious! I hope you can find it, but I bet any horseradish aioli brand would work. I hope you enjoy the crab cakes when you make them. And there is nothing like fresh crabs!!
I so enjoy your site and your recipes. Would you please consider adding a print option so we can enjoy your recipes a little more easily. Thank you.
Regards
rose martine
Rose, there is a print option both at the top of the post and in the recipe card. Thank you for your kind words!