Crab Cakes
Published Oct. 12, 2023
- Total Time
- About 1 hour
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 20 minutes, plus 30 minutes’ chilling
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Ingredients
- ½cup mayonnaise
- 1large egg
- 2teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- ½teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
- Black pepper
- 1pound lump crab meat, drained
- ½cup panko
- 2tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- ¼cup vegetable or canola oil, for frying
- Store-bought or homemade tartar sauce and lemon wedges, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
466 calories; 38 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 15 grams monounsaturated fat; 18 grams polyunsaturated fat; 7 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 23 grams protein; 900 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, egg, mustard, Worcestershire, Old Bay, salt and a few grinds (or shakes) of black pepper and whisk until smooth. Add the crab, panko and parsley and mix gently until incorporated. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the mixture to firm up slightly.
- Step 2
Using a measuring cup, scoop out heaping ⅓-cup mounds of the crab mixture and form them into firm patties about ¾-inch thick. You should have 8 cakes.
- Step 3
In a medium (10-inch) skillet, heat the canola oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add 4 of the crab cakes, spacing them evenly in the pan. Gently press the cakes with a spatula to flatten them slightly, then cook until browned on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side until browned, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer the cooked cakes to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with the remaining cakes, lowering the heat, if necessary, to prevent any burning.
- Step 4
Serve the crab cakes with tartar sauce and lemon wedges on the side.
Private Notes
Comments
You don't add the crab to the liquids, you add liquid the crab meat and cracker, mix that way crackers/panko doesn't get soggy. Mix panko or cracker crumbs with the crab, let stand for 5-10 minute. That absorbs the moisture off the crab meat. That way the mayonnaise sticks to the bits of crab meat better and you don't need as much. 1/2 cup panko/crackers per pound of crab meat is excessive. If you use a mix of lump and backfin you can lower the amount of crackers/panko even more/
This recipe is very close to the Maryland crab cakes I learned to make while living in Maryland, BUT since Old Bay contains a lot of salt, no more salt is necessary. Also, try using 1/2 tsp. Coleman's dry mustard instead of Dijon, and a bit less Worcestershire. Crabmeat is so sweet and delicate that it shouldn't be overpowered.
While this is a decent recipe, most of us in Baltimore would advise broiling a crab cake over frying.
You don't add the crab to the liquids, you add liquid the crab meat and cracker, mix that way crackers/panko doesn't get soggy. Mix panko or cracker crumbs with the crab, let stand for 5-10 minute. That absorbs the moisture off the crab meat. That way the mayonnaise sticks to the bits of crab meat better and you don't need as much. 1/2 cup panko/crackers per pound of crab meat is excessive. If you use a mix of lump and backfin you can lower the amount of crackers/panko even more/
I’ve made this recipe for my family one million times at this point, and it never disappoints. I was even asked to triple the recipe tonight because the #1 feedback I get is “why aren’t there more?!” I do bake them in the oven instead of pan frying because I like the browning, and I don’t have to mess with flipping them. This time I mixed jumbo lump with some claw meat and they were even crabbier. Yay!
Agree that the additional 1/2 tsp of diamond kosher salt is unnecessary if using Old Bay seasoning.