Crab cakes make a delicious appetizer for your parties or a perfect dinner, served with a side salad! The most delicious part of the cakes is the crab itself! Helped a bit by the lemon!
Crab cakes are a staple food in the Chesapeake Bay region of Maryland. You can not walk in to a restaurant and not see them on the menu. Since we rarely get down to that area, we make them at home a few times a year, to treat ourselves.
What you need
- lump crab meat
- celery
- chives
- lemon juice
- parsley
- panko bread crumbs
- tarragon
- mayonnaise
How to make crab cakes
- Chop up some of the crab, leaving about a third of it in large chunks.
- Chop vegetables.
- place all ingredients in large mixing bowl.
- Mix gently, but thoroughly.
- Form patties. Press into panko.
- Let cakes set up for at least 30 minutes, lightly covered in refrigerator.
- Fry in shallow oil until golden brown.
If you don’t want to dip these in a hot and spicy sauce, I suggest adding some heat to the crab mix. 1-2 tsp of hot sauce, 1/2-1 tsp of cayenne or chili powder, or Old Bay seasoning.
What sauces to use
Bold or spicy sauces really compliment the crab cakes.
Other Delicious Appetizers
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That’s how easy it is to make these easy Crab Cakes. Thanks for stopping by today!
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📖 Recipe
Super Easy Crab Cakes
Ingredients
- 1 lb lump crab meat
- 1 stalk celery
- 1/4 cup chives
- juice of 1/2 of a lemon
- 2 tsp fresh parsley
- 1 tsp tarragon dried or 2 tsp fresh
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs plus more for coating cakes.
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- salt and pepper to taste
- Olive oil for frying
Instructions
- Chop 2/3 of the crab into medium chunks. Leave 1/3 in large chunks.
- Chop herbs and vegetables, finely.
- Add all ingredients to mixing bowl.
- Gently, but thoroughly mix.
- Make cakes in whatever size you like. Mine were about 3 ounces each.
- Press each cake into panko so that the panko sticks.
- Place on a plate. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to let the panko soak up the liquids and bind, and for the flavors to meld.
- Shallow fry in cast iron pan in oil.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published 3/19/20
Marilyn Schiffer
going to try these tonight…does the 1/2 cup of Panko go in
with rest of ingredients, and then add’l Panko to coat them?
Beth Neels
Yes, I’m sorry, I’ll specify that in the recipe card! Thanks for checking out the recipe, Marilyn. Let me know how you like them!
Marilyn Schiffer
thank you Beth…will definitely let u know…i have an every other week
delivery from “Imperfect Produce”…if you’re not familiar with them,
they sell & deliver produce that is not perfect enough (in someone’s
opinion) to sell to grocery stores…i always get an organic package, &
they have recently started selling non-produce items, so i ordered some
crab that was flash frozen & am trying it out…obviously, it doesn’t look
as good as fresh, but i’m hoping your recipe will give it the best shot 😀
Beth Neels
Where I live, we can only get crab frozen. If only we weren’t land locked, lol! I will have to check out Imperfect Produce. Thanks!
Kathryn
As a Marylander now, I can attest to the importance of having a great crab cake recipe. Thanks so many for sharing an easy version!
Beth Neels
You are so correct Kathryn! Thank you for the comment!
Jovita
You can’t go wrong with good ol’ crab cakes. The sauce looks amazing too!
Beth Neels
IT’s really great with the crab cakes! Thanks Jovita!
Toni
I love how easy this is to make! Packed full of flavors too!
Beth Neels
Thanks Toni! I appreciate your comment!
Alisa Infanti
I made these in my air-fryer instead and they were amazing!
Beth Neels
I’ve made them in the air fryer too! They are delicious there too! Thanks for trying them and letting me know Alisa!
Colleen
I can never get enough crab cakes and these ones look so crisp and golden. Can’t wait to give this recipe a try.
Beth Neels
Thanks Colleen! I agree, can never get enough crab cakes!
Charla
Looks delicious! From one crab lover to another, this is what I need in my life this summer.
Beth Neels
I know right? If I could live on crab, I would!
Liz
My husband loves crab cakes but I’ve always been too scared to make them because they seemed so complicated! Thank you for this easy recipe!
Beth Neels
They’re super easy Liz! Thanks for checking out the recipe!