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Overhead sqaure image of a plate of Maryland-style crab cakes on a matte steel plate. There is a small bowl of tartar sauce, some lemon slices and fresh parsley also on the plate. The plate in on a wooden background and there is more parsley and a light green napkin near the plate.
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Crab Cake Recipe

Delicate, sweet-flavoured white crab meat made into little Maryland-style crab cakes. Pan-fried to golden perfection.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
refrigerating time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 45 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Party Food, Starter
Cuisine: American
Keyword: fresh crab, old bay seasoning
Servings: 16 Small Crab Cakes
Author Nicky Corbishley

Ingredients

  • 1 medium egg
  • 70 ml (4 tbsp + 2 tsp) mayonnaise
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning (see notes)
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley (replace with chives or spring onions/scallions if you like)
  • 450 g (1lb) white chunky crab meat (see notes)
  • 25 g (1/2 cup) panko breadcrumbs
  • 3 tbsp oil altogether (1.5 tbsp for each batch)

Instructions

  • Add the egg, mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, Old Bay seasoning, salt, pepper and parsley to a large bowl and mix together with a fork or whisk to combine.
    1 medium egg, 70 ml (4 tbsp + 2 tsp) mayonnaise, 2 tsp Dijon mustard, 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
  • Add the crab and panko and gently stir together. Try not to break up the lumps of crab too much. If the mixture is too wet to shape, stir in a little more panko.
    450 g (1lb) white chunky crab meat, 25 g (1/2 cup) panko breadcrumbs
  • Line a baking sheet with non-stick baking parchment.
  • Shape the mixture into 16 small patties (see notes) on the baking sheet. I use a cookie scoop or small sauce ladle to scoop it out, then press it out onto the baking sheet. Use your hands to push the mixture together.
  • Cover the tray with clingfilm and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour to firm up.
  • Add 1.5 tbsp of the oil to a large frying pan or skillet and heat over a medium heat.
  • Add half of the patties and cook for 6-7 minutes, turning once, until golden brown and cooked throughout.
  • Once cooked remove them from the pan with a spatula and place on a warm plate or tray and place in a low oven to keep warm whilst we make the second batch.
  • Add the remaining 1.5 tbsp of oil to the pan and add the remaining patties to the pan cooking for 6-7 minutes, turning once, until golden brown and cooked throughout.
  • Serve with lemon wedges and Tartare sauce, garlic mayo or hot mayo (mayo with hot sauce).

Video

Notes

Old Bay seasoning

This is a brand of seasoning that originated in Maryland and is a key ingredient for Maryland-style crab cakes.
It consists of paprika, mustard, celery seed, cayenne, coriander seed, cloves, pepper, salt, sugar and herbs.
It's not as common in the UK, but can be found on the spice aisle of larger supermarkets. I've seen it in Tesco, Waitrose and occasionally in Aldi. You can also find it on Amazon (<-- affiliate link).
If you can't get hold of it, Cajun seasoning (plus a good pinch of celery salt or regular salt) is probably the nearest spice blend. Cajun seasoning is a little hotter and less salty than Old Bay.

Crab meat

I use the chunkiest white meat from the brown crab (local to us in Devon), but lump crab meat from the blue crab is most often used for crab cakes - especially Maryland-style crab cakes.
Use the best quality white chunky crab meat you can find. We want it lumpy, not flakes or shredded for the best crab cakes.

Size of the crab cakes

I make the mixture into little bite-sized crab cakes that are about 39g (~1.4oz) each. You can make them bigger but they're more delicate when bigger, so you have to be extra careful when turning them over in the pan.

Why do we place the crab cakes in the refrigerator?

This allows the flavours to develop and allows the panko to absorb some of the moisture. This makes the crabs cakes a little firmer, so they stick together better.
Nutritional info is approximate, per crab cake.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 87kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 330mg | Potassium: 77mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 71IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 0.4mg

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