Maryland Style Crab Cakes Recipe
A classic Maryland Style Crab Cakes Recipe delivering tender lumps of sweet crab meat bound with minimal fillers and golden-crisp crust — perfect for a delicious, restaurant-quality seafood meal at home.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ≈ 454 g lump/backfin crab meat (picked through for shells)
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 1/3 cup ≈ 80 ml mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons ≈ 30 ml Dijon mustard
- 1½ teaspoons seasoning blend e.g. seafood seasoning or classic “Old Bay”
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup ≈ 60 g panko breadcrumbs — maybe a little more or less, depending on moisture
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter + 2 tablespoons neutral oil for pan-frying or melted butter for brushing (if baking)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper sparingly (crab is naturally salty)
- Lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
Pick and prepare the crab meat
- Carefully examine and pick through the crab meat to remove any shell fragments. Handle gently to preserve the lumps.
- Place crab meat in a bowl and gently pat dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
Make the binder mixture
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the beaten egg, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, seasoning blend, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and chopped parsley.
Combine crab with binder
- Gently fold the crab meat into the binder mixture using a rubber spatula, preserving the lumps.
- Add panko breadcrumbs — start with 1/2 cup (≈ 60 g). Fold just enough to bind; if mixture seems too wet to hold shape, you may sprinkle a bit more panko (sparingly).
Form the crab cakes
- Using a 1/3–1/2 cup scoop (or weigh for precision), form medium cakes (6 cakes from 1 lb). For sliders, form smaller cakes.
- Gently pack each portion into patties ~1–1½ inch (about 2.5–3.8 cm) thick. Do not over-compress.
- Place on a parchment-lined tray and refrigerate for 30–60 minutes — this firms them up so they hold together during cooking.
Cook the crab cakes
- Pan-fry (classic method):
- Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add butter + oil and heat until butter foams.
- Add crab cakes without crowding. Cook about 3–4 minutes per side until golden brown and warmed through. Flip only once, after a crust forms.
- Transfer to a wire rack so bottoms stay crisp.
- Or — Oven-bake (lighter option):
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Brush cakes with melted butter and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake 12–16 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until edges are golden and cakes are hot.
Finish & serve
- Optionally, you can broil for 1–2 minutes to deepen the crust — watch carefully to avoid burning.
- Serve immediately with lemon wedges and your choice of sauce (see Notes).
Notes
- Sauces & serving suggestions: Try with remoulade (mayo + mustard + capers + pickles + lemon), lemon aioli (mayo + lemon zest/juice + garlic), or simple melted butter with a sprinkle of seasoning. Serve with a crisp salad, coleslaw, fries or roasted potatoes, or on a soft bun as a crab cake sandwich.
- Storage & make-ahead: Formed (but uncooked) cakes can be refrigerated up to 24 hours. Cooked cakes keep in fridge for ~2 days — re-crisp in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 6–8 minutes. For freezing: freeze formed uncooked cakes on a tray until solid, then transfer to a bag; freeze up to 2 months. Thaw in fridge before cooking.
- Variations: Gluten-free version — use gluten-free panko or almond flour; Spicy version — add ¼–½ tsp cayenne or some chopped jalapeño; Slider size — form smaller cakes and shorten cooking time (~2–3 min per side).
- Tips: Always taste and adjust seasoning before adding crab meat; don’t over mix or overbind — crab flavour should stay front and center; chilling the cakes is key for structure.