Or, as my kids call them, "Crabby Patties"
Whenever I tell people how easy it is to make crab cakes, they look at me as if I'm kidding. I tell them, "If you can prepare a meatloaf and cook a hamburger, you can make a great crab cake!"
If you are a purist and want to do it right, you would buy a bunch of blue-crawled crabs, boil them up, chill the creatures, and spend hours picking the meat from their tiny claws.
As a kid, I remember my dad taking us down to my grandfather's house at the Jersey shore to go crabbing. We once came home with two bushels of Jersey Blue Claws that had to be cooked and cleaned.
After a while, my dad, who was doing most of the picking, came up with the brilliant idea of using a water pick to blast the meat from those tiny little legs to speed things up. His idea worked but when my mom came in the kitchen, she had a fit when she saw crab meat hanging from the ceiling and walls. My dad ended up having to repaint the entire kitchen.
What Kind of Crab Meat Is Used in Crab Cakes?
The type of crab typically used in crab cakes is the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus), particularly in regions like the Chesapeake Bay area of the United States, where blue crabs are abundant. Blue crab meat is prized for its sweet flavor and tender texture, making it ideal for crab cakes. However, other crab species, such as Dungeness crab or snow crab may also be used in different regions or based on personal preferences.
Interesting Fact
The number of blue crabs harvested from the Chesapeake Bay can vary yearly due to environmental conditions, regulations, and fishing efforts. However, to provide a general idea, according to data from the Chesapeake Bay Program, the annual commercial harvest of blue crabs from the Chesapeake Bay typically ranges from around 50 million to 100 million pounds in recent years.
It's important to note that this figure represents the total commercial harvest, including crabs used for various purposes beyond crab cakes, such as crab meat sold in restaurants and seafood markets and processed crab products.
Fresh Crab versus Canned Crab
I find it much easier to buy fresh lump crab meat at my local fish market, where someone else has spent hours picking the meat. It's great if you can find it, and even better if you can afford it.
A more affordable alternative is buying "pasteurized" crab meat in 16-oz cans. Costco sells a Phillips brand that is a "hand-picked lump," which is not bad at all.
On the label, they describe how the Phillips family has been processing crab meat for more than forty years for their Phillips Seafood restaurant. The crab comes from the "tropical waters of Asia, then cooked, hand-picked and pasteurized."
Is this crab as good as my dad's water-picked fresh crab? No way, but it does make a tasty crab cake. My 6-year-old daughter loves to help me make the crab cakes. She says she's making crabby patties like they do in the SpongeBob cartoons. Whatever works, right?
Let's compare:
- Flavor: Fresh crab meat generally has a sweeter and more delicate flavor than canned crab meat. Canned crab meat may have a slightly more pronounced "canned" taste due to the processing and preservation methods.
- Texture: Fresh crab meat tends to be firmer and more succulent, especially when it's recently harvested. Canned crab meat can be softer and more uniform in texture as it has been cooked and processed.
- Appearance: Fresh crab meat often retains its natural color and appearance, with distinctive hues depending on the species. Canned crab meat may lose some of its vibrancy and can appear more uniform in color.
- Versatility: Fresh crab meat is versatile and can be used in various dishes, including crab cakes, salads, soups, and pasta. Canned crab meat is convenient and has a longer shelf life, making it suitable for use in recipes where fresh crab may not be readily available or as cost-effective.
- Cost: Fresh crab meat is typically more expensive than canned crab meat, requiring live crabs to be processed immediately after harvesting. Canned crab meat offers a more budget-friendly option for enjoying crab dishes year-round.
While fresh crab meat is often preferred for its superior flavor and texture, canned crab meat can still be a convenient and tasty option for incorporating crab into your meals, especially when the fresh crab isn't accessible
There are hundreds of recipes out there for crab cakes. Everyone in Maryland has a secret family recipe. I use the recipe on the can as a guide and then alter it depending on what I have in-house the day I make them.
The recipe on the Phillips can call for Phillips Seafood Seasoning. I substitute Old Bay Seasoning, but you can use whatever you like or have on hand.
And don't forget to try my Red Pepper Coulis Recipe with these crab cakes. It's delicious.
📖 Recipe
Crab Cakes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon dry mustard
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
- ¾ cup breadcrumbs
- 16 oz. lump crab meat
Instructions
- In a good size-mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients together except for the lump crab meat. Be sure to wash your hands (or your kid's hands) first and then get in there and mix all the ingredients together.
- Fold in the crab meat into this mixture but be careful not to overwork it or the nice large "lumps" will break into small pieces.
- How to Cook
- I typically sauté the crab cakes in a little bit of olive oil and butter mixture but you can also bake them in a 375°F oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Alternatively you can grill them until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F. It's that easy.
- I serve them with a red pepper coulis my wife whips up in the blender.
The Most Delicious Stone Harbor Crab Cakes
These could be the best crab cakes I've ever tasted. I've heard about Back Bay Seafood in Stone Harbor, NJ, for years. People have told me they have the best crab cakes and crab chowder on the island. Last night, I had the opportunity to taste their crab cakes, and they were right.
When I entered their store, I was surprised by how small it was. There were three other customers in the shop, and when I opened the screen door, they all had to move over so I could get in. In front of me was the back of a big refrigerator, and behind that was a small kitchen where I could see three or four people moving around.
Just to the left of the door was the cash register and a nice woman who took my order and checked me out. I was told there could be a long wait, but that is when you order prepared foods like their Seafood Combination Dinner—fried or Broiled. When you are there just for their U-Cook-Em Crab Cakes, there is little or no wait unless there is a line out the door. That night, there was no line.
The nice lady at the counter asked me if I needed cooking instructions, and of course, I reluctantly said yes. I thought she said to bake them at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, but when I read a review on their website, I found articles saying to broil them at 400 degrees, but I'm not sure how you do that. When I set my oven to broil, I stick it on broil and am unsure what temperature it is. We baked them, and they turned out delicious.
How Are They Made
I don't know if either co-owner Tom Hegyvari or Keith Meloni will share their crab cake recipe with me, but I'll try to contact them and give it a try. I do know from eating them that there is little or no filler in these 5 ounces of crab delight, and they may have a subtle coating of breadcrumbs or cornmeal on the surface.
I also know from reading the articles on their website that they use a combination of jumbo lump and blue crab claw meat, and herbs, and use mayo to bind the crab meat together. I don't know if they are getting their crab meat locally, but I'm guessing that if not, it is from Maryland or somewhere on the East Coast. I hope so.
We always purchase fresh crab claws from the Avalon Seafood Market, a great source of local seafood. However, when we stopped there after picking up the crab cakes, we were disappointed to find that they didn't have any. Now, they are selling a canned, pasteurized product with crab meat that comes from the "Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean—locations known the world over for producing the best Blue Crab."
They were okay if you put enough cocktail sauce on them, but nowhere near as good as the fresh crab claws from Maryland. There was an off taste that I'm guessing comes from the processing, and the meat was not as tender or delicate as the fresh local claws.
Back to Back Bay Crab Cakes
The crab cakes are not cheap—$8.50 each—but when you compare that with what they charge for crab cakes at one of the nicer local seafood restaurants ($30 to $40 for a pair, and I can't image they could be better than these), the price is reasonable. Eating them at home gives you yet another opportunity to enjoy fresh local Jersey corn and tomatoes.
If you are in the Stone Harbor—Avalon area, I encourage you to go to Back Bay Seafood and try their crab cakes. While you are there, you might want to taste their crab chowder and lobster bisque. I know I will next time I'm there. I read they will even ship crab cakes to you overnight.
And of course, if you have a great crab cake recipe you would like to share, I would like to hear about it.
Faidley's Restaurant
Several restaurants are renowned for their crab cakes, and the "most famous" can vary depending on personal preferences and regional popularity. However, one restaurant often cited for its exceptional crab cakes is "Faidley Seafood" in Baltimore, Maryland. Faidley's crab cakes have garnered widespread acclaim for their large chunks of high-quality crab meat, minimal filler, and delicious flavor.
The restaurant has been serving its famous crab cakes for over a century and has become a landmark in Baltimore. Faidley's has been featured in numerous food publications and television shows, solidifying its reputation as a go-to destination for crab cake enthusiasts.
Dave Witts
I'm looking forward to trying this recipe.
Unfortunately you do not say how much crabmeat to use?
How many crab cakes should this recipe make?
Do you use fresh breadcrumbs or are packet breadcrumbs okay?
Reluctant Gourmet
I made this recipe with one 16 oz. can of pasturized lump crabmeat that I purchased at Costco. It's in the recipe now.
How many it makes depends on the size of the cake you make. My 8 year old daughter loves these crab cakes but I make smaller ones for her. I've also made miniature cakes and served them as appetizers.
Fresh breadcrumbs are always better but not necessary. I used a non generic commercial brand of unseasoned breadcrumbs but have also made them with a Japanese breadcrumb called Panko (PAHN-koh) which is a little coarser than breadcrumbs you find in the supermarket.
Liesl
I live in a small town in northern Botswana, near the Okavango Delta. We can only get crab sticks. Could I mash these up and use them in place of the crab meat?
Andy St,.Onge
Made these without the worcestershire, lemon juice and dry mustard, and added half an onion and they were better than any I have ever had. Even from any restaurant.
Capt. Lenny
also add to the recipe --red potatoes boiled and mashed with left over salmon. Try it greattttt...
Marian
Liesl, seems if you did not get a reply. I live in Mozambique and have same problem. Did you try it yet with crabsticks - paid an arm and leg for them, don't want to waste it?
Kim
Thank you for the cooking tips. I made crab cakes with a similiar recipe but wanted to see if there were cooking alternatives other than pan frying.
Tina
Can these be deep fryed or is pan-fried prefered? I've been told that deep frying crab cakes is better.
RG
Tina, I prefer to pan-fry or saute these crab cakes. Although I love deep fried foods like homemade french fries and fried calamari, I stay away from them for diet reasons. We did, however, just fry up a batch of deep fried chicken legs the other night that were excellent.
I have also seen a lot of recipes that call for baking crab cakes and then you might want to try pan roasting where you brown them in a pan and finish them in the oven.
If you do deep fry some, please come back and let us know how they were. - The Reluctant Gourmet
Sara
I have tried and then modified them. Try chopped red peppers and scallions (green onions) finely chopped and mixed in. YuMMM!
Jeannie
This sounds great but I have to come clean and admit that I am a mayonnaise hater. Is there anything I could use in its place, or would they come out just as well without? Thanks!
Stephen
Jeannie,
I'd use an equal amount of creme fraiche, though you may need to add a bit more bread crumbs for cohesion. I almost always go this route, as I rarely have mayo but always have creme fraiche. Trader Joe's had it for a good price.
RG
Thanks for that suggestion for Jeannie, Stephen. I wonder how a plain yogurt would work?
GaNeane
About how many servings does the above recipe make?
Hi GaNeane, hard to say. Really depends on how large you make the patties. I typically make the kids crab cakes a little smaller than our but if you made them all the same size, I'd say 6 to 8 cakes. - RG
Lauren
This is very similar to a recipe that my mother uses to make crab cakes expect that I always add hot sauce because my family love things a bit spicy. I think that crab cakes are easy recipes that appear like they took a lot more time and even effort than they did. I love that about them. They are quick to make, delicious and impressive. I work with better recipes so I am always reviewing recipes and I love find easy recipes like this. Also I think pan frying take a little bit longer but it makes them much crispier.
Thanks Lauren - RG
Alex Tevis
What is the nutrition information on this recipe? Mainly Sodium and Potassium ? These crab cakes sound wonderful! Can't wait to try them. Thanks Alex
Hi Alex, sorry but I do not have the nutrition information on my recipes but there are programs on the Internet that will convert the ingredients in a recipe and break them down into the information you are looking for. - RG
Jack
When you saute, typically how long on each side? How do you know when they are done? An earlier poster suggested that pan frying makes them crispier so I am looking forward to trying that. Usually we bake our crab cakes.
Hi jack, great question. The crab meat from a can or if you buy pasteurized crab meat is already cooked so they are done when the outside reaches the desired crispiness and warms up the center sufficiently. Which is a better technique, pan frying or baking? That is really up to the individual who's eating them. I would make experiment with a batch of crab cakes - pan fry one, bake another and then try broiling a third and see which one you like best and please let us know. - RG
CAPT. BILL
HOW CAN YOU TASTE THE CRAB MEAT COME TO SMITH ISLAND MD. AND I WILL SHOW A CRAB CAKE
Sounds good Captain Bill. What's the address? - RG
Dawn
If you're going to Smith Island, make sure you get some Smith Island cake!
I make crab cakes with no crackers or bread filler, I just use a little mayo, mustard, old bay, parsley and salt. Because there's no filler they can fall apart, so it's best to use a scoop to put them on a pan, then broil them, removing carefully with a spatula when they are done.
These sound great Dawn. Thanks for sharing. - RG
Eating Seafood
Awesome crab cake recipe! It looks delicious! Thanks again for your recipe!
Jack Ziegler
Your recipe sounds pretty authentic. I would suggest using fresh chopped parsley rather than dried. Also use yellow mustard, rather than Dijon. I would lower the breadcrumbs to a half cup, of fresh crumbs, or 1/2 cup of crushed saltines.
This mixture should yield 4 to 6 crab cakes, allow 2 per person per serving.
The Phillips crab meat is from "blue swimmer crabs" caught in S.E. Asia. The lumps are machine formed, not natural. The American Blue Crab is found in the Chesapeake Bay, and coastal waters of Virginia, the Carolina's and the Gulf of Mexico. True "lump crab meat" picked from crabs in these waters is far sweeter, and more succulent than the "swimmer crab" from S.E. Asia. In Baltimore and the Eastern Shore of Maryland you'll pay from around $30.00 a pound for the real stuff, but it's, oh so good.
Hey Jack, thanks for the comments and info about crab meat. I agree, if you can find East Coast crab meat and can afford it, it is the best. - RG
Elle
I am going to try this one exactly as written. I'm a bit unsure about the canned crab. I have not seen it in my regular grocery store, but I can check out Costco. I can get lump crab meat from the farmer's market though the cost is definitely high.
A lot of recipes seem to have the wrong bread crumb to crab ratio for my taste. (My preference is heavy on the crab meat.) I might try it with the panko bread crumbs since I actually have some in the house and they aren't getting any younger.
This is a great site. I knew when I saw the tuna salad with eggs that I had come to the right place.
Thanks Elle and you can always adjust the amount of bread crumbs if you like more crab in your crab cakes. You can always change some of the spices too. Some people ask me what's the difference between panko bread crumbs and regular bread crumbs. Please read my post: Panko Bread Crumbs - RG
Stacy
Gorgeous crab cakes, Gary! Now I'm going to need that red pepper coulis recipe, please.
G. Stephen Jones
Hi Stacy, here's the recipe we use for a quick red pepper coulis. You will see, it couldn't be easier.
diane
Is one 8 oz crabcake good for an average adult?
G. Stephen Jones
Diane, interesting question. I would say so, but it really depends on what you are serving with it and how hungry your average adult is.