These Maryland Crab Cakes are the best crab cakes ever! Made with flaky lump crab meat, lemon, fresh herbs and Old Bay seasoning, these golden brown baked crab cakes are served with a simple and incredibly tasty Lemon Aioli.
If you love crab recipes, you won’t want to miss my cheesy Crab Dip recipe!
This quick and easy crab cake recipe is one I use all the time with great results. These Maryland Crab Cakes are the perfect crowd pleasing appetizer, snack or light dinner!
✔️ The Best Crab Cakes
I think it’s safe to say that the absolute best crab cake recipe is one made with fresh jumbo lump crab meat lightly packed with very little fillings and lots of flavor.
These Maryland Crab Cakes have great texture and lots of crab meat and the best part is they are oven baked not fried.
🔎 What Type Of Crab Meat Is Best For Crab Cakes
Chesapeake Bay in Maryland is known for their blue crabs. Blue crab meat has a delicate flavor and a fresh buttery taste. If you live on the west coast, you are probably familiar with Dungeness crabs which are much larger and also delicious. Both varieties can be used when making crabcakes.
Here are a few things to consider when choosing the best crab meat to make homemade crab cakes.
- Purchase crab labeled “hand picked” or “fresh picked” which means that the meat has been picked through for shells and cartilage. Even when getting this type of crab meat, it’s good practice to double check for remnants by running your fingers gently through the meat. Sometimes, the packers miss small pieces of shell.
- Unless you go crabbing or purchase whole crabs, you are most likely to purchase canned crab meat. This meat is already cooked and ready to eat.
- Stay away from shelf stable (unrefrigerated) canned crab. Instead, buy refrigerated canned crab meat. They are usually in the seafood area of the supermarket packed in 1 pound tubs. This product is extremely fresh and of good quality.
- Jumbo lump crab meat has the biggest chunks of meat, but it’s expensive. The next best option is lump crab meat which also has big chunks and makes amazing meaty and juicy crabcakes.
✔️ Homemade Crab Cakes Ingredients
These easy homemade crab cakes can be served with lemon aioli, tartar sauce or remoulade. For exact quantities, please check the printable recipe card below.
✔️ Crab Cake Ingredients
- Lump Crab Meat: The best crab cake recipe is one with large pieces of crab and very little fillers. Buy refrigerated canned crab meat, hand picked and either jumbo lump or lump crab meat.
- Egg: I use a large egg. This is a great binding ingredient.
- Mayonnaise: I use full-fat mayonnaise. This is also a binding ingredient. You won’t be able to taste the mayonnaise as you do when having a mayo based salad (like chicken or tuna salad).
- Dijon Mustard: This is a great mustard for cooking.
- Lemon Juice: Although the amount used is minimum, I love serving these Maryland-style crab cakes with lemon wedges on the side. Use fresh lemon.
- Worcestershire Sauce: This sauce adds so much flavor.
- Saltine Crackers: I prefer cracker crumbs over bread crumbs for this Maryland crab cake recipe.
- Parsley and Scallions: Both add freshness to this recipe.
- Old Bay Seasoning: A traditional addition to crab cakes.
- Butter: Since these crab cakes are baked, butter is a must to add flavor and moisture to the crab patties. It will also help give the surface a nice golden brown color.
✔️ Aioli Ingredients:
- Mayonnaise, Dijon Mustard, Fresh Garlic, Lemon Juice. Salt and Pepper. You can also add capers if you wish. I love capers so I always add them.
🔎 How To Make Crab Cakes
- In a bowl, whisk together the egg, mayonnaise, parsley, scallions, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, Old Bay seasoning, lemon juice and salt
- Add the crab meat and sprinkle with the cracker crumbs. Gently, mix the ingredients together.
- Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to up to 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Portion about ½ cup of crab meat mixture into 6 mounds on the baking sheet. With your hands or with the help of a spoon, compact each individual mound without flattening them. Be gentle.
- Brush each cake with the melted butter.
- Bake for 12 -16 minutes or until lightly brown on the edges. Remove from the oven and serve with lemon aioli and lemon wedges.
To Make The Lemon Aioli, simply combine all the aioli ingredients.
Is It Better To Bake Or Fry Crab Cakes?
I prefer baking the crab cakes. Baking is healthier than frying and easier also. Baked crab cakes have a nice and crispy golden brown exterior without the added calories. Baking also requires less cleaning and no grease splatter!
How Do You Keep The Crab Cakes From Falling Apart?
To prevent the cakes from falling apart, it’s important to refrigerate them for at least 30 minutes before cooking them.
🔎 What To Serve With Crab Cakes
You really don’t need to serve these with a crab cake sauce. This lump crab cake recipe is so flavorful that all you really need is a few lemon wedges for serving and you are good to go.
However, a sauce is always a nice addition! A simple lemon aioli is perfect for serving these tasty crabcakes. Tartar sauce and remoulade are also classic favorites!
As part of dinner, these Maryland crab cakes go well with roasted green beans, grilled corn, grilled asparagus, Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes or soft dinner rolls.
🔎 Can You Freeze Crab Cakes?
Yes, crab cakes can be frozen. Freeze unbaked crab cakes before brushing the seafood cakes with melted butter. They will keep in the freezer for 2-3 months. Thaw out in the refrigerator and brush with melted butter before baking.
Baked crab cakes can also be frozen. Cool the cakes completely and freeze in an airtight container for 2-3 months. Defrost and reheat in the oven until warm through.
Maryland Crab Cakes Recipe Tips
- You should not use imitation crab meat to make these crab cakes.
- You can make smaller crab cakes to serve as appetizers. For mini crab cakes, divide the crab cake mixture into 24 little patties (about 2 tablespoons of crab mixture per cake).
- You can also make 12 smaller cakes (about 1/4 cup of crab mixture each). Baking times will be shorter. You know your crab cakes are done when they are golden brown.
- According to the USDA, seafood is safe to eat when the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Gently form the mixture into cakes. Don’t compact the crab cakes too tightly to prevent dense cakes.
- You can pan-fry these tasty crab cakes, if you prefer.
Take A Look At Some Of Our Favorite Seafood Recipes
Maryland Crab Cakes with Lemon Aioli
Ingredients
For the Crab Cakes
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 1-2 scallions, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 pound fresh lump crab meat
- 2/3 cups saltine crackers, about 14 crackers
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
For serving:
- Lemon Aioli, recipe below
- Lemon wedges
- Tartar sauce or remoulade, optional
For the Lemon Aioli
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoons capers, optional
Instructions
To Make the Lemon Aioli
- Combine all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Cover and allow to sit on the fridge for at least 10 minutes before serving. This time will help the flavors meld together.
To Make the Crab Cakes
- Whisk together the egg, mayonnaise, parsley, scallions, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, Old Bay seasoning, lemon juice and salt in a large bowl.
- Add the crab meat and sprinkle with the cracker crumbs. Carefully fold together the mayonnaise mixture, crab meat and cracker crumbs with a rubber spatula. Be gentle and do not overmix to prevent the crab meat from breaking up.
- Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to up to 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Portion about ½ cup of crab meat mixture into 6 mounds on the baking sheet. With your hands or with the help of a spoon, compact each individual mound without flattening them. Be gentle. You are trying to make sure pieces of crab meat don’t stick out.
- Brush each cake with the melted butter.
- Bake for 12 -16 minutes or until lightly brown on the edges. Remove from the oven and serve with lemon aioli and lemon wedges.
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