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The BEST Maryland Style Lump Crab Cakes recipe made hundreds of times at our meal assembly store. These are quick, easy, eggless and can be baked or pan-fried. Best of all, you can freeze them and have one or two whenever you want!
We LOVE crab at our house. So, after a fun-filled, crab-leg cracking dinner last weekend, I decided it was high time that I posted one of my favorite seafood recipes.
The main reason this item has been off the dinner rotation for some time is that I hadn't figured out a way to make them so that my darling daughter, who is allergic to eggs and soy, could enjoy them too. You see, a little mayonnaise holds everything together in this recipe. Then, along came egg-free, soy-free mayonnaise, and now we are in business. 🙂 Another variation that is equally tasty: Easy Baked Crab Cakes made with Avocado.
It's a lot less work to enjoy crab in this tasty little cake. The caveat is the crab has to be the star of the show. There can't be more bread than crab...no, no, no. That is why these cakes are deserving of the title "Maryland-style" crab cakes. They boast the perfect combination of crab meat, breading, and seasoning.
Can you see the crab poking through? Nothing signals the start of summer (or a special occasion) like crab cakes. I love 'em over salad greens with red wine vinaigrette dressing.
Step by Step Photos
It all starts with a good can of pasteurized crab meat that you find in the refrigerated section (not the canned food aisle) of the grocery store. Select the best crab meat based on your budget. The different grades of crab meat are determined by where the meat is on the crab.
Prep all of your ingredients first. Crush about 28-30 saltine crackers in a plastic bag and finely dice some onion and celery. Whole wheat, low-salt, and gluten-free crackers all work great.
Add everything, except the crab meat, to a large bowl.
In will go: crushed saltines, onions, celery, mayonnaise, spicy brown mustard and Old Bay seasoning. Mix to combine and then gently fold in the crab meat. It is important not to over-handle the delicate crab meat.
Measure out ¼ cup of the crab mixture to yield 12 crab cakes. I love my #16 disher scoop for this job. You can make them smaller or even appetizer-sized. I find that anything bigger than ¼ cup is too tricky to pan-fry.
Compress the balls tightly into a slightly rounded patty. Don't flatten them. 🙂 It's helpful, but not absolutely necessary, to let cakes rest in the refrigerator for up to an hour to completely congeal.
You have two choices for cooking the crab cakes: pan fry or bake. I pan-fried the ones in these pictures because I like them a little crispy on the outside.
To pan-fry: Heat about ¼ cup of olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add about 4 patties to the pan at a time. Cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Carefully turning just once. They are very fragile. Remove them to a plate lined with paper towels and let them drain and rest for about 3 minutes.
Key Tips
If you are new to the crab-cake making business, I've got some advice for you based on years of making these at our meal assembly store:
Tip #1 You really must resist turning the crab cakes multiple times. Perhaps you will need to sacrifice one crab cake so you can peek under it and get an idea of timing, etc. But, that's it.
Tips #2 Don't be a crab cake smasher with your spatula, at least not on the first side. Keep the crab cake in it's slightly molded shape while cooking side one. Once you have successfully flipped it and it has cooked for about a minute more, you can gently press it down just a bit with the spatula. Your self-control will pay off, I promise.
Tip #3 Do let them drain and rest for a few minutes after they cook. It allows everything to firm up a bit more.
The other option is to bake them, which makes the whole process very easy due to the delicate nature of the cake. And, there is less fat involved. For this method, just bake on a baking tin coated with cooking spray in a 350 degree F oven for 35-45 minutes, flipping once about halfway through. We use this method for Salmon Cakes, which we even cooked in a muffin tin!
And now....enjoy! We like to mix up a little mayonnaise and mustard to serve on the side along with some fresh lemons.
Customize
If you want to:
Make it egg-free and/or lower in fat - Use the appropriate type of mayonnaise. Also, look for whole wheat or low-salt crackers. Also, see Easy Baked Crab Cakes made with Avocado.
Make it gluten-free: Use gluten-free crackers.
Make it an appetizer - Make tablespoon-sized crab balls (approximately 48 cakes.) It's easiest to bake this size for about 30 minutes in a 350 degree F oven, flipping once if desired.
Freeze it - Make the crab cakes and then freeze them in the compressed ball shape. Freeze in a tin that is covered and wrapped with plastic wrap. Or, freeze on a baking sheet and then transfer to a plastic bag. Use within 2 months of freezing for the best results. Defrost completely in the refrigerator and then cook according to the instructions.
Note that you may want to compress the patties again once they have defrosted.
And, yes...they do freeze nicely, so make a batch to have on hand for an impromptu treat or plan ahead for a special occasion. You'll find this recipe in our Special Occasion Dinners.
Would you like more easy, healthy, carb-conscious recipes?
📋 Recipe
Maryland Style Lump Crab Cakes
Ingredients
- 28 each Saltine Crackers crushed
- ⅓ cup Mayonnaise Egg-free
- 1 teaspoon Spicy Brown Mustard
- ¼ cup Onion diced
- ¼ cup Celery diced
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
- 16 ounces Crab Meat
- ¼ cup Olive oil
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients except for the crab meat and olive oil in a large bowl and mix just until combined.
- Add crab meat to bowl, breaking up extra large pieces.
- Fold the crab meat into the cracker mixture just until combined allowing some larger pieces of crab to remain.
- Scoop out ¼ cup portions of the mixture, tightly compress and form into a small, slightly rounded patties.
To Pan Fry
- Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium high heat.
- Add 4 crab cakes to the pan at a time (depending upon the pan size.) Cook crab cakes for about 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown, turning once. (If you turn the crab cakes several times, they will fall apart.)
- Remove cakes to a plate lined with paper towels to drain for 2-3 minutes. Crab cakes will also set during this time.
To Bake in Oven
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place crab cakes on a greased baking sheet.
- Bake uncovered for approximately 35-45 minutes or until the crab cakes are golden brown, flipping once half way through the baking process.
Newby
Can I bake these ahead of time and rewarm in the oven without drying them out?
Marjory Pilley
Yes they can be reheated in the oven. Warm them in a 325F oven for 10-15 minutes or until heated through.
Amanda
I have been making crab cakes for years. I tried this because I did not have any eggs. I’ll tell you what, I’m not going back. ThankYou.
Marjory Pilley
I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Jan
Hi - I'm anxious to try this recipe but the sodium level is sky high!
Would the level decrease if I used unsalted crackers? We are on a low sodium diet.
Is the crab meat full of salt?
I look forward to your response...thanks.
Marjory Pilley
Hi! Unsalted crackers will help a little bit. Unfortunately, crab meat is naturally high in sodium. I've never tried it and it would certainly taste a little different, but you could probably substitute a white fish for the crab. Cook the fish and use a fork to make flakes.
Anne
These are delicious . I like to use an avocado mayonnaise dipping sauce.
Marjory Pilley
Thanks for your review! The dipping sauce sounds amazing!
Jazzmyne Buckels
Just a heads up - this recipe is NOT eggless. It has mayo, which is a no no for people with an egg allergy.
Marjory Pilley
Hi! You need to use eggless mayonnaise which is readily available now in the grocery stores thankfully! I make these for my daughter who has an egg allergy! Another substitute is avocado.
Kim
Hi Marbury! I have a Marylander friend down here in Texas and he LOVED these! Anyone NOT reading carefully needs to hush! I'm severely allergic to eggs but LOOOOOVE crab and was craving it during my pregnancy. Vegannaise with avocado oil worked PERFECTLY! Thanks from one very pregnant and very satisfied Momma! (Oh and even my picky 4 year old loved them! ;P )
Marjory Pilley
I'm so glad you found them! They also make an amazing filling or topping such as for crab stuffed fish!
Rita
Can I use regular mayonnaise, and if so, does the amount of mayonnaise stay the same? Thank you
Marjory Pilley
Yes! Any type of mayonnaise will work in the same amount! The thicker the mayonnaise the better...and, since regular mayonnaise is generally denser than substitutions it works great.
Camille Paglia
We made these on Christmas Eve. My younger son loves seafood but is seriously allergic to eggs. These crab cakes were a hit with everyone, and quite frankly, the best crab cakes we've ever had. Vegan mayo was easy to find in the supermarket, and we used it as an egg substitute in the stuffing for our Christmas Day capon too. Thank you!
Marjory Pilley
Awesome! I'm so glad you enjoyed them!
Sharyce Smith
I adore this recipe. My crab cakes were a hit with the husband and I! I did change a few things up. I used a Chipotle aioli mayo and a smoky New Orleans seafood seasoning. I didn't use celery or onions (I just moved and had to throw some veggies away that sat out overnight.) I used yum yum sauce(japanese hibachi sauce) and low sodium ritz-esque crackers. It was delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
Marjory
Thanks so much for your comment. Love the twists that you made. They sound delicious!
Angelica Mercado
I have never made crab cakes until today. And wished the olive oil was specified for cooking rather mix all the ingredients. My crab cakes were soggy and crumbled.
Marjory
I'm so sorry that they did not work out! We tried to carefully specify...combine all of the ingredients except for the crab meat and olive oil.
Sharon
I would argue it is not eggless if there is mayonnaise.
Marjory
Good point! There are brands of eggless mayonnaise. However, check out this version which uses avocado instead of mayonnaise. https://www.dinner-mom.com/easy-baked-crab-cakes-avocado-recipe/
Aileen
How much old bay seasoning do you use? Up top you said you added it, but it's not in the recipe below.
Marjory
Hi! 1 teaspoon and thank you so much for your note!
Elaine
Crab cakes are the best! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe - I need to make these very soon, Marjory! 😉
Marjory
Your welcome! Now I'm craving them too! 🙂
Maggie
So easy and so delicious. The taste was perfect. I like having a little crust on the crab cake so this recipe filled the role. This is a keeper. I plan on making these as sliders for football parties.
Brenda
I will try this today. Having lived in Maryland I expect that they will be great based on previous reviews.
Marjory
I hope you enjoy it!
An Than-Trong
Could you clarify whether the olive oil is added to the crab cake mixture, or if the 1/4 cup is used for pan frying? Thanks!
Marjory
Hi! The olive oil is used for frying the crab cakes!
Peter
OK...but you should clarify that before you wrote, "...Combine all of the ingredients except for the crab meat in a large bowl and mix just until combined..." Unfortunately, I did not read all the comments until after cooking them, so the crab cakes are a bit soft/soggy.
Judy
I grew up on the shore of the Chesapeake Bay in Dares Beach,MD. my father would go out to the crabbing boats for our crabs. I would never use pasturised crab meat. I only use a fourth of a cup of mayo for a pound of lump crab and only a small about of bread crumbs in the crab mixture. After forming the cakes I put them in the refrigerator to firm up. Then I fry them in butter and oil.
Marjory
It's always nice to hear from someone with Maryland roots. Thanks for the tips!