Maryland Style Lump Crab Cakes (Eggless Option)
These Maryland-style lump crab cakes are packed with crab and just enough crushed saltines to hold them together. A customer favorite at our meal assembly stores, they can be made with or without egg and baked or pan-fried.
Servings 6 Servings
Calories 252kcal
Ingredients
- 28 each Saltine crackers roughly crushed
- ⅓ cup Mayonnaise Egg-free
- 1 teaspoon Spicy brown mustard or Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup Onion finely diced
- ¼ cup Celery finely diced
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1 large egg (optional) Leave out for eggless version
- 16 ounces Lump crab meat Pat with paper towel to remove any excess moisture and remove shells and cartilage if necessary.
- ¼ cup Olive oil for pan frying
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients except for the crab meat and olive oil in a large bowl and mix just until combined.
- Gently fold in the crab meat, breaking up large pieces. You want the crab meat to show, so be sure to leave slightly chunky pieces in place. Don't handle the meat too much or the crab cakes will become mushy because the crab is too fine!
- Measure out ¼ cup of the crab mixture to yield 12 crab cakes on parchment paper. I find that anything bigger than ¼ cup is trickier to pan-fry.
- Compress the balls tightly into slightly mounded patties. Place the uncooked cakes in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour to congeal. At this point, they can also be frozen and stored in the freezer.
To Pan Fry
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add about 4-5 patties to the skillet at a time, being careful not to crowd them. Cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Carefully turning just once, since they will be fragile, whether you use an egg or not. Add additional olive oil to the skillet between batches, if necessary.
- Remove them to a plate lined with paper towels and let the excess oil drain off. They will continue to firm up while they rest.
To Bake in Oven
- Preheat the oven and a baking sheet to 375°F.
- Carefully spray the hot sheet pan with non-stick cooking spray when you lift it out of the oven. Add the crab cakes to the sheet pan and cook them for 35-40 minutes or until the crab cakes are golden brown, carefully flipping once about halfway through the baking process.
Notes
Notes on egg: For a traditional binder, add 1 large egg. A flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 2½-3 tablespoons water that gels for about 10 minutes) can also be added instead. However, thick eggless mayonnaise, gentle handling, and chilling the crab cakes before cooking help them hold together without egg.
Storage - Ideally, these crab cakes are enjoyed fresh. However, they freeze exceptionally well, which is one reason they were so popular at our meal assembly stores.
Refrigerator - Store cooked crab cakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven, an air fryer, or on the stovetop until warmed.
Freezer - Make the crab cakes and freeze them before cooking in the compressed shape. Freeze in a single layer in a freezer-safe container. 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. You may need to compress the patties again once they have defrosted.
Nutrition
Serving: 2crab cakes | Calories: 252kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 768mg | Potassium: 188mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 0.5g | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1mg
