How to Make Crab Cakes with Cajun Tartar Sauce

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There's something undeniably special about a great crab cakes recipe--golden, crispy-edged patties that manage to feel both effortless and elevated. My no-fuss version takes cues from classic Maryland crab cakes, where the sweet blue crab meat shines and the filler (buttery Ritz crackers) is minimal.

Whether you're looking for an elegant and easy recipe for a date night in, or you want to change up your Tuesday night dinner, these golden crab cakes will fit the bill.

Metal Ovenex Starburst pan filled with Phillips Crab Cakes and a bowl of Cajun Tartar Sauce with lemon wedges and fresh herbs sprinkled on top.

Growing up on the Lowcountry coast, I am no stranger to seafood. One of my favorite memories is crabbing off the dock at my grandparents' house on Isle of Hope with my cousins. We'd lower crabbing baskets with chicken necks tied on as the bait and wait for "a tickle" on the line indicating we had caught a crab.

If we caught enough, we'd steam the crabs and dip the meat in melted butter, we'd have my grandfathers' famous deviled crab, or someone would painstakingly pick the crab and turn it into crab cakes. Anyway it was served, I've always been a fan of crab--especially the sweet blue crabs I grew up catching.

My crab cake recipe is a simpler spin on those famous Phillips crab cakes, made with pantry staples, fresh herbs, and a pop of lemon zest for brightness. Nothing complicated here--just mix, shape, and pan-fry until golden.

Served with a zesty homemade Cajun tartar sauce, these crab cakes are weeknight-friendly but special enough for company. They also freeze beautifully, making them a smart make-ahead option any time you're craving a classic seafood dish.

Wooden tray topped with a light blue bowl of Cajun tartar sauce with hot sauce on top, a bottle of hot sauce on the side, as well as lemon wedges, parsley leaves, and a kitchen towel.

Along with the Creole tartar sauce, I like to serve my horseradish cocktail sauce on the side. A pile of crispy onion rings is also a welcome addition. If it's a date night dinner, my beet salad with watermelon is an elegant side to add to the menu as well as my garlic smashed potatoes.

I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. Let's get started on the best crab cakes recipe, shall we?

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Ingredients
Instructions
Substitutions
Variations
Equipment
Storage
Tasty Tip
Frequently asked questions
Related
Pairing
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Recipe Guidelines and Test Kitchen Tips
Food Safety

Ingredients

Before we get started, let's gather the ingredients we need for this recipe:

fresh crab meat
Ritz crackers
mayonnaise
fresh parsley
fresh dill
lemon zest
paprika
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
vegetable oil or canola oil
Cajun Tartar Sauce
lemon wedges

(See recipe card for quantities.)

Instructions

Now that we've got our ingredients, it's time to get cooking!

Stirring crab meat and crushed Ritz crackers together in a glass bowl with a blue spatula.

First, combine the crabmeat and cracker crumbs in a large bowl.

Stirring together fresh herbs, mayonnaise, lemon zest, and paprika in a glass bowl.

Then, stir together the mayonnaise, parsley, dill, lemon zest, and paprinka in a small bowl. Pour over the crabmet mixture.

Shaped crab cakes on a white enamel tray with a glass bowl of the crab cake mixture to the side.

Next, gently mix together and shape the crab mixture into 8 equal patties.

Cooking crab cakes in a cast iron skillet and removing to a white tray.

Finally, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Cook the crab cakes, in batches, 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove from the skillet and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with the tartar sauce and lemon wedges.

Hint: When mixing the crab cakes, be careful not to overwork the mixture. Over-mixing can cause them to become too dense and tough.

Hint #2: For the ultimate crispiness, cook the crab cakes in two batches. Overcrowding the pan will drop the temperature of the oil and essentially steam the crab cakes instead of cooking them to golden brown perfection.

Substitutions

Check out these easy ingredient substitutions in case you're out of something or have dietary restrictions:

Crabmeat - To save a little money, a use a combination of lump crabmeat and backfin crabmeat. Feel free to use all of one kind if you prefer. Or, if you want to go all out jumbo lump crab meat or crabmeat from Dungeness crabs will really make these special.
Ritz crackers - I love the buttery flavor of Ritz crackers. You can use any other cracker you'd like (saltine crackers are great too). Or, use panko bread crumbs or fresh breadcrumbs instead. If you use fresh breadcrumbs, go up to 1 ½ cups.
Fresh herbs - Dill and seafood go hand-in-hand, and parsley is such a universal herb too. If you only have dried herbs, that's okay, just go down to 1 tablespoon dried parsley and 2 teaspoons dried dill.
Herbs - Instead of dill and parsley, use another fresh herb. Tarragon and chives are great options.
Mayonnaise - As you may know, I'm a Duke's mayonnaise fan (so much so that I wrote The Duke's Mayonnaise Cookbook). Duke's doesn't have any sugar in it, so if you use another brand like Hellmann's mayonnaise, you may need to adjust the season. You can also use sour cream or plain yogurt instead of mayonnaise if you prefer
Seasoning - Instead of paprika, use seafood seasoning like Old Bay seasoning.

Variations

Here are even more ways to change up this recipe:

Spicy - Add a little heat to these crab cakes by stirring in a little cayenne pepper. A little goes a long way so start with ¼ teaspoon and increase by taste.
Smoky - Swap out smoked paprika for the regular paprika to give a smoky flavor.
Baked Crab Cakes - These bake beautifully in the oven. I like to preheat a baking pan in a 400°F oven. Then, I coat it with a little cooking spray before adding the crab cakes to the pan. Bake for 8 minutes or until the crab cakes are heated through.
Crab Cake Sliders - Instead of 8 large crab cakes, make 12 slider-sized crab cakes. Serve them on toasted slider buns with the tartar sauce spread on the cut sides.

Equipment

Here's the equipment you'll need to make this best crab cake recipe:

dry measuring cups
measuring spoons
chef's knife
microplane zester
large bowl
small bowl
metal spatula

Storage

Refrigerator: Store leftover crab cakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To keep them from getting soggy, place paper towels between layers to absorb any moisture.

Freezer: Once cooked, let the crab cakes cool completely, then wrap individually or arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Place in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw before warming in the oven.

Tasty Tip

While you can cook them right away, after shaping the crab cakes into patties, letting them chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes will help them hold their shape while browning.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use imitation crab meat for this recipe?

Technically, yes you can but I don't recommend it. Instead, if you can't get fresh crab, pasteurized crab is a great alternative.

Are crab cakes gluten-free?

These are not since they have Ritz crackers as the binder. You can make them gluten-free, however, by using gluten-free crackers.

Can I bake crab cakes instead of the pan fry method?

For sure! Bake them at 400°F for about 8 minutes. Broil them at the end to brown.

What dipping sauces pair best with crab cakes?

I love to serve these with my Cajun flavored tartar sauce but cocktail sauce is another great option.

How do I know when crab cakes are fully cooked?

They'll be golden brown on the outsides and the centers will be warm. It takes me about 3 to 4 minutes on each side over medium to medium-high heat.

My crab cakes fell apart while cooking. What did I do wrong?

It sounds like the mixture was a little on the wet side. Next time you may need to add a little more crushed crackers. Chilling them before cooking also helps them stay together.

Oops! What happens if the outside is burning before the inside is cooked?

You probably cooked them at too high of heat. Cook the crab cakes on medium or medium-low heat for gentle cooking. High heat can burn the crust while leaving the center undercooked.

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with these easy crabcakes:

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