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.
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.
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
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!
- First, combine the crabmeat and cracker crumbs in a large bowl.
- Then, stir together the mayonnaise, parsley, dill, lemon zest, and paprinka in a small bowl. Pour over the crabmet mixture.
- Next, gently mix together and shape the crab mixture into 8 equal patties.
- 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
Technically, yes you can but I don't recommend it. Instead, if you can't get fresh crab, pasteurized crab is a great alternative.
These are not since they have Ritz crackers as the binder. You can make them gluten-free, however, by using gluten-free crackers.
For sure! Bake them at 400°F for about 8 minutes. Broil them at the end to brown.
I love to serve these with my Cajun flavored tartar sauce but cocktail sauce is another great option.
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.
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.
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.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with these easy crabcakes:
🍽Get the recipe
How to Make Crab Cakes with Cajun Tartar Sauce
Equipment
- dry measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- chef's knife
- microplane zester
- large bowl
- small bowl
- metal spatula
Ingredients
- 1 pound crabmeat (lump crabmeat and/or backfin)
- 1 cup crushed Ritz crackers (25 crackers)
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Vegetable oil
- Homemade Cajun Tartar Sauce
- Lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Combine the crabmeat and crackers in a large bowl.
- Stir together the mayonnaise, parsley, dill, lemon zest, and paprika in a small bowl. Pour over the crabmeat mixture and mix gently to combine.
- Divide and shape the mixture into 8 equal patties. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, if desired.
- Pour enough oil in a large skillet to reach ½ inch up the sides. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat.
- Cook the crab cakes, in batches, 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove to a platter and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
- To serve, garnish the crab cakes with additional fresh herbs and serve with lemon wedges and tartar sauce.
Notes
- Handle the crab meat gently:
To keep the crab meat intact, be careful when mixing it with the other ingredients. Overworking the mixture can make the crab cakes dense. - Chill before cooking:
Once formed, chill the crab cakes in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This helps them firm up, making them easier to handle and less likely to fall apart in the pan. - Use gentle heat for frying:
Cooking over medium to medium-high heat ensures the crab cakes brown beautifully without burning before the inside cooks through. High heat can burn the crust, while low heat makes them dry and greasy. - Don’t overcrowd the pan:
Give each crab cake some space while frying to maintain that crisp exterior. If the pan is crowded, the temperature drops, causing sogginess. - Add fresh herbs:
Mixing in the fresh parsley and dill brightens the flavor and adds a lovely touch of color. Plus, it gives a fresh twist on the classic recipe without extra effort.
Recipe Guidelines and Test Kitchen Tips
When developing and testing recipes, here are some key things that I do for more success in the kitchen:
- Be sure to use dry measuring cups for things like flour, sugar, and mayonnaise and a liquid measuring cup for things like water, milk, and broth.
- When measuring dry ingredients like flour and powdered sugar that can pack down, spoon the ingredient into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife as opposed to scooping the measuring cup into the ingredient.
- I test and develop recipes using a standard electric oven and standard gas stovetop. Be aware that if you use an electric stovetop or convection oven, your bake times will be different.
- When recipes call for kosher salt, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
Food Safety
Don't forget to keep these food safety tips in mind when making this recipe:
- Cover and refrigerate any leftovers--don't let them hang out at room temperature for too long
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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