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    Home » Recipes » Recipes

    June 21, 2021

    The Best Homemade Crab Cakes

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    The Best Homemade Crab Cakes are made with fresh crab meat, all natural ingredients, and are more crab than filler. Simply delicious!

    Crab cakes for me absolutely have to have certain components. First, and most importantly, they have to contain real crab meat. Second, as little filler as possible, just enough to make the crab flavorful and for the cakes to stick together. Add some fresh herbs, mustard and seasonings, and you have the perfect crab cakes for any special occasion!

    two crab cakes on a plate with a fork cutting in to one crab cake

    Crab Cake Ingredients:

    • fresh, real crab meat. Refrigerated or freshly picked lump crab is preferred, otherwise canned is fine. 
    • 2 eggs
    • Worcestershire sauce
    • mayonnaise
    • lemon juice 
    • Dijon mustard
    • melted butter
    • fresh parsley
    • fresh dill
    • Italian bread crumbs
    • seafood seasoning such as Old Bay
    • black pepper
    • salt to taste
    • vegetable oil, for frying

    photo of ingredients on a countertop

     How to make homemade crab cakes:

    Pick through crab meat for shells, and crumble coarsely. Combine the eggs, breadcrumbs, mayo, mustard, herbs, seasonings, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and butter and stir well.

    eggs seasonings and breadcrumbs in a clear glass bowleggs seasonings and breadcrumbs mixed together in a bowl

     
    Fold in the crab meat and mix until well combined. Shape into patties about 3 inches around and ½ inch thick.
     
    crab meat in the bowl with the breadcrumb mixture
    crab mixture shaped into patties on a parchment lined baking sheet
     
    Heat oil (about ½ inch deep) in a large frying pan over medium heat and add the shaped crab patties, working in batches if needed. Fry for 3-4 minutes and turn. Cook for 3-4 minutes more, or until crab cakes are golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper toweling or a wire rack before serving.
     
    Crab cakes frying in an aluminium frying pan

     

    How to serve:

    My husband likes them with cocktail sauce, but I like them plain so you can taste the full flavor of the crab meat and seasonings. They good well with many side dishes such as 

    Sriracha Cole Slaw (pictures with the crab cakes)

    Creamy Cucumber Salad

    Or, serve as an appetizer instead Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Shrimp. 

    How to reheat leftovers:

    Any leftover crab cakes should be stored in a covered container and refrigerated for up to three days. To reheat, you can spray a pan with cooking spray and heat over medium heat until hot, or heat them in the oven at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes. 

    If you like this recipe, please pin it or share it on your favorite social media platform! 

    crab cakes stacked in a shallow white bowl with text on the image with the recipe name

     

    This recipe is featured in Darn Good Eats, The Cookbook for Creative Chef and Reluctant Cooks by the lovely Jodi Ambrose!

    Print Recipe
    5 from 4 votes

    The Best Homemade Crab Cakes

    These crab cakes are made with fresh crab meat, all natural ingredients, and are more crab than filler. Simply delicious!
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time8 mins
    Total Time18 mins
    Course: MAIN COURSES/ENTRÉES
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: crab cakes recipe, homemade crab cakes, recipes with real crab meat
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 264kcal
    Author: Bernadette

    Ingredients

    • 16 ounces refrigerated crab meat or fresh or canned
    • 2 eggs
    • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
    • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
    • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
    • 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
    • 3 teaspoons melted butter
    • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
    • pinch of fresh dill
    • ½ cup Italian bread crumbs
    • seafood seasoning such as Old Bay, to taste
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • salt to taste
    • vegetable oil

    Instructions

    • Pick through crab meat for shells, and crumble coarsely.
    • Combine all ingredients except the crab meat and stir well. Fold in the crab meat and mix until well combined.
    • Shape into patties about 3 inches around and ½ inch thick. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and add crab patties, working in batches if needed. Fry for 3-4 minutes and turn. Cook for 3-4 minutes more, or until crab cakes are golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper toweling before serving.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 264kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 140mg | Sodium: 1322mg | Potassium: 320mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 270IU | Vitamin C: 9.2mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 2mg

     

     

    « Creamy Cucumber Salad
    Patriotic Cheesecake Parfaits »
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Shivakumar S says

      June 03, 2022 at 7:20 am

      We tried the CRAB CAKES for the first time last night and the food was great and very tasty.

      Reply
    2. Bryson Fico says

      August 23, 2021 at 8:21 am

      5 stars
      Excellent crab cake recipe. I love how the Dijon mustard enhances the overall flavor.

      Reply
    3. Becca from ItsYummi! says

      April 06, 2014 at 10:52 am

      I do believe a batch of these is in my foreseeable future! 😀 YUM!

      Reply
      • Bernadette says

        April 06, 2014 at 5:51 pm

        I LOVE these crab cakes! I haven't made them in awhile, I need to soon!

        Reply
    4. Tonette Joyce says

      March 21, 2014 at 12:15 pm

      5 stars
      Lovely! And so wonderful, they remind me of friends of mine.The woman was a Catholic, but the husband was not.Their kids were gone and she had been ill, so her husband took her out to eat on Friday during Lent. When she came back from the restroom, she found that he had ordered a lobster for her; it was NOT her idea of 'abstinence'!
      I can relate to you.My husband works 3-11.It's hard on me when the grandkids are here , especially when they have school.I will stay up some with my husband, but I then have to get up at 6 with the kids.

      Reply
      • Bernadette says

        March 21, 2014 at 12:38 pm

        We are the opposite, my husband is Catholic and I'm not. I try to stick to the no meat on Friday's during Lent for myself, and always make a meatless dinner.

        Reply
    5. Lynn says

      February 17, 2014 at 10:36 pm

      How many will the recipe make? There are 5 of us....

      Reply
      • Bernadette says

        February 17, 2014 at 11:05 pm

        Hi Lynn, to be honest I never counted but I'm thinking this would make 8 crab cakes if you go by my measurements for size. You could make them smaller of course, and serve them with sides like a salad or mashed potatoes.

        Reply
    6. Robert Edwards says

      February 16, 2014 at 1:11 pm

      I love this recipe, and this blog is now my new favorite. My wife thanks you.

      Reply
      • Bernadette says

        February 16, 2014 at 1:32 pm

        Thank you, and your welcome to your wife 🙂

        Reply
    7. Betsy @ Desserts Required says

      January 06, 2014 at 9:34 pm

      LOVE these crabcakes and LOVE even more the idea of making mini ones for the Super Bowl!! Hope the baby is still rocking the late morning wake up calls!

      Reply
      • Bernadette says

        January 06, 2014 at 9:39 pm

        Thank you, and she is! She's 4 1/2 now and definitely a night person like me 🙂

        Reply
    8. Dorothy Prine says

      June 22, 2013 at 7:29 pm

      Hi,I'm Dorothy, I am a night owl too,always have been, love your recipes, especially the crab cakes thanks Dorothy

      Reply
      • Bernadette says

        June 22, 2013 at 7:47 pm

        Nice to "met" you Dorothy! Thank you so much <3

        Reply
    9. Liz Patch says

      June 22, 2013 at 5:51 pm

      How many crab cakes does this recipe make? FYI, I've made crab cakes using canned Dungeness Crab and they were delicious. A little pricey, but delicious. I had to buy several cans which came to about $23.00. Cheaper than eating out though. Anxious to try this recipe. 🙂

      Reply
      • Bernadette says

        June 22, 2013 at 6:00 pm

        I'm sorry but I never counted how many. I can figure out an estimate a little later for you 🙂

        Reply
    10. Author Jodi Ambrose says

      December 01, 2012 at 12:10 am

      Hey there doll! Those crab cakes are DELICIOUS!!!! Yummy yum yum!!! Hey, it's possible that I'm just dim witted, but I clicked on the link to vote for you but didn't see how to vote. Am I just dumb? I wanna make sure to vote my butt off for ya--help? XO

      Reply
      • rantsfrommycrazykitchen says

        December 01, 2012 at 12:59 am

        That's an old contest I was in. I should probably change this post so it doesn't say that part..,,,

        Reply
        • Author Jodi Ambrose says

          December 01, 2012 at 1:06 am

          I was all excited to vote for you. Dangit! Well, when they vote you as awesome next year, let me know and I'll be a voting mama! 🙂

    11. Marlys @Thisand That says

      August 04, 2012 at 5:52 am

      This look wonderful.. and I am a night person... although work through the whole night 7p-7a. At work right now. Thanks for sharing on Foodie Friends Friday. Remember to come back on Sunday to vote.
      http://marlys-thisandthat.blogspot.com/

      Reply
    12. jen says

      May 23, 2012 at 3:41 pm

      I do like crab meat but after being spoiled from living in Maryland for 5 years i will NOT buy crab meat here in texas.

      Reply
    13. gd dg says

      May 22, 2012 at 9:44 pm

      They look awesome!

      Reply

    Trackbacks

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