These Maryland crab cakes get the stamp of approval from locals and out-of-towners alike. This classic lump crab cake recipe combines the flavors of lemon, parsley, and Old Bay seasoning, but the most flavor comes from the crab meat itself. For the best texture, use lump crab meat, very little filler, and bake the cakes in a very hot oven.
I’ve lived in Maryland for over half my life and say with 100% honesty that crab cakes are as essential as the air this state breathes. My husband was born and raised here and has crab-feasting down to a science. Crab isn’t just food, it’s a way of life here. I’ve served these particular crab cakes to locals and out-of-towners alike, all of whom rave about the recipe. I’m really proud of it and am so excited to share these Maryland crab cakes with you!
One reader, Lois, commented: “I am 65 years old and from southern Maryland. I have finally found the BEST crab cake recipe ever! I have tried many over the years, but this is the one! My husband and I have these for dinner twice a month. I don’t like ordering crab cakes out at restaurants anymore, because I know I can make these at home, and they always taste amazing… ★★★★★”
Another reader, Annie, commented: “Oh my! I live in Ohio and I’ve never had the opportunity to get a real Maryland crab cake. I decided to make this recipe and I’m telling you, it is the best crab cake I’ve ever had. I love crab cakes but living in the Midwest, I rarely find a crab cake that’s worth eating at a restaurant. So glad I found your recipe. ★★★★★”
I’ve also published solid recipes for Maryland crab soup as well as crab dip!
Overview: How to Make Maryland Crab Cakes
Crab cakes make a wonderful main dish or even as a sandwich on a toasted bun. If shaped smaller, mini crab cakes are a fabulous finger food. With this recipe, you can be confident that you ALWAYS have a quick dinner recipe in your back pocket, as well as an impressive crowd-pleasing appetizer. They make great leftovers, too.
The full written recipe is below, but here’s an overview.
- Whisk the flavors and binders together.
- Add the crab meat & filler.
- Very gently mix together: Fold the ingredients together slowly and carefully. If over-mixed, the lump crab meat will break apart.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes: This is a key step in the recipe. Make sure the crab cake mixture is cold before you shape it into individual cakes. There is little filler in this recipe, so the cakes will fall apart if the mixture is not refrigerated before cooking.
- Grease baking pan & preheat oven. The oven gets pretty hot, so I don’t recommend using parchment paper. Grease the pan or use a silicone baking mat.
- Portion into cakes: Use a 1/2 cup measuring cup to scoop and portion out the mixture. Form into individual cakes. Place on the greased baking sheet.
- Bake: Bake the cakes on very high heat for about 12–14 minutes.
Baking vs. Sautéing: Some cook crab cakes on the stove, but I prefer the baking method. When cooked on the stove, crab cakes are often flattened into patties so the center cooks. For thick jumbo-style crab cakes, I recommend baking them in the oven at a high temperature. They cook very quickly and remain extra plump.
Types of Crab Meat
- Jumbo Lump: Jumbo lump crab meat is off-white and comes from the crab’s swimmer fin muscles. Crabs only have 2 of these muscles, so you need a lot of crabs to make a serving of jumbo lump crab meat. This is why it’s the most expensive type. It’s very sturdy and is wonderful served alone or as a topping for dishes or salads.
- Lump: Lump crab meat is also off-white, but a bit smaller than jumbo lump. It’s still very sturdy and flavorful. It comes from the body of a crab and is ideal for chunky crab cakes.
- Backfin: Backfin crab meat, also known as flake crab meat, is off-white too. It also comes from the body of a crab. The term “backfin” can also include the broken pieces of lump crab meat. It’s flakier than big lumps of crab meat.
- Claw: Claw meat is darker than the other types of crab meat. It’s not as sweet, but it has a stronger flavor. Claw meat is the least expensive and is ideal for soups, dips, and stews.
Best Crab Meat for Crab Cakes
The Chesapeake Bay is home to Maryland’s famous blue crabs. Opinions vary on what the best-tasting crab variety is, and it’s usually determined by where you live. Maryland crabs are known for their delicately sweet, buttery flavor, and Dungeness crabs, found on the West Coast, are known for their impressive size and meatier texture. If you aren’t steaming your own crabs for crab meat, let me help you navigate which crab meat is best for crab cakes.
Whichever crab variety you use, make sure you purchase crab meat labeled “hand-picked” or “fresh-picked,” which means that the crab meat has been picked through for shells and cartilage. (Still, it’s good practice to gently run your hands through the meat for any hard cartilage remnants.)
Crab meat sold out of the shell has been cooked and can be consumed. It’s very rare to find raw crab meat sold out of the shell—it’s almost always cooked before it’s picked out of the shell. At the market, you can find canned, frozen, or fresh (refrigerated) crab meat. Unrefrigerated canned crab meat doesn’t have an ideal flavor for crab cakes. If you need to use canned, look for canned crab meat in the refrigerated section of your market. The fresher the crab meat, the better the crab cake will taste. Ask your grocer where to find the freshest crab meat in the store. I purchase fresh crab meat sold in a 1-pound tub from the seafood counter in my grocery store. Sometimes the tubs are behind the glass or found on ice next to the seafood counter.
For the absolute best crab cake (and crab dip!), I recommend using lump crab meat or a mix of lump crab meat and backfin meat. Lump crab meat guarantees those big, mouthwatering bites of crab. Don’t worry, all the other ingredients are pretty inexpensive.
Ingredients in Maryland Crab Cakes
Let’s walk through each ingredient so you understand its importance. While there are a few flavorful and binding ingredients, the real star of this crab cake is the crab itself. These flavors and binders simply enhance the true taste of crab.
- Egg: Egg is the main binding ingredient in crab cakes.
- Mayonnaise: Mayonnaise is another binding ingredient. I don’t like mayonnaise and I LOVE these crab cakes, so if you aren’t a mayo person, don’t worry. You can’t taste it.
- Fresh Parsley: Fresh herbs are a MUST in crab cakes. Sometimes recipes or restaurants use dill, but fresh parsley is most common. If needed, you can use dried parsley.
- Dijon Mustard: Dijon mustard is another must-have ingredient in crab cakes. I don’t recommend any other type of mustard—just dijon.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Just a small amount provides big flavor, just as it does in chicken meatballs, black bean burgers, and beer cheese dip.
- Old Bay Seasoning: What is Maryland crab without locally made Old Bay seasoning???
- Lemon Juice & Salt: Fresh, balancing flavors.
- Crab Meat: The leading role in the whole recipe.
- Cracker Crumbs: Drumroll please… the filler in this crab cake recipe is cracker crumbs. There is so much debate on what the best filler is and, trust me, some of the best crab cakes are made with CRACKERS! See more below.
Since we’re baking the crab cakes and not sautéing them in butter or oil, brush the cakes with a little melted butter prior to baking. This tiny addition gives them that unmistakeable restaurant flavor. When they come out of the oven, squeeze a little lemon juice on top!
Crab Cake Filler
While we have binding ingredients like mayonnaise and egg, crab cakes need a filler so they remain intact when cooked. And this is where people are very opinionated: what is the best filler? I’ve tested many and have even asked popular restaurants to spill the beans—most are very secretive about the crab cake ingredients they use! My #1 crab cake filler choice is cracker crumbs—specifically, saltine cracker crumbs. Bread crumbs are flavorless and too crunchy. Go for the saltines! To make the crumbs, you can place the crackers in a zipped-top bag and crush the heck out of them with a rolling pin, or you can use a little ninja, a big food processor, or even a blender.
What to Serve With Crab Cakes
Keep it simple and serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon. These Maryland crab cakes are so juicy and flavorful that they don’t need tartar sauce or cocktail sauce, but both are popular finishing touches. (I love a touch of cocktail sauce with mine.) If you’re making crab cakes for a big family meal or on your menu of Memorial Day recipes, here’s what I recommend serving with your crab cake dinner:
- Cornbread and/or corn on the cob
- Caesar salad
- Baked potatoes or roasted potatoes
- Zucchini casserole
- Steamed vegetables
- Dinner rolls
- Coleslaw
- Asiago-crusted skillet bread
- Homemade garlic bread
For even more inspiration here are 15+ summer dinner ideas! And don’t forget the chocolate chip cookies or vanilla cupcakes for dessert!
Print
Crab Cakes Recipe (Little Filler)
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 6 large crab cakes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
For the best texture, use lump crab meat, little filler, and bake the cakes in a very hot oven. Serve with lemon wedges, a garnish of chopped parsley, and/or cocktail sauce or tartar sauce. For more success tips and to learn which crab meat to use, see blog post above.
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup (60g) mayonnaise
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (or 2 teaspoons dried)
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning (up to 1 and 1/2 teaspoons for a spicier kick)
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, plus more for serving
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 pound (454g) fresh lump crab meat*
- 2/3 cup (41g) saltine cracker crumbs (about 17–18 2-inch crackers)
- optional: 2 Tablespoons (30g) melted salted or unsalted butter
Instructions
- Whisk the egg, mayonnaise, parsley, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay, lemon juice, and salt together in a large bowl. Place the crab meat on top, followed by the cracker crumbs. With a silicone spatula or large spoon, very gently and carefully fold together. You don’t want to break up that crab meat.
- Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day.
- Preheat oven to 450°F (232°C). Generously grease a rimmed baking sheet with butter or nonstick spray, or line with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Using a 1/2 cup measuring cup, portion the crab cake mixture into 6 mounds on the baking sheet. (Don’t flatten!) Use your hands or a spoon to compact each individual mound so there aren’t any lumps sticking out or falling apart. For extra flavor, brush each top with melted butter. This is optional but recommended!
- Bake for 12–14 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges and on top. Drizzle each with fresh lemon juice and serve warm.
- Cover leftover crab cakes tightly and refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: You can freeze the portioned unbaked crab cakes for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, brush with melted butter, then bake as directed. You can also freeze the baked and cooled crab cakes for up to 3 months. Thaw, then warm up in a 350°F (177°C) oven for 10–15 minutes or until warmed throughout. Or bake the frozen crab cakes at 350°F (177°C) for about 25–30 minutes.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Silicone Spatula | Baking Sheet | Silicone Baking Mat | Pastry Brush
- Which Crab Meat to Use: For any questions regarding which crab meat to use, see Best Crab Meat for Crab Cakes in the blog post above. I highly recommend fresh (refrigerated) lump crab meat.
- Smaller Sizes: For smaller crab cakes, divide the mixture into 12 1/4-cup portions. For mini crab cakes, divide into 24 2-Tablespoon-size portions. Bake at the same oven temperature. The bake time is shorter for these smaller sizes. The crab cakes are done when the tops and edges are lightly browned.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I have made and eaten a lot of crab meat and made salmon burgers and fish cakes but have never made, or eaten, Crab Cakes! [I don’t know why, because I totally love everything from the sea!] This blog had my mouth watering the entire time! I will be trying this recipe as soon as I possibly can! I have everything on hand except the crab meat. My Mom, who was an exceptional cook would have, given this a thumbs up as well! She always said…”You can’t ruin anything with butter!” Brushing with melted butter at the end pushed me right over the top!
Thank you!
Marianne,
Ontario Canada.
My first time making and eating Crab Cakes…Absolutely Wonderful! My Lady Sure Loved them Too! Yum!
This is by far the best recipe I have found for crab cakes. So easy and delicious.
I wanted a deep fried crab cake. So I used this recipe. Once done, rolled them lightly in some House of Autry seafood mix.
They were still delicious!
I baked most of them though!!! Definitely book marking this recipe!!!
I love this recipe. My go to recipes for crab cakes. I will never buy them in a restaurant again.. Perfection!!
Awesome! Great flavor truly minimal filler! Lightly folding in LUMP crab meat, refrigerating prior to cooking and brushed with butter was key! Cooked at 450 for 15 minutes came out beautifully looked, tasted like high end restaurant!!
I’m going to try this recipe and notice that in the instructions it doesn’t say to flip the cakes so the other side is done … can anyone help me? I’ve never made crab cakes before – should they be turned half way during the baking time?
No need to flip!
OMG! Delicious, I had it on my thanksgiving table with my lollipop lamb chops, just the two of us. I didn’t use crackers or bread as the filler. Mixed everything excluded the crackers/bread and placed in the refrigerator over night, perfect the next day. Saved this recipe in my file as my go-to for crab cakes. Good Bye going to restaurant for good crab cakes, made it myself!!!
What a special treat. It was just my husband and myself this Thanksgiving so I wanted to make something different and Special. I had made crab cakes once before and had them in restaurants. Found them disappointing. Undeterred, I saw this recipe and decided to try. This was an easy recipe where the ingredients compliment each other rather than overpower. I only added a few ingredients, but the recipe stands alone very nicely. A true treasure for future dining with our family and friends. Bon Appetit!
This is the best recipe I’ve found for crab cakes. Period. Well-balanced flavor and texture. I used Schar GF table crackers + extra sea salt since Schar crackers are not salted. And I used parchment paper.
I usually try a new recipe posted online and am hugely disappointed. Luckily this one was an amazing find and everyone that had them agreed. I made them sauteed in butter the first time because I didn’t have access to an oven. They were delicious, and I loved the golden, buttery, crispy crust. My dad preferred them baked. Served them with an aoili and lemon wedges. Thanks for an excellent recipe, kitchen perfected recipe – especially with a pricey ingredient.
I made these for Thanksgiving ( I trippled the recipe) and while they were decent, I will lessen both the crackers and mayonnaise next time as it was too much. Note, I didn’t even include the recipes about 2/3 (14 crackers) as that’s way too much filler for this maryland native. If I use this recipe again, I’ll tweak it.
I have made a lot of crab cake recipes but this is absolutely the best one! I followed the recipe exactly and they turned out perfect! Weren’t dry and nice moisture and the crabmeat taste was awesome. I really like the idea of saltine crackers better than bread crumbs, they gave such a nice flavor and just the right amount of extra salt. I will be keeping this recipe as my go to crabcakes! I sprayed my cookie sheet with Pam which worked perfect.
This looks amazing! Will it still work out well if I substitute plain Greek yogurt for the mayonnaise?
Thanks Angie! You’ll lose some flavor, but you could try Greek yogurt instead.
These were good, just a bit blah for some reason. We will make again and add some onion and green pepper and a bit more salt. I think we will also bake them about 5 min longer for a crispier top. We did enjoy them tho and the changes are for our personal tastes. Will share this recipe!
I made these today. Didn’t add salt and used bread crumbs instead. This will be my go to recipe from now on. Now to try the crab dip.
Thank you so much for sharing this INCREDIBLE recipe!! Making for second time in 4 days tonight.
I have been trying for YEARS to make a decent crab cake. I finally found the recipe! You have no idea how happy I am. I absolutely LOVE these crab cakes. Thank you so much! They are delicious. I’ve now made them twice within one week!
Using your half cup measuring cups to portion as you suggested, how many crabcakes does this recipe make?
Hi Trisa, this recipe makes 6 large crab cakes if using a 1/2 cup measuring cup to portion each.
So very delicious. Thank you for the recipe. I made them into crab cake bites. I piled crab into 24 mini muffin tins. Baked 12 minutes til it started to brown.
We are born and bred Marylanders, this recipe was wonderful. I have always used Ritz cracker in my crab cakes for a little more flavor than saltines.
I loved this recipe. For me personally it was too salty… I wouldn’t add salt. Also, I cut the filler (saltines) in half and also the mayonnaise in half. I put them the cakes under the broiler for the last 2 minutes. They came out perfectly!
Superb! A real treat.
This has become a regular staple in our house. Such a great recipe and easy too! Two modifications we made.. extra egg and use Ritz… definitely help with being a little dry.
Love these. Make em all the time now. I use Italian Bread crumbs just bc I have it. Have found that if I do a scant 1/2 cup it makes 7, if I round them it makes 6.
First time baking crab cakes. Outstanding!!! Thanks Sally.
Just made this recipe and it was awesome! Absolutely delicious!!! Thank you for sharing! This will be part of my future menus!!!
Absolutely fabulous!
I’m on a no fat, sugar, carbs plan for a couple of weeks so I’m trying this with no mayo and no filler. Wish me luck!
Best and most user friendly crab cake recipe I’ve ever tried! Making again tonight and will continue to use this one from here on out. Thx!
I was born and raised in MD and this is a phenomenal recipe… Simple yet tasty. My only substitution (which I recommend) was Ritz crackers instead of saltines. I’ve made this a half dozen times for family and friends and receive accolades every time.
Simply delicious! This recipe was spot on for me and my family. Thank you Sally for sharing your experience and passion with the rest of us.