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
Hello there I just made them I did substitute the eggs for milk they are amazing I will not change a thing next time I love the crab really stands out I lived in Maryland for some time and I miss their seafood there’s nothing like it thank you for sharing your crabcake recipe absolutely wonderful
Sally, Sally, Sally…..you did it again! I was a little worried since I can’t get as many ingredients here in London as when I lived in the U.S. but after reading all of the comments I really wanted to try these (thank you Amazon for getting Old Bay to me overnight). They were absolutely amazing…followed the instructions exactly and I cannot believe how big and fluffy they were. They all held their shape and were absolutely delicious. Paired them with some lamb chops and had a gourmet night in.
Thank you so much for another amazing recipe! I shared it with my mom who lives in Florida and she said ‘I didn’t know Sally made food, I thought she just baked’. I replied with ‘Sally does everything and it’s all delicious’
Cheers from London
EXCELLENT!!! I’m so glad I found this recipe. This is the first time I’ve made my own crab cakes. They were better than any I’ve tried before. I followed the recipe exactly and it was so easy to make. Thank you for putting this out there!
Hands down, the BEST crab cake recipe I have found. Brava! My mother is from Baltimore and is the ultimate critic and she loved them. I doubled up on the Old Bay and threw in a dash cayenne pepper on the second batch and let them sit in the fridge overnight. THANK YOU!!!!
I just made these Crab Cakes this morning: incredible and easy! Thanks for the recipe and hints; baking them with a bit of butter is genius!!! Made them gluten-free and they are my new favorite Crab Cakes. I let them rest in the fridge for about 4-hours and gave them a bit longer in the oven, maybe 16-minutes, to get them nice and browned and a bit crispy.
Thank you for this amazing recipe! We had always fried our crab cakes but not anymore. Excellent!!
THE best dinner I have ever made!!
Followed the recipe exactly! My husband loved it!!!
I’ve never made crab cakes before and was a little hesitant. I DEFINITELY will be making these again!!! Perfect recipe! So very easy and oh so delicious! I love that there is not much filler and the crab is the main event!! Thank you so much for posting this. I use many of your recipes!!
I made these for my daughter and I for Valentines. She’s 11 and has not had many crab cakes, but she is rather picky about the tastes and texture of the crab cakes – we LOVED these! Though my husband has a severe gluten allergy, he was okay with me to bringing in regular saltines in the house (usually we don’t bring any in the house) so long as I made the crab cakes and kept things contained – he doesn’t eat crab. These are so amazing! I’m excited that I made enough to have leftovers for today.
For next time though, I may try the gluten free crackers to see if that works for us too so we aren’t having to worry cross contamination or about getting into my husband cooking space (he’s the real cook in our house).
Wouldn’t change a thing. This is the real deal!
Anyone tries to air fry them ? If so what temp and how long ?
Hi Cynthia, We haven’t tested these crab cakes using an air fryer, but do know some readers have had success with it. If you do give it a try, we’d love to know how it goes!
I’ve made these 3 or 4 times and am making them again today for Valentine’s Day. My family loves them!
I added some red bell pepper and a little bit of green onion, and used breadcrumbs instead of crackers! And they were wonderful! I served them with a side salad with mixed green and arugula with a lemon vinaigrette I thru together! Will be making them again!
I love this and the baking idea. Holding crab cakes together through the second flip is a bit of a challenge. I was out of Saltines [thought I had some left], so substituted ground pork skin for the crumbs, which was amazing!
Threw them on my baking sheet with some thick asparagus drenched in butter olive oil mix and seasoned with a bit of black pepper and black garlic salt.
These are amazing! I switched out the crackers to almond flour crackers for complete gluten free and added peppers/green onion. They turn out every single time!
My daughter and I made these last night. Very yummy. We didn’t follow the recipe to the exact because I didn’t have parsley and used panko instead of saltines. They were still wonderful. Next time I’ll follow the exact recipe and see which I prefer .
I do like that the crab stands out and not the filler.
Made these on Valentines Day. Very easy and turned out perfect. Best crab cakes EVER…..
Made these on Valentines Day. Very easy and turned out perfect. Best crab cakes EVER…..
Hello! I am going to try this. I wanted to ask about a few substitutions, can I use Greek yogurt Instead of Mayo? I have saltines but they may be a little stale, are they still ok to use? I don’t live near the ocean, so canned crab meat or something will have to do, do you have any suggestions?
Hi Mallory, you may lose a little flavor, but you can definitely try Greek yogurt in place of the mayo. Use your best judgement on the saltines — if you have any doubt, we’d recommend picking up a new package for best results. Canned crab meat will work too, but we recommend the canned crab meat found in the refrigerated section of your grocery store or market. See section titled “Best Crab Meat for Crab Cakes” for more details. Hope you enjoy these!
If you used canned crab meat I recommend soaking in ice water 10 mins. Some people say it has a metallic taste (I personally did not) but soaking in ice water 10 minutes did the trick. Then drain in a fine strainer, good to go.
Restaurant quality crab cakes! Just made these again for the second time. What a great recipe! The first time I made them I used jumbo lump crab , per the recipe’s recommendation but the second time I used half claw meat and half lump crab, which was just as tasty. I will be making these again and again. Thank you!
I love crab cakes and these are the absolute best I have ever eaten. They came out perfect!
2nd time I made this recipe. Cutting back on Old Bay and Salt! Great raves from family members. This recipe is a keeper!
Can I fry these instead of baking?
Excellent recipe, brought back great memories of local crab cake recipes in Maryland. My family loved it! Definitely making again.
These were wonderful! My husband made them as part of an early Valentine’s Dinner for me and it was just perfect! He made exactly as the recipe stated and we both enjoyed them!
This was my first time making crab cakes. They were very good but mine were a little dryer than I like. Next time I might add a bit more mayo and omit the extra salt.
I made these for the 2nd time, following the recipe to a T. These are absolutely the best crab cakes ever. I use to buy mine pre-made at a quality Butcher Shop, not anymore!
I made these crab cakes for the first time 3 days ago. OMG!!!!! These crab cakes are are definitely restaurant quality!!! Wow! I’m thawing the frozen crab cake out in my refrigerator. I absolutely love these!!! Wow!! Thanks so much for sharing!
I concur with most of the reviews here. This is a very good if not a perfect crabcake recipe. I used crushed oyster crackers instead of saltines, and added finely chopped jalapeño and small red chili pepper to the mix. You can tweak the rest of the seasonings to your liking, I find a little extra shrimp boil or old bay seasoning is also good. As someone else mentioned I added a small dollop of melted butter on the sheet pan lined with nonstick aluminum foil, and buttered the top as well. I find baking at 475 for 15 minutes was a better temp. I also put under the broiler for another three or four minutes just to get a nice little crisp on top. Served with a light salad with homemade vinaigrette dressing and a dollop of remoulade sauce. It was fantastic!
The absolute best tasting crab cakes I’ve ever eaten.
These are fantastic! Better than my favorite restaurant.
These are fantastic! Better than my favorite restaurant.
Great recipe! Made this with “krab” aka surimi, rather than lump crab, and Panko rather than saltines. Very easy to make and bake.
Delicious!