This authentic Maryland crab cake recipe is absolutely PACKED with crab meat! It’s made with very little filler so the crab flavor shines. Recipe includes a how-to video!
The Actual Best Crab Cake Recipe (From a Maryland Native)
Here in Maryland, crab cakes are a culinary staple. You’ll find them at just about every local restaurant or steakhouse, and of course, some are better than others. The worst ones are full of filler, fried, and dry. The best ones? They are loaded with crab meat, baked or broiled to perfection, and perfectly light and moist. This is exactly how I designed my own crab cake recipe!
Maryland Blue Crab is the star of this recipe (as it is in my Maryland crab soup). We’ll accent it with just a squeeze of lemon, Old Bay (of course!), and a bit of parsley. Keeping the ingredients simple is key here–there’s no need for a ton of flavorings when the crab tastes this good.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Very little filler! My crab cake recipe is made with mostly meat to allow the crab flavor to really shine! All of the additions support and add flavor to the meat, rather than overwhelm it.
- Authentic, Maryland-style recipe. We are known for our blue crab dishes (and our peach cake!) here in Maryland. As a native Marylander, I’m so proud of this recipe!
- Baked, not fried. This keeps the crab cakes lighter and more moist.
- Can be prepped in advance and baked later, if you prefer to make them one day and bake the next.
Ingredients
Besides the crab, my crab cake recipe uses just 10 additional ingredients. The crab is absolutely the star though!
- Lump crab meat. Jumbo lump blue crab meat is my preference for crab cakes, though you can also use lump or backfin crab meat if you absolutely cannot find jumbo lump. I talk more about this in the FAQ section below.
- Old Bay. You simply cannot make Maryland crab cakes without Old Bay! This seasoning is a staple in my cream of crab soup and just about every other Maryland crab recipe. It can be found on Amazon if you don’t have it in your local grocery store (I linked to it in the recipe card)
- Parsley. Fresh or dried will work. I include measurements for both, since fresh parsley is actually less potent than the dried version.
- Mustard. Today we’re using prepared yellow mustard. Just a teaspoon! Dijon mustard would also work.
- Filler. This helps to bind the crab cake together. I recommend plain panko or crushed saltines, though I find panko is a bit crispier. You could use breadcrumbs (I’ve even used my own breadcrumbs from sourdough bread), but I prefer the moister results that I get when using panko or saltines.
SAM’S TIP: Make sure to pick through your crab meat before using for any bits of shell.
This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe and video please scroll down to the bottom of the post.
How to Make Maryland Crab Cakes
- Whisk together all ingredients except the crab, panko, and butter.
- Gently fold in the crab meat and panko bread crumbs. Be careful not to break up the crab lumps, since we want those to remain intact!
- Scoop the crab mixture into a ⅓ cup measuring cup or scoop, then place on a buttered baking sheet. Do NOT flatten, we want them to be mounds.
- Dot the top of each crab cake with butter. You could do this after refrigerating, especially since the plastic wrap obnoxiously likes to stick to the butter, but every time I tell myself I’ll remember to add the butter later I always forget, so I do this step before refrigerating!
- Cover your crab cakes with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill. This allows the flavor to develop and the filler to do its job of helping to bind everything together.
- Bake until cooked through (remove the plastic wrap first, of course!), broiling at the end if desired for a lightly crisp exterior and golden color.
SAM’S TIP: Don’t over-bake! Over-baked crab cakes are dry and fall apart too easily. Once they are warmed through and have a golden brown exterior (the broiler helps with this part!), your crab cakes are ready to come out of the oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
I don’t recommend it. If you follow my recipe, then your crab cakes should be very tender and almost falling apart. This is because they have very little filler and mostly meat.
If you’re trying to make a crab cake sandwich, you’re going to need more breading for sure. I’d love to know what alterations you make if you try it!
Jumbo lump crab meat is my preference here, but lump crab meat or backfin meat will also work in a pinch. You can find this in your grocery store’s seafood section pre-cooked and sold on ice. Sometimes you can also find it frozen; if you do, you will just need to thaw it overnight in the fridge before using.
Whatever you do, never, ever use imitation crab meat!
While these crab cakes taste wonderful on their own, they are also great with a squeeze of lemon and cocktail sauce or tartar sauce. You can also pair these crab cakes with sides like potato salad, coleslaw, fries or potato wedges, kettle chips, or any of my summer side dishes.
If you try my recipe, please let me know how you like it. As with all of my recipes, it underwent rigorous trials and taste-testing and I’m ultimately really so happy with how it turned out. I’d love to hear what you think, too!
Enjoy!
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Maryland Crab Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb (453 g) jumbo lump crab meat picked over, shells removed
- ½ cup (40 g) plain panko crumbs or crushed saltine crackers
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) mayonnaise
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay (or J.0. seasoning)
- 1 ½ teaspoons finely minced fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 Tablespoons salted butter cut into 8 pieces (plus additional for greasing pan)
- Tartar sauce for serving, optional
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet with butter. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together mayo, egg, mustard, lemon juice, Old Bay, parsley, salt, and pepper until well combined.6 Tablespoons (85g) mayonnaise, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon yellow mustard, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon Old Bay, 1 ½ teaspoons finely minced fresh parsley, ¼ teaspoon table salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Add crab meat and panko crumbs. Use a spatula to gently work the crab meat and panko into the wet ingredients (try not to break up the lumps of the crab meat, you want them to stay intact as much as possible).1 lb (453 g) jumbo lump crab meat, ½ cup (40 g) plain panko crumbs
- Scoop crab meat by heaping ⅓ cup (about 3.15oz/90g per, I use my ice cream scoop) into a large scoop or measuring cup. I pack the meat into the scoop to help encourage it to keep its shape, then transfer to buttered baking sheet. If the crab cake is trying to fall apart, use your hands to press any stray pieces back in and pack it more firmly into the scoop next time. Do not flatten. Space at least 2” apart on baking sheet.
- Place a small piece of butter on the top center of each crab cake.1 Tablespoons salted butter
- Cover baking sheet tightly with plastic wrap and transfer to refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours before baking.
- To bake: Preheat oven to 450F (230C). Once oven is fully preheated, remove crab cakes from refrigerator and remove plastic wrap.
- Transfer to center rack of oven and bake for 8-10 minutes/until baked through. For a browned exterior, switch oven to broil for the last 2 minutes and broil on high heat for 2 minutes (I do not switch my oven rack).
Notes
Crab meat
Look for fresh or frozen jumbo lump Maryland blue crab for best results (if frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator). Jumbo lump is my preference for best texture. Lump crab meat will work in a pinch and is less expensive. Do not use imitation crab meat.Panko
Plain panko or crushed saltine crackers will work well here. (Dried) breadcrumbs are not my preference but will work in a pinch.Making in advance
After forming the crab cakes they will keep for up to 24 hours in the refrigerator before baking. Keep tightly covered or in an airtight container so they do not dry out.Storing/reheating
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for no longer than 3 days after baking. They may also be frozen. To reheat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator (if frozen) then cover with foil and warm in a 350F (175C) oven until warmed through, usually about 10-15 minutes. Uncovering for the last few minutes will help crisp the exterior.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Cynthia
Great!
Lynne
I have been cooking crab cakes for over 20 years and this is the best recipe yet! Thanks for sharing your recipe. It is my new FAVORITE!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you like it, Lynne!! Thanks for the review 🥰
Sherry
These were wonderful! The crab is for sure the star. Moist, flavorful and no filler in these. We are adding to our rotation.
As usual, another good recipe from Sam.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for giving them a try, Sherry! We are so happy this recipe was a hit for you too 🩷
Lori
Great recipe. I have made crab cakes several different ways but these are truly the best
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you think so, Lori! Thanks for giving our recipe a try 🥰
Esther
I made these crab cakes for dinner tonight and they are as tasty as any I have had in Maryland. Very easy to make and my husband the family“food critic” is sold. These tasteful cakes will become a staple in my meal rotations.
Es H
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Esther! 🙂
Ray S
I am sold. this is a great recipe. my family loved them.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy they were such a hit, Ray! Thanks so much for the 5-star review 🥰
Holly Mooney
Hi… I’m a native of Baltimore. This recipe is virtually identical to mine. (I use salted butter and none additional.) I always use sherry.
I really don’t order it out. Ninety percent of the time it’s a disappointment. Your comment about mashed potatoes made me chuckle. I call the thick, crappy stuff liquefied Wonder Bread.
Trish Wing
Sam, thank you so much for this recipe. I left Baltimore over twenty years ago to go to collage in Florida. A group of us when to a very pricey restaurant and I ordered there famous crab cakes. Huh, I actually sent them back. I missed going to the inner harbor and get my true crab cakes. I did your recipe, I used half panko and have crackers it was perfect. These Floridians never knew that crab cakes where to,look like that. I hope it was ok to use half and half. I now need the recipe for Maryland Red chowder. Thank you again
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Trish! It really is hard to get a good one when you are used to the best. 🙂
Kara
As a fellow native, life- long Marylander, I want to say…you absolutely NAILED it, Sister! I CRINGE when people junk it up with capers, onions, garlic, and/ or green peppers. Practice KISS here, people…Keep It Simple, S*****.
Sam
Thank you so much, Kara! 🙂
Crystal
Thank you for sharing your delicious recipes!
Flo moore
why not imitation crabmeat
Sam
It won’t be a crab cake without real crab meat. 🙂
Susan
Sam. this is the closest to the family recipe I’ve been making for years. I gave your’s 5 stars cause I can tell it will be delicious. I have never baked my crab cakes and I may give it a try. I always hold my mix in my hand and dust it with panko or crushed Ritz before I fry in butter. We use fresh breadcrumbs in ours as a filler, dry English mustard (1/2 tsp) instead of prepared, a sprinkle of Old Bay or J.O., and we add 1 tsp celery seeds (that is the secret ingredient that will blow you away), only 1-2 Tbs mayo but 2 eggs. Our recipe doesn’t call for parsley but I’m gonna give a little a try. We’re here in Salisbury and crab meat is still out of sight…. cheapest local I’ve found is $26/lb for lump. I haven’t been able to find backfin in a while and good old, sweet claw meat is nowhere to be found. Jumbo lump is over $40!! In the winter I have used the canned blue crab and it was tasty. Not like our fresh, local Maryland but passable in January!! Once again, Sam, anyone who trys your recipe as written won’t be disappointed. At 72, I think I know a
thing or two about them!! They will be our splurge for our anniversary in two weeks and I can’t wait!😋
Sam
Thank you so much Susan! I hope you love them and an early congratulations on your anniversary! 🙂
Susan
Thanks, Sam, on our anniversary! Please give the celery seed a try….even if just in one cake of your next batch. The flavor they add is great! Phillips crab cakes ring a bell? Just saying…..🤔😉
Kevin platts
Best crab cakes ever
Elizabeth Kerns
I have been looking for years to find the best crab cake recipe. Thank you for Sharing I look forward to trying your recipe!
Sam
I hope you love them, Elizabeth! 🙂
Sandra
why not use imatation crab if that’s all I have?
Sam
Imitation crab meat just won’t be the same. 🙁