Maryland Crab Cakes with Quick Tartar Sauce
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A Maryland staple, these crab cakes are made from fresh lump crab meat and just enough filler to bind the crabmeat together.
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)
When you live in Maryland, eating Chesapeake blue crabs and crab cakes is practically a religion—and, in my family, we are all loyal devotees. Every summer, we hit all of our favorite crab shacks, from local joints all the way to the Eastern shore, where you can look out over the bay and put your feet in the sand.
I’d never attempt making steamed blue crabs at home. Live crabs, giant steamers—yikes! But I do often make crab cakes, which are just as delicious and easier to prepare (not to mention eat). The key is using fresh lump crabmeat and just enough filler to bind the crabmeat together. I love them with tartar sauce, but you could also serve them with lemon wedges or cocktail sauce. Don’t forget the peel-and-eat shrimp, hush puppies, and cornbread.
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need To Make Maryland Crab Cakes
It’s very important to use fresh, good-quality lump crab meat. Look for fresh-off-the-boat crab meat, which is sold in a clear plastic container, usually resting on ice in the seafood department. It’s expensive, but one pound is enough to make six generous crab cakes (or 12 mini ones).
If fresh lump crab meat is not available, the second-best option is refrigerated crab meat, such as Phillip’s, which is readily available year-round. Avoid shelf-stable canned crab meat, which contains additives that affect the taste and texture of the meat. (For a less expensive alternative to crab cakes, or when fresh crab meat is not in season, try fresh salmon cakes.)
Note that celery is not traditional in Maryland crab cakes, but I love the little crunch it adds; feel free to leave it out if you’re a purist.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Make the Crab Cakes
To begin, combine the eggs, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, Old Bay, salt, celery, and parsley in a bowl.
Mix well to combine.
Add the crab meat (be sure to check the meat for any hard and sharp cartilage) and panko.
Gently fold the mixture together until just combined, being careful not to shred the crab meat.
Shape into 6 large crab cakes (about ½ cup each) and place on a baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This is really important to help the crab cakes set.
Preheat a large nonstick pan to medium heat and coat with oil. When the oil is hot, place crab cakes in the pan and cook until golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Flip and cook 3 to 5 minutes more, or until golden. Be careful as the oil may splatter.
Make the Tartar Sauce
Combine the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, sweet pickle relish, red onion, lemon, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
Whisk well, then cover and chill until ready to serve.
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Maryland Crab Cakes with Quick Tartar Sauce
A Maryland staple, these crab cakes are made from fresh lump crab meat and just enough filler to bind the crabmeat together.
Ingredients
For the Crab Cakes
- 2 large eggs
- 2½ tablespoons mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's or Duke's
- 1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup finely diced celery, from one stalk
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 pound lump crab meat (see note below)
- ½ cup panko
- Vegetable or canola oil, for cooking
For the Quick Tartar Sauce
- 1 cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's or Duke's
- 1½ tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon minced red onion
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
For the Crab Cakes
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean-up.
- Combine the eggs, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, Old Bay, salt, celery, and parsley in a large bowl and mix well. Add the crab meat (be sure to check the meat for any hard and sharp cartilage) and panko; using a rubber spatula, gently fold the mixture together until just combined, being careful not to shred the crab meat. Shape into 6 cakes (each about ½ cup) and place on the prepared baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This helps them set.
- Preheat a large nonstick pan over medium heat and coat with oil. When the oil is hot, place the crab cakes in the pan and cook until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Be careful as oil may splatter. Serve the crab cakes warm with the tartar sauce.
For the Quick Tartar Sauce
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, relish, mustard, onion, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The crab cakes can be formed, covered, and refrigerated a day ahead of time before cooking. The tartar sauce can be made and refrigerated up to 2 days in advance.
- Note: If you can only find jumbo lump crab meat, you may need to break the pieces up a bit. If the clumps are too large, the crab cakes won't hold together well.
- Note: The nutritional information does not include the tartar sauce.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 2 crab cakes
- Calories: 299
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Sugar: 1 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Sodium: 1141 mg
- Cholesterol: 275 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I Was born and raised in Maryland….Love our crab cakes this recipe sounds really good minus the CELERY…..No CELERY
These were amazing. I am definitely making them again!
I am a true fan of crab cakes! I will try this recipe out but agree on not using celery. (Well, I guess i will try it once!) My experience in the past has been when forming the patties, if they do not hold together, place back in bowl and add a tad more mayo. Be careful because it does not take much to accomllish this. Put back in the refridge for 15 minutes. I think it is the size of the crab chunks determining this step!
These were great. Tasted light and the seasoning was perfect. I even made the tarter sauce and they went well together. 5 stars.
Just made these gems. What can a man say other than FANTASTIC!!!! Made the tarter sauce also and that was great. You gotta try this
I’m sorry but this may sound stupid. I’m from Ga. What is the panko?
Hi Tammy, Panko are Japanese-style breadcrumbs. They are flakier than regular breadcrumbs. You can find panko at most supermarkets but if not, you can use crushed up saltines.
I’m a MD girl and if your a true Marylander we only eat saltine crackers and mustard with our CRAB CAKES.
this sounds great except the celery. and i like broiled better than fried, prob 4-5 min each side in the broiler is what i’ll try! thanks
These recipes look good, as I have never had crab cakes, But I love crab legs and claws. How would it work if made with chopped shrimp or lobster?
I can hardly wait to try this recipe. It looks delicious
I use jackfruit instead of crab to make it a vegan dish (also no egg and only egg free mayo)…they are sooo yummy and no animals were harmed in the making of it
How would I be able to broil these?
Hi Michelle, I’d brush them with some melted butter and broil about 6 inches from the broiler until they are slightly browned, bubbling and hot.
This is what is for dinner tonight i love it.
A few of suggestions for those having a challenge of the cake staying together.
Instead of panko use fresh white bread. Cut off the crust and mix it in with all the ingredients except the crab. Use enough to make a paste. Then fold your crabmeat in. You can also use seafood mousse. (not a big fan of this) Also you can add more mayo and broil your cakes. Healthier and just as tasty as pan fried.
BTW for the Crab Cake lovers out there, Try Valle’s Italian Steak House. They make some awesome Cakes!!
I’m from Maryland originally.Now I live in Ohio.When ever I go back, I have to go crabbing so I can make these because I absolutely love crab cakes!Nothing better than fresh. My thoughts are less is more. 1 lb. of crab meat,1 egg, 1 tbs. parsley,1 teas. old bay seasoning,1 teas. yellow mustard ,1 teas. dry mustard,1 tbs.worcestershire sauce, 1 teas. lemon juice, 2 tbs. mayo ,6 Ritz crackers,crushed. Mix. Shape into cakes. They will be sloppy. Cook very slowly so the egg has time to set up and they brown. don’t hurry to flip them. When ever I make them they are a big hit!
I made these at my aunt’s house last summer and we added some diced red peppers to the mix. It helped give the filler a little crunch. And I like the extra taste it brought to it. Not for everyone, especially if you’re sticking to DE traditional, but a nice little addition for those into trying new things.
I’m also a Marylander and agree that the simpler the better…no to celery, onion and green pepper and prepared mustard. Mustard powder instead. Panko works good, and is easy to use, so I’m fine with that.. Otherwise white soft bread, crusts removed, or saltines crushed finely as the binder. These can also be baked at 350 for 20 mins. They won’t fall apart that way, but fried is the tastiest way to make Md crab cakes.
I am from Maryland and these were delicious, old bay works on anything.
This is a GREAT recipe! You can also substitute the bread crumbs for 6-8 saltine crackers (my in-laws are from Maryland and use them all the time in their crab cakes). With family from Maryland, it’s hard to compete with their crab cakes, but these definitely do! The cakes and the sauce have a great flavor!!
Great recipe Thanks
Any suggestions as to what can be used for a binder in place of egg? Daughter’s boyfriend is highly allergic to yolks and whites but loves seafood. These sound awesome and would like to try them out.
You could try using a bit more mayonnaise instead.
Instead of egg, you can use egg replacer (found in allergy free section) or ground flax seed mixed with water. There is also egg free mayonnaise you can buy or make. It won’t taste exactly the same but with enough crabmeat, they should still taste great.
Mayo. has egg in it.
I have a special request to make crabcakes (i use a very similar recipe to this and have loved it a thousand times over) but for someone who is completely gluten free. any suggestions for frying tips without the breadcrumbs/other fillers? i really don’t want to use any gluten free bread products because they often don’t taste very good
Hi Anna, I can’t think of anything else you could use. Maybe just broil them instead so they stay together? I might also brush them with melted butter afterwards to give a little richness.
Hi this recipe looks fabulous & I am going to try it however I live in Australia & I dont know what is in the Old Bay seasoning. Can someone please enlighten me as to what is in it, thanks heaps
Hi Gremela, Old Bay is a spice blend. Try this recipe as a substitute: http://www.food.com/recipe/old-bay-seasoning-substitute-345691
I will be making these for New Year’s Eve for our
hors d’oeuvre party. Made a double batch last year and they where gone in 10 minutes.
I would like to make these in bite-size portions to use as a hors d’ouvre. If I can only re-heat them in a toaster oven…how long should I heat them for?
Hi Linda, If you make them small, they won’t take long…hard to say since I don’t know what temperature but I’d guess 10-15 minutes at the equivalent of 350.
Thank you so much! I’m going to make them for Christmas Eve dinner. Cheers!
I have made these exactly like you say and they are delish. 🙂 Do you think I could bake them? I’m having a dinner party and I don’t want to be frying up crabcakes…
Hi Christina, I suppose but I think they’d be better if you fry them a few hours ahead of time, then re-heat them in a 350-degree oven. Hope that helps!
Just found this recipe on Pinterest. My husband can’t wait for me to go to the store tomorrow to buy ingredients to try!
I just put my cakes in the fridge for their 1 hour soak…per comments i didn’t use celery nor panko…hoping they taste as good as they look.. Ate Crab cakes once in MD in 1997 and haven’t since (i’m from WA) so I hope I can recreate!!
Hi Lexi, I hope your crab cakes came out. I suggest using the panko as called for in the recipe. It’s such a small amount that it doesn’t affect the taste, and it really helps bind the crabmeat together.
NO celery. It just will not do. These look wonderful and for a second could almost smell them cooking! Loved it when my Mom made them.
I am allergic to iodine. What can I use in place? I had a chicken cake in Kansas at Hennessays. Any help?
what do you serve with crab cakes?
I love crab cakes with corn on the cob and a green vegetable…cornbread or corn muffins are nice too.
I love crab so I was excited to make these cakes. They tasted delicious, but didn’t stay together. I ended up with a hot, crabby mess in the pan that was pretty much just a seafood salad.
Hi Alyssa, So sorry you had trouble getting the crab cakes to stay together. Did you let them sit for an hour in the refrigerator? This really allows them to set. Also, did you use lump or jumbo lump crabmeat? Jumbo lump is so large that it doesn’t hold together well.
Now, I will preface this statement with I LOVE to cook & have tried several crab cake recipes over the years. Nonetheless, It’s 11:42pm and my husband and I just finished this DELICIOUS meal! I pretty much followed the recipe as stated. I was unable to find the suggested mustard so I used Dejon and instead of the refrigerator, I placed them in the freezer for about 30 minutes! OH! After reading the reviews, and at the last minute, I mixed some Old Bay with some flour and LIGHTLY dusted the cakes prior to placing them in the oil! VERY, VERY TASTY! This was a restaurant quality meal in the comfort of my home! THANKS FOR SHARING!
This recipe sounds delicious! I will be adding it to our menu in a few weeks. Thank you for sharing!
My husband grew up in Maryland, and his Mom wa born and raised in the Chesapeake Bay area..no to the celery. They use and prefer powder dry mustard, and unseasoned bread crumbs….store bought is fine…but everything else is the same as his Mom’s recipe. She served them with home made cole slaw.
If using dry mustard powder instead of Dijon, how much should I use?
Sandy, 1 tablespoon of regular mustard is the equivalent of about 1 tsp of dry mustard. Hope you enjoy the crab cakes!
Can’t wait to make these – Maryland crab cakes are THE BEST! I no longer live on the East Coast (in Md.) and authentic crab cakes are something I really miss.
I just ate, but reading this recipe makes my mouth water. I use to make a stuffing for baked flounder with crabmeat stuffing almost exactly like yours for fried crab cakes, but I used fresh crabmeat that we caught at our coast house. I guess we can’t all be so lucky. LOL
I am a purest and believe you NEVER put celery in a crab cake, same with onion….all this does is hide the delicious flavor of the crab. With crab cakes the few ingredients the better.
I would try this recipe but leave out the celery, reg bread crumbs instead of Panko, and no dijon mustard, again, that ingredient hides the flavor of the crab.
We make these all the time. The trick to getting them to hold together is refrigerating them, so don’t be tempted to skip this step. Maybe this is blasphemy to Marylanders, but I use a Cajun remoulade for the sauce. So tasty!
Becca, We marylanders love our crab cakes so much, we pretty much don’t care what you dip them in !!! HAHAHAHAHA
I have made two different sauces for these. A lemony hollandaise and a creamy dill sauce. Both went over well. Which you use is a matter of taste that day!! I use dijon or whole grain mustard too.
Very excited to try these have just put them in the fridge to chill. Also was lazy and used Always Fresh tinned crab meat, Im sure its not as good as fresh meat. Also just a tip I found was to use a heaped 1/2 cup to scoop the mixture onto the baking tray made exactly 6 and it saves you from getting messy hands and you get a nice round crab cake.
Mrz Cracker-
i used your idea of putting the crab mixture into the 1/2 Cup for measuring…worked to a tee! Put it in, lightly smashed it down, then hit the bottom of the measuring cup with my fist and they all came out perfect! Thanks for the tip! My hands didn’t get dirty once during this step!
I made these for my mom and I toight. I was a little frustrated because they would not stay together when I was shaping them into the cakes, and then they began falling apart in the oil. This was annoying since I had followed teh recipe exactly.
My mom also thought that they would be good as “meatball/appetizer bites.”
Hi Liz, Sorry you had trouble getting the crab cakes to hold together. Did you use jumbo lump crab meat? Sometimes if the lumps are too large, they can be hard to form into cakes. You don’t want to shred the meat, but smaller lumps work best. Hope that helps.
Liz, There become hard to stick together because there’s very little filler. I only use 1 T mayo and 1 T yellow mustard, mixed with 1 egg, Old Bay, Parsley and 2 pieces of chopped white bread. One trick to making them stick, is to refrigerate them for at least 1 hour before frying. Or, broil them which doesn’t require handling or flipping. And yes, you can make them into small “crab balls!”
I am a Maryland girl, born and raised, and I LOVE crab cakes. I like using chopped green pepper instead of celery, and I coat them before frying in either flour or seafood coating, They turn out beautifully golden brown, does not really add to the filling, just makes them stay together, and not fall apart
Thanks for the tartar recipe as well, much better than from a jar, yum!
I am curious….why the no to the celery? It’s fine to say no, but even better to explain why 😉
Folks are saying “no” to the celery because it’s not traditional. I’ve lived in “slower, lower” DE all my life & was raised eating crabs, crab cakes & soft shell crabs. w/ crab cakes, less added is more… This was originally a rustic dish not a high-brow fancy one, thus the suggestions of white bread crumbs & yellow, not dijon mustard. But I say, every recipe is open to interpretation & today dijon mustard & panko are available in most home kitchens & every grocery store… This recipe undoubtedly benefits from the swaps, they just deviate from the “old school” recipe…
Thanks this is my favorite seafood dish….what brand/type of crab to use…..I agree that a little finely minced celery is great addition
Hi Marva, I don’t have a particular brand that I always buy…sometimes I get it at Whole Foods and other times I get it at the Maine Ave fish market downtown.
This sounds fantastic! I am DEFINITELY gonna try this as my soon to be husband is a FANATIC when it comes to crab cakes. HIS FAVORITE food! I had never eaten them before due to the fact that I didn’t like salmon patties. However, I now LOVE LOVE LOVE them. Only have eaten store bought since we do live in the N.east Ga. Mtns. Therefore, I don’t know how to find fresh crab around this area. What brand/type of crab should I buy for this recipe that will make mine taste just as delicious as these and I SAY YES to the celery… the ones we eat have small amounts of celery as well as small amounts of onion. 🙂 Just sayin… my opinion. THANKS FOR THIS RECIPE!!! 🙂
Sounds wonderful! Going in my recipe file!
I can’t wait to make these. The recipe sounds yummy!!
I agree about no celery and fresh bread for authentic md crab cakes. the simpler the tastier it is. We don’t use parsley. Traditional to eat them with saltine crackers.
My Maryland born husband and brother to a professional Annapolis seafood chef says.. NO to celery and use only fresh bread crumbs instead of panko. He also thinks good old yellow mustard is best, but doesn’t realize that my crab cakes, which he loves and thinks are better than his brother’s, include dijon like yours. shhhhhhh and I also add a small amount of finally diced sweet vidalia onion.
I usually sauté my cakes in half butter/half oil. The butter adds some wonderful flavor, the oil tempers the butter so it doesn’t burn.
Grew up on the Chesapeake and dad was a commercial crabber. Agree with everyone above that says NO on the celery, regular mustard is fine. We never added any bread filler at all but I guess a tiny bit wouldn’t hurt. We used plain old flour to coat the outside.
Looks great. I was wondering if you could use salmon or would that be too soft?
Hi Simone, I’ve never tried this recipe with salmon but I think your instincts are right about it being too soft. Hope that helps 🙂
This WILL work great with salmon, I do it all the time, just drain off one can of the salmon juices and use the other in the recipe. This will make it stick together better, and coat it with with either flour or seafood coating before frying, also helps to prevent falling apart. The flavor and taste are awesome.
gotta try
Simone: My grandmother taught me to make salmon cakes using mashed potatoes and following the same crabcake recipe. Dip the salmon cakes in flour before frying in your favorite cooking oil.
Arlene, my mom used to make the salmon cakes with potatoes all the time. I loved those! So sad, she hasn’t made them in years though. I might have to try those salmon cakes using this recipe. Thanks for the suggestion
Has any one tried fresh crab meat.You do not have to use any any thing and the meat holds together——–Ony fresh