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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Can the crabcake mixture be used as a stuffing with trout that will be baked?
Hi Kate, Yes, that should work, although you might want to use only one egg since you don’t really need it to hold together.
I used all the ingredients except celery and my crab cakes seem very wet? When you put them in the fridge for an hour while they hold together better?
Hmmm…they shouldn’t be too wet, and they should hold together when you form the cakes initially. If they aren’t holding together and the mixture seems wet, add some more bread crumbs and that should do the trick.
This is the best recipe I have tried yet. I have tried a lot too. The Ritz cracker one was ok but the crackers took away from the flavor. The Panko crumbs were perfect and the amount of the ingredients are perfect. I would only not use the salt it isn’t needed for me.
My question is can I freeze these before I cook them and then use my vacuum sealer to freeze them for a couple of months?
Thanks Sandy
Hi Sandy, Yes, that’s fine. Glad you enjoyed them!
Amazing! My bf thinks I should open my own restaurant because of these. And I even used the celery AND good quality canned crabmeat. Perfect and easy!
I followed your recipe exactly and they came out wonderful, better than the crab cakes at any restaurant. Thank you, it’s a keeper.
Hi Jenn…..
I’m wanting to make these crab cakes at the trailer this w/e and I checked the Reviews and guess what there is a link for “Old Bay Seasoning”.
This is tooooooooo funny because I was just going to email or question you on how to make this seasoning (because I have not seen it in Southern Ontario Canada and if it’s store bought – I can make it (just need the recipe)).
I’ll let you know how crab cakes work out with my family – what’s NOT TO LOVE ABOUT these little tid-bits of goodness.
Sharon
Streetsville, Ontario, Canada
We love these crabcakes! My husband loves the slight crunch to the crust. True Maryland crabcake recipe, excellent! Discovering your blog has made me excited to cook again!
Is there a substitute for Old Bay Seasoning? I live in Philippines and it’s not that easy to find.
Hi Peachy, Here’s a link to a recipe for homemade Old Bay: http://leitesculinaria.com/81715/recipes-homemade-old-bay-seasoning-mix.html
I want to try this recipe but I don’t know what pinko is?
Hi Elizabeth, Panko is Japanese breadcrumbs — they are readily available in most grocery stores.
I have eaten loads of crab cakes but have never made them myself. We live in Ottawa, Ontario and let me tell you, it was a bit of a chore finding Old Bay Spice. However, we found it, I followed your recipe and they turned out amazing! Many thanks for sharing this recipe 🙂
Mary
Thank you. I did put some in the freezer, so I guess I’ll just see what happens. lol I followed the recipe pretty closely except I used fresh claw meat – which is what I had on hand. They turned out excellent. Thanks again.
I added an egg to the recipe to help to hold the cakes together even if using jumbo lump. I didn’t add the celery. These were very very good!!!
these . were . EVERYTHING .
I had never made a crab cake before in my life but have eaten plenty of them, lol. These came out perfect, so delicious. My Husband was raving about them. I was concerned because as I made them into cakes they felt really wet, but I put them in fridge for an hour like recipe said, and they cooked perfectly. They all stayed together and looked great.
Hi Jenn, We love our seafood in Australia so wanted to try your receipe for a Birthday dinner last night. Glad I did they turned out beautifully and were a great hit!
I didn’t have enough fresh crab meat (blue swimmers) for the full receipe so I added some fresh balmain bug meat (similar to lobster) which worked. Served with Coleslaw, corn-on-the cob and sauteed potato slices.
Thank you, Gayle
Hi Gayle were you able to get old bay seasoning in australia
Hi Jenn – This recipe looks delish! I am going to make them into mini crab cakes for a party tomorrow. Would you be to tell me what size they should be and what temperature to bake them on and for how long? I apologize for all the questions, but I definitely want to get them right!
Many thanks, Teisha
Hi Teisha, I would make them bite-sized (about 1-1/2 in diameter); you may need to shred the crabmeat a bit so that they hold together since they are small. Bake them at 350 until just golden — can’t say for sure how long since I usually fry them but I’m guessing 15-20 minutes. When you’re making the mixture, you might want to test bake one crab cake to make sure they hold up in the oven. If they are too dry, you can try adding another egg like some others have done.
Loved the way these tasted, but had a lot of trouble making them stick into cakes. Added another egg, boom, problem solved.
Also had a nice crab cake stir fry from the first unlucky batch! haha
Hi,
Do you think if I refrigerated these for more than an hour they would be ok? I’m worried about them drying out? I want to prep these before I go to work in the morning (9am) and cook them once I get home (5pm).
Thank you!
Yes, absolutely. Just cover them with plastic wrap and they’ll be just fine.
Thank you Jenn! Cant wait to let you know how they turn out! 🙂 Im cooking them for hubby on Vday.
Hi Jenn,
Just wanted to let you know that these crab cakes turned out perfectly! I made them on Valentines day Eve…Left them in the fridge all night/day and prepared them in the skillet for dinner on Vday. I left out the celery like other reviewers. The Husband absolutely loved them and we both agreed they tasted like the real deal! We lived in DC for 6 years and these crab cakes definitely had that authentic Maryland taste to them.
Thanks so much for a staple recipe!!
G’day from West Australia,
We went crabbing up the estuary and caught around a dozen blue swimmer crabs. My Aussie In-Laws always just boil the crabs and make crab sandwiches with salad and a seafood sauce (ketchup mixed with mayo). Although very tasty with fresh crabs I wanted to try something a bit more adventurous! I found this recipe and used the remaining 6 crabs to make your Maryland crab cakes. The Old Bay seasoning is hard to find Down Under, so I substituted it with 1/3 tsp of paprika, cayenne pepper, celery salt and large pinch of ground cardamom and black pepper. I also used 60g of gluten-free bread crumbs instead of panko (my wife is coeliac). The cakes bound together nicely before going into the fridge for an hour.
I fried them up 4 mins each side and they looked (and tasted) awesome. Absolutely delicious crab cakes. Big hit with the family although I might have put a bit too much cayenne pepper in! Perfect for my wife and I, but the ‘olds’ found them a bit too spicy!
Cheers,
Frank 🙂
I thought these crabcakes were simple and easy and came out tasting Great……
Total Fail! I spent a lot for this crab meat. A wreck.
DISAPPOINTED!!!
Hi Christine, So sorry your crab cakes didn’t turn out. May I ask what went wrong?
I work at an upscale italian restaurant and I made these yesterday and brought them in, even the chef was impressed, thanks.
Yum, Yum, Yum!!! I made your crab cakes and sauce last year as a starter for our big Hanukkah dinner and they were requested again this year. I was told that if I just served those and dropped the beef, they would leave very, very happy. 🙂
I making the Maryland crab cakes and I think my mixture is to moist and the crab cakes won’t form into a ball like I think they should there real loose what do I do?
Hi Matt, The mixture should just hold together; the cakes shouldn’t be pressed too “tightly.” Once the cakes are formed, chilling in the fridge helps them stay together. That said, if you are using lump crab meat, you may have to break the lumps apart just a bit to get them to hold together better.
Need to make 12 do I double the recipe?
Yes, that should work.
I want to make these as appetizers. Do you think they will hold well as mini-cakes?
Hi Martha, Yes, but you might have to break up the lumps of crab meat a bit so they hold together.
looks delicious…can’t wait to try them over the holidays
The crab cakes were awesome!! I’m originally from Maryland, and these were spot on. I made them without celery, but only because I don’t enjoy celery in my crabcakes 🙂 I bought the crab meat from Costco, which was a good deal for the quantity and quality of the meat. I also made the cornbread, and it was a perfect side. Definitely making this again!
I want to know if I can do this recipe with a canned crab or only with fresh crab. Thanks.
Hi Hilda, It is definitely best with fresh crab, but canned will work.
Drain the crab & soak in milk for an hour or so. Drain in strainer. This is for refrigerated lump meat. Canned so not recommended use it for dips.
Fresh always best! 🙂
following he luckily begins to chew for it, tell him they have a wonderful wow and thus go on with your day. $300 for trainers meets any of these word groups a long time before understand it the saying easy on the wallet. It’s which is healthy that online has managed to get most likely to give searching of these galoshes more effortless.. To decide if a sneaker possesses curled past, change it upside down. pick black or brown tones.
Made the cakes last night, they were great. great flavor, the real thing. Had some crab cakes at the restaurant recently, but was disappointed. they have too much filling. I cooked a few and froze the remaining, looking forward to the next meal with them. Instead of the Tarter Sauce, I made a cocktail sauce, which was really good too. thank you for posting this recipe.
I like the tartar sauce. Great amount of mixer; however the crab cake is salty with both the Old Bay seasoning and salt together. I will say one or the other if both minimize the sparkle on the salt.
I have read and reread this recipe, and do not understand why you need the foil lined baking sheet if they are fried in frying pan.
Hi Patty, It’s just for easy clean-up. I should have made that clear; sorry about that!
I’ve been making a very similar recipe for years. However, I refrigerate the crab cakes on a cookie sheet (Silpat mat works great here). Heat oven to 400 degrees, move crab cakes from refrigerator to preheated oven. Bake 15 minutes, then turn on broiler to brown nicely. Great taste, less fat and much less cleanup.
Theses were great! I’ve made them several times minus the celery. They freeze well also. I prepare as directed and freeze them uncooked. They fry up perfect straight from the freezer!
Made the crab cakes for dinner last night they were wonderful wife and son loved them
These were wonderful! Much lighter than other recipes I’ve tried.
I made these crab cakes last night for my husbands birthday dinner. They were delicious and my husband loved them! Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Jenn, I made these crab cakes for company the other night and WOW, were they delicious! Also made your Peel and Eat Shrimp and Cornbread Muffins…my guests couldn’t stop raving about the food. Thanks for making me look good!
These still look yummy though I haven’t had a chance to try them yet in BC Canada! Our Crab season differs from the East coast
I did send a note to my FB Safeway page advising them to stock Old Bay. ( A few years ago, I turned my local Safeway onto stuffed green olives, after my Aunt & Uncle returned from California with wonderful jars of stuffed garlic and Jalapeno giant green olives – best sellers here now!)
Love your page Jenn!
When Grovsenor Market , (in the bottom of the 1st Grovesenor high rise) , on Grovsenor Lane off of Tuckerman Lane, is having their sale on lump crab meat, you can’t beat the price anywhere.
It’s great crab meat in a container in their meat/fish section.
Good to know, Ronnie. Thank you!
I was searching for a quick tartar sauce recipe on Pinterest & found yours- I just whipped it up at the last minute for dinner & it’s great! This was my first attempt and it’s a keeper- thanks so much!
If we don’t have old bay seasoning, what would be a nice replacement?
I also don’t know what panko is 🙂 don’t think we have it here
Hi Jo, Here’s a recipe for Old Bay:http://leitesculinaria.com/81715/recipes-homemade-old-bay-seasoning-mix.html
Panko is a type of breadcrumbs; if you can’t find it try crushed up saltine crackers.
Panko Japanese Breadcrumbs can be found in the deli section here in Canada – they are lighter than regular B Crumbs and way tastier!- hope you find them!
Look above Jo – I had to ask the same question! 🙂
(re: Old Bay)
Best Crab Cakes ever! The Tartar sauce was amazing! Will be making these again soon!
I grew up in Maryland and have kept the food traditions alive since leaving the state many years ago. Personally I like your recipe, but would forgo the celery and Old Bay, and add a 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper. I have never used panko, only 2 slices of finely chopped bread crumbs (white bread) per pound. Lastly, I would never put steak sauce on a quality steak and cringe at the thought of tarter sauce on a delicate and bound to be delicious crab cake. But go with what you like. Cheers!
I made these for Christmas Eve – they were delicious. I omitted the celery – just a personal preference – everything else was followed to the recipe. Will be added to my recipes book as a staple. Thank you!
What would you recommend as a fill in for “Old Bay”? I am a West Coaster (Canada) and am not familiar with this seasoning….
Thanks!
Hi Nancy, Here’s a homemade old bay recipe:
http://leitesculinaria.com/81715/recipes-homemade-old-bay-seasoning-mix.html
Hope that helps!
TY!
Hey! Everyone looking for old bay, I live in BC, Canada, and have found it at Save on Foods! saw it for years and never had a use for it until this tasty recipe!
I have made this recipe and I absolutely love them and so does the family. I grew up on Long Island, N.Y. and they have great crab and lobster and I have also made this recipe with lobster meat. Amazing.
I’m from Maryland. bred and buttered!!! And altho this recipe does sound good. NO true Marylander would add any veggie to their Crab Cake!! Don’t mess with perfection!!! Now…I
‘m hungry for crab cakes!! 🙂
I read the whole recipe and it sounds very easy to do, and with all these ingredients have to be delicious. I agree with Jennifer fresh and good quality ingredients are the key for success when you cook