Easy Homemade Crab Cakes

This homemade Crab Cakes recipe has been my favorite for decades, made with fresh lump crab meat, and lightly seasoned for the best taste. The chipotle mayo sauce served with them puts them over the top.

You could use any leftover crab to make our favorite Crab Dip, and don’t miss my tips and tricks for How to Cook Crab Legs.

What I love about this recipe:

1. EASY: I can whip up the Crab Cakes mixture in a few minutes, and I love that I can prep them ahead of time, and then cook them just before serving.
2. The crab cake sauce is a simple chipotle mayo sauce that takes this crab cakes recipe to the next level.
3. Minimal “fillers”: Most crab cake recipes have a lot of “fillers” inside, like crushed crackers, chopped veggies, and tons of herbs and seasonings. We want the crab to be the star of the flavor show, so we only add enough to enhance the flavor; not overpower it.

About the Crab Meat:

1. Buy fresh lump crab for crab cakes. There are different grades of crab meat depending on the part of the crab the meat was taken from. “Lump” meat is best because it is smaller white pieces of crab meat. Jumbo lump is a little too large and would be wasted in crab cakes as its larger white pieces are more appropriate for fresh salads or sandwiches. Avoid crab meat that comes in a can, like tuna fish.
2. Where to buy fresh crab: Look in the refrigerated section near the seafood counter, and look for crab labeled, “hand picked” or “freshly picked”. I like to buy mine from Costco, for the best price for the size. If you have to substitute canned crab meat, it won’t have the same wonderful taste and texture.

How to make Crab Cakes:

Mix crab cake ingredients. Add crab meat to a bowl and mix in the bell pepper, mayonnaise, old bay seasoning, garlic, salt and pepper.

Chill. Refrigerate mixture for at least one hour.  This will make the crab cakes easier to form and hold their shape.

Form crab cakes.  Use a ⅓ cup measuring cup to scoop the crab (which will yield about 7, three inch crab cakes). Press mixture firmly into your measuring cup. Invert into the palm of your hand and flatten it gently, molding it tightly with your hands to form a flat disc.

Coat with eggs and breadcrumbs. Add two beaten eggs to a bowl and panko bread crumbs to a separate bowl.  Sprinkle crab cakes with cornstarch and set them in the egg mixture, using a pastry brush to brush beaten egg over their top. Scoop and press breadcrumbs around the sides and on top of the crab cake.

Pan fry. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add crab cakes and cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden brown.

For Baked Crab Cakes: place them on a greased baking tray and bake at 400 degrees F for about 8 minutes, then flip and bake for 5-10 more minutes, until warmed through and crispy on top.

For Air Fryer Crab Cakes: Preheat air fryer to 375 degrees F. Arrange crab cakes in a single layer in the air fryer basket (you may need to cook in batches) and cook for about 8 minutes, until golden on top and warmed throughout.

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:

To Make Ahead: Form crab cakes and store, covered with plastic wrap, in the fridge for a few hours ahead, before cooking. 

To Freeze: You may freeze these crab cakes before pan frying. Just wrap each one in plastic wrap and place in a freezer safe bag. Freeze up to 1 month. Let thaw in the refrigerator overnight before pan frying.

Serve Crab Cakes with:

• Salad: like Beet Salad, Radicchio Salad, Wedge Salad or Tomato Cucumber Salad
• Other Appetizers like blistered shishito peppers, whipped goat cheese or Bruschetta.
• Soup, like Tomato, Corn Chowder, or Potato Leek
• Peanut Noodles
• Risotto
• Panzanella
• Fresh Corn Salad

I originally shared this recipe August 2018. Updated December 2021 and December 2023.

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