Maryland crab cakes are thick, golden cakes made mostly of sweet lump crab meat, held together with just enough egg, mayonnaise and panko, and seasoned with Old Bay, Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce. The outside is crisp from the skillet and the inside is tender, with big pieces of crab. They are served with a quick homemade tartar sauce. Make them for a special dinner, a summer seafood night or a holiday starter.
How to make Maryland crab cakes: Mix eggs, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay, salt, celery and parsley. Gently fold in lump crab meat and panko. Shape into 6 cakes, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Cook in an oiled skillet over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes per side, until golden brown, and serve with tartar sauce.
Why You’ll Love It
- Mostly crab. A full pound of lump crab meat and only 1/2 cup of panko.
- Big lumps. Gentle folding keeps the crab in pieces.
- Cakes that hold together. An hour in the refrigerator sets them before they hit the pan.
- Fast cooking. A few minutes per side in a skillet.
- Homemade tartar sauce. Whisked together while the cakes chill.
Ingredient Notes
Lump crab meat. One pound. Pick through it with your fingers for any hard bits of cartilage or shell.
Eggs and mayonnaise. Two large eggs and 2 1/2 tablespoons of mayonnaise bind the cakes.
Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce. One and a half teaspoons of mustard and 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire add a savory tang.
Old Bay seasoning. One teaspoon. It is the classic crab seasoning.
Celery and flat-leaf parsley. A 1/4 cup of finely diced celery and 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley.
Panko. Half a cup. It is the only filler.
Vegetable or canola oil. Enough to coat the skillet.
For the tartar sauce. Mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, Dijon mustard, minced red onion and lemon juice.
Ingredients
For the crab cakes
- 2 large eggs
- 2 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup finely diced celery
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 pound lump crab meat
- 1/2 cup panko
- Vegetable or canola oil, for the skillet
For the tartar sauce
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon minced red onion
- 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
How to Make Maryland Crab Cakes
1. Prepare the sheet. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Mix and shape. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, 2 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay, 1/4 teaspoon salt, celery and parsley. Add the crab meat and panko. Fold gently with a rubber spatula until just combined, without shredding the crab. Shape into 6 cakes, about 1/2 cup each, and set them on the sheet.
3. Chill. Cover and refrigerate the cakes for at least 1 hour to help them set.
4. Make the tartar sauce. Whisk together the 1 cup mayonnaise, relish, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, red onion and lemon juice. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Cover and chill until serving.
5. Cook and serve. Coat a large nonstick skillet with oil and heat over medium heat. When the oil is hot, cook the crab cakes until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side, taking care as the oil may splatter. Check the center with a food thermometer for 160°F, because the cakes contain egg. Serve warm with the tartar sauce.
How Long Do Maryland Crab Cakes Really Take?
Longer than the cooking time suggests. The hands-on work is short, but the shaped cakes have to rest in the refrigerator before they are cooked. Plan for that hour and the recipe is easy. Forget it and dinner is late.
| Stage | Time | What you are doing |
|---|---|---|
| Prep | 30 minutes | Mixing, folding in the crab and shaping 6 cakes |
| Chill | At least 1 hour | Nothing. The cakes firm up in the refrigerator |
| Cook | 10 minutes | 3 to 5 minutes per side in the skillet |
| In all | About 100 minutes | Most of it hands-off |
The chill is not optional. A crab cake with this little filler is loose and delicate when it is first shaped. Cold firms up the mayonnaise and egg and gives the panko time to absorb moisture, so the cake holds its shape when you turn it.
You may see this kind of crab cake listed at 40 minutes. That figure covers prep and cooking only, and leaves out the hour in the refrigerator.
Tips for Success
How do I keep the crab in lumps?
Mix all the wet ingredients and seasonings first. Then add the crab and panko and fold with a rubber spatula, turning the mixture over on itself just until combined. Do not stir.
How do I shape the cakes?
Scoop about 1/2 cup of the mixture for each cake and press it together gently with your hands. Do not pack it tight.
How do I know they are cooked?
They are golden brown on both sides, and a food thermometer in the center reads 160°F.
How do I turn them without breaking them?
Use a thin, wide spatula and turn each cake once. Leave them alone while the first side browns.
Can I use a different kind of crab meat?
Lump crab meat gives the big pieces these cakes are known for. Backfin is the usual stand-in when lump is hard to find.
How Do You Cook a Maryland Crab Cake?
Here, in a skillet. A large nonstick pan is coated with oil and set over medium heat, and the chilled cakes cook for 3 to 5 minutes per side until golden brown. Medium heat matters. A pan that is too hot browns the outside before the center is hot.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate leftover crab cakes within 2 hours, in shallow, covered containers. They keep for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator or 3 to 4 months in the freezer. Thaw in the refrigerator, not on the counter. Reheat to 165°F. Keep the tartar sauce covered in the refrigerator.
What to Serve With It
Serve crab cakes with lemon wedges, coleslaw or corn on the cob. For a full seafood menu, start with slow cooker crab dip with butter and add lobster, crab and shrimp macaroni and cheese. A citrus dessert is a nice finish: try the slow cooker key lime cake, the lemon poke cake, a lemon blueberry cake or the slow cooker pineapple cream cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you cook a Maryland crab cake?
In an oiled skillet over medium heat, for 3 to 5 minutes per side, until golden brown and 160°F in the center.
Why must these low-filler cakes chill, and is that time included in the listed total?
Chilling for at least 1 hour helps the cakes set so they do not fall apart. It is included in the total of about 100 minutes shown here.
How many crab cakes does it make?
Six large cakes, about 1/2 cup of mixture each.
What goes in the tartar sauce?
Mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, Dijon mustard, minced red onion and lemon juice, with salt and pepper.
Final Notes
I shape the cakes in the morning and leave them covered in the refrigerator, so supper is 10 minutes at the stove. If you make them, leave a comment to tell me how they turned out or ask a question.
Maryland Crab Cakes
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Ingredients
- 2 eggs large, for the crab cakes
- 2 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise for the crab cakes
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard for the crab cakes
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon salt for the crab cakes
- 1/4 cup celery finely diced
- 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley fresh, finely chopped
- 1 pound lump crab meat check for hard cartilage
- 1/2 cup panko
- vegetable or canola oil for coating the skillet
- 1 cup mayonnaise for the tartar sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish for the tartar sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard for the tartar sauce
- 1 tablespoon red onion minced, for the tartar sauce
- 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice to taste, for the tartar sauce
- salt and black pepper to taste, for the tartar sauce
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- In a large bowl, mix the eggs, 2 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay, 1/4 teaspoon salt, celery and parsley. Add the crab meat and panko. Fold gently with a rubber spatula until just combined, without shredding the crab. Shape into 6 cakes, about 1/2 cup each, and set them on the sheet.
- Cover and refrigerate the cakes for at least 1 hour to help them set.
- Whisk together the 1 cup mayonnaise, relish, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, red onion and lemon juice. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Cover and chill until serving.
- Coat a large nonstick skillet with oil and heat over medium heat. When the oil is hot, cook the crab cakes until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side, taking care as the oil may splatter. Check the center with a food thermometer for 160°F, because the cakes contain egg. Serve warm with the tartar sauce.
