These Maryland crab cakes get the stamp of approval from locals and out-of-towners alike. This classic lump crab cake recipe combines the flavors of lemon, parsley, and Old Bay seasoning, but the most flavor comes from the crab meat itself. For the best texture, use lump crab meat, very little filler, and bake the cakes in a very hot oven.
I’ve lived in Maryland for half my life and say with 100% honesty that crab cakes are as essential as the air this state breathes. My husband was born and raised here and has crab-feasting down to a science. Crab isn’t just food, it’s a way of life here. I’ve served these particular crab cakes to locals and out-of-towners alike, all of whom rave about the recipe. I’m really proud of it and am so excited to share these Maryland crab cakes with you!
I’ve also published solid recipes for Maryland crab soup as well as crab dip!
Overview: How to Make Maryland Crab Cakes
Crab cakes make a wonderful main dish or even as a sandwich on a toasted bun. If shaped smaller, mini crab cakes are an awesome finger food. With this recipe, you can be confident that you ALWAYS have a quick dinner recipe in your back pocket, as well as an impressive crowd-pleasing appetizer. They make great leftovers, too.
The full written recipe is below, but here’s an overview.
- Whisk the flavors and binders together.
- Add the crab meat & filler.
- Very gently mix together: Fold the ingredients together slowly and carefully. If over-mixed, the lump crab meat will break apart.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes: This is a key step in the recipe. Make sure the crab cake mixture is cold before you shape it into individual cakes. There is little filler in this recipe, so the cakes will fall apart if the mixture is not refrigerated before cooking.
- Grease baking pan & preheat oven. The oven gets pretty hot, so I don’t recommend using parchment paper. Grease the pan or use a silicone baking mat.
- Portion into cakes: Use a 1/2 cup measuring cup to scoop and portion out the mixture. Form into individual cakes. Place on the greased baking sheet.
- Bake: Bake the cakes on very high heat for about 12–14 minutes.
Baking vs. Sautéing: Some cook crab cakes on the stove, but I prefer the baking method. When cooked on the stove, crab cakes are often flattened into patties so the center cooks. For thick jumbo-style crab cakes, I recommend baking them in the oven at a high temperature. They cook very quickly and remain extra plump.
Types of Crab Meat
- Jumbo Lump: Jumbo lump crab meat is off-white and comes from the crab’s swimmer fin muscles. Crabs only have 2 of these muscles, so you need a lot of crabs to make a serving of jumbo lump crab meat. This is why it’s the most expensive type. It’s very sturdy and is wonderful served alone or as a topping for dishes or salads.
- Lump: Lump crab meat is also off-white, but a bit smaller than jumbo lump. It’s still very sturdy and flavorful. It comes from the body of a crab and is ideal for chunky crab cakes.
- Backfin: Backfin crab meat, also known as flake crab meat, is off-white too. It also comes from the body of a crab. The term “backfin” can also include the broken pieces of lump crab meat. It’s flakier than big lumps of crab meat.
- Claw: Claw meat is darker than the other types of crab meat. It’s not as sweet, but it has a stronger flavor. Claw meat is the least expensive and is ideal for soups, dips, and stews.
Best Crab Meat for Crab Cakes
The Chesapeake Bay is home to Maryland’s famous blue crabs. Opinions vary on what the best-tasting crab variety is, and it’s usually determined by where you live. Maryland crabs are known for their delicately sweet, buttery flavor, and Dungeness crabs, found on the West Coast, are known for their impressive size and meatier texture. If you aren’t steaming your own crabs for crab meat, let me help you navigate which crab meat is best for crab cakes.
Whichever crab variety you use, make sure you purchase crab meat labeled “hand-picked” or “fresh-picked,” which means that the crab meat has been picked through for shells and cartilage. (Still, it’s good practice to gently run your hands through the meat for any hard cartilage remnants.)
Crab meat sold out of the shell has been cooked and can be consumed. It’s very rare to find raw crab meat sold out of the shell—it’s almost always cooked before it’s picked out of the shell. At the market, you can find canned, frozen, or fresh (refrigerated) crab meat. Unrefrigerated canned crab meat doesn’t have an ideal flavor for crab cakes. If you need to use canned, look for canned crab meat in the refrigerated section of your market. The fresher the crab meat, the better the crab cake will taste. Ask your grocer where to find the freshest crab meat in the store. I purchase fresh crab meat sold in a 1-pound tub from the seafood counter in my grocery store. Sometimes the tubs are behind the glass or found on ice next to the seafood counter.
For the absolute best crab cake (and crab dip!), I recommend using lump crab meat or a mix of lump crab meat and backfin meat. Lump crab meat guarantees those big, mouthwatering bites of crab. Don’t worry, all the other ingredients are pretty inexpensive.
Ingredients in Maryland Crab Cakes
Let’s walk through each ingredient so you understand its importance. While there are a few flavorful and binding ingredients, the real star of this crab cake is the crab itself. These flavors and binders simply enhance the true taste of crab.
- Egg: Egg is the main binding ingredient in crab cakes.
- Mayonnaise: Mayonnaise is another binding ingredient. I don’t like mayonnaise and I LOVE these crab cakes, so if you aren’t a mayo person, don’t worry. You can’t taste it.
- Fresh Parsley: Fresh herbs are a MUST in crab cakes. Sometimes recipes or restaurants use dill, but fresh parsley is most common. If needed, you can use dried parsley.
- Dijon Mustard: Dijon mustard is another must-have ingredient in crab cakes. I don’t recommend any other type of mustard—just dijon.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Just a small amount provides big flavor, just as it does in chicken meatballs, black bean burgers, and beer cheese dip.
- Old Bay Seasoning: What is Maryland crab without locally made Old Bay seasoning???
- Lemon Juice & Salt: Fresh, balancing flavors.
- Crab Meat: The leading role in the whole recipe.
- Cracker Crumbs: Drumroll please… the filler in this crab cake recipe is cracker crumbs. There is so much debate on what the best filler is and, trust me, some of the best crab cakes are made with CRACKERS! See more below.
Since we’re baking the crab cakes and not sautéing them in butter or oil, brush the cakes with a little melted butter prior to baking. This tiny addition gives them that unmistakeable restaurant flavor. When they come out of the oven, squeeze a little lemon juice on top!
Crab Cake Filler
While we have binding ingredients like mayonnaise and egg, crab cakes need a filler so they remain intact when cooked. And this is where people are very opinionated: what is the best filler? I’ve tested many and have even asked popular restaurants to spill the beans—most are very secretive about the crab cake ingredients they use! My #1 crab cake filler choice is cracker crumbs—specifically, saltine cracker crumbs. Bread crumbs are flavorless and too crunchy. Go for the saltines! To make the crumbs, you can place the crackers in a zipped-top bag and crush the heck out of them with a rolling pin, or you can use a little ninja, a big food processor, or even a blender.
What to Serve With Crab Cakes
Keep it simple and serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon. These Maryland crab cakes are so juicy and flavorful that they don’t need tartar sauce or cocktail sauce, but both are popular finishing touches. (I love a touch of cocktail sauce with mine.) If you’re making crab cakes for a big family meal or on your menu of Memorial Day recipes, here’s what I recommend serving with your crab cake dinner:
- Cornbread and/or corn on the cob
- Caesar salad
- Baked potatoes or roasted potatoes
- Zucchini casserole
- Steamed vegetables
- Dinner rolls
- Coleslaw
For even more inspiration here are 15+ summer dinner ideas! And don’t forget the chocolate chip cookies or vanilla cupcakes for dessert!
PrintMaryland Crab Cakes Recipe (Little Filler)
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 6 large crab cakes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
For the best texture, use lump crab meat, little filler, and bake the cakes in a very hot oven. Serve with lemon wedges, a garnish of chopped parsley, and/or cocktail sauce or tartar sauce. For more success tips and to learn which crab meat to use, see blog post above.
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup (60g) mayonnaise
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (or 2 teaspoons dried)
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning (up to 1 and 1/2 teaspoons for a spicier kick)
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, plus more for serving
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 pound (454g) fresh lump crab meat*
- 2/3 cup (41g) saltine cracker crumbs (about 17–18 2-inch crackers)
- optional: 2 Tablespoons (30g) melted salted or unsalted butter
Instructions
- Whisk the egg, mayonnaise, parsley, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay, lemon juice, and salt together in a large bowl. Place the crab meat on top, followed by the cracker crumbs. With a rubber spatula or large spoon, very gently and carefully fold together. You don’t want to break up that crab meat.
- Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day.
- Preheat oven to 450°F (232°C). Generously grease a rimmed baking sheet with butter or nonstick spray, or line with a silicone baking mat.
- Using a 1/2 cup measuring cup, portion the crab cake mixture into 6 mounds on the baking sheet. (Don’t flatten!) Use your hands or a spoon to compact each individual mound so there aren’t any lumps sticking out or falling apart. For extra flavor, brush each top with melted butter. This is optional but recommended!
- Bake for 12–14 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges and on top. Drizzle each with fresh lemon juice and serve warm.
- Cover leftover crab cakes tightly and refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: You can freeze the portioned unbaked crab cakes for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, brush with melted butter, then bake as directed. You can also freeze the baked and cooled crab cakes for up to 3 months. Thaw, then warm up in a 350°F (177°C) oven for 10–15 minutes or until warmed throughout. Or bake the frozen crab cakes at 350°F (177°C) for about 25–30 minutes.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Rubber Spatula | Baking Sheet | Silicone Baking Mat | Pastry Brush
- Which Crab Meat to Use: For any questions regarding which crab meat to use, see Best Crab Meat for Crab Cakes in the blog post above. I highly recommend fresh (refrigerated) lump crab meat.
- Smaller Sizes: For smaller crab cakes, divide the mixture into 12 1/4-cup portions. For mini crab cakes, divide into 24 2-Tablespoon-size portions. Bake at the same oven temperature. The bake time is shorter for these smaller sizes. The crab cakes are done when the tops and edges are lightly browned.
I’ve been using this recipe for over a year. When the restaurants were closed last March and really wanted to step up my home prepared meals. The only changes I have made were to use NutThins gluten free sea salt crackers and added a little olive oil to the mayonnaise. I get Fresh Dungeness Crab meat from my local market. These crab cakes are better than West Coast Restaurant crab cakes.
This recipe sounds wonderful….have you tried air frying???
Hi Lisa, We haven’t tested these crab cakes using an air fryer, but do know some readers have had success with it. If you do give it a try, we’d love to know how it goes!
I made these tonight and they were a hit. I wish I could post pics. Followed the recipe exactly. I also want to compliment you on the level of detail and guidance you provided….it set up a recipe cook like me for success. I had asked last night if I could use air fryer. At the time I had not read the recipe and “assumed” they were deep fried. I didn’t use the air fryer. They were delish….can’t believe how easy. Next time I may try to sub some of the mayo with Greek yogurt and add a bit more bay seasoning for the kick. I served with a black bean and corn relish.
Best recipe ever
Thank you very much for this recipe. I doubled it up and used 1lb of lump crab and 1lb of jumbo lump crab. The only change I did was to make them into 4 oz balls rather than cakes, sprinkle some paprika on top and some melted butter before putting them into the oven to give some color and aid in browning.
I have to say, these were the best crabcakes I’ve ever had, and I’ve had them all over the country. Luckily the crab I used was really fresh, the jumbo lumps were huge, and they were just perfect. My girlfriend was skeptical when I made them balled up, but her mood quickly changed after she took a couple of bites. We each had 2 4oz crabcakes as dinner along with a side microgreen salad with a lemon vinaigrette and I make a garlic-lemon aioli to go with it. She raved about how good these are. I spent 35.00 on just the crab, so I’m glad I found this recipe and they turned out so well.
Thank you!
OMG – delicious! I served them with a dill sauce. They were fantastic!
I needed a star for a special meal while hosting a number of allergy sensitive guests. I was able to easily transform this recipe to a gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, nut-free recipe by only adjusting three ingredients and a few amounts. The mayonnaise, butter, and the crackers are the challenges. I had to go to avocado mayo but I didn’t want to pick up the avocado flavor. I bumped all ingredients by half (so 1.5 lbs of crab, etc) except the mayo which I replaced with only 1/4 cup of avacado mayo, and I doubled to two eggs. For the crackers crumbs , I used Vans store bought allergy-friendly crackers. For the melted butter I used soy-free Earth Balance dairy-free ‘butter’. I did everything else exactly as described. The results were fantastic. No one would have known that I made the substitutions, and that is not the normal outcome with most recipes. Thank you!!
Love these crabcakes. I substituted the crackers with with Gluten Free Breadsticks and the crabcakes came out perfect. My husband and I loved them. I’ve tried many different recipes and this one is a KEEPER! thank you,
Followed this recipe to the T….. used super lump crab meat… these are restaurant quality crab cakes. Because of the little filler, you can really enjoy the taste of the crab meat with just enough seasoning to accent the crab meat. I will never try another recipe now that I have tried this one…. Thanks Sally!!!!
Marylander, here! I knew the moment I saw the word “crackers” that these would be authentic and delicious. I was right! We devour these anytime I make then.
When my brother-in-law, who lives in Indiana, asked me about making crab cakes, I didn’t even bother to try and explain it to him. I just sent him here. Not just for the recipe, but for the information as well.
Another native Marylander commenting here… Fantastic! If you follow the recipe and invest in high quality lump crab meat these crab cakes are as good or better than those served at the best Chesapeake Bay area restaurants.
Another Marylander commenting here… Fantastic! If you follow the recipe and invest in high quality lump crab meat these crab cakes are as good or better than those served at the best Chesapeake Bay restaurants.
Wooohooo these were delicious!!! amazing recipe, thank you for another winner dish!
The best I have ever made! A keeper!!
I made these yesterday for the first time. I followed the instructions to the letter. Mine turned out a tad dry and the bottoms crisped (used foil and butter on the sheet pan). What might try differently next time? Oh and I used Ritz cracker because that’s what I had.
Hello! If your crab cakes turned out a little dry and extra crisp, it’s quite possible that they were simply baked for too long or at too hot a temperature. Try reducing the bake time by a few minutes next time and keep an eye on them. You want the edges just lightly browned. Thank you so much for giving these a try!
Followed the recipe and these were delicious, came out perfect.
I am making an update to my previous comment which I rated 3 stars. I believe when you complain you should also comment when it goes well. After making the few adjustments with the filler and adding more old bay (a little too much but that was my fault) I can now call this my favorite crab cake recipe. I baked it rather ran frying or sautéing because I would like to find a good alternative to frying. Thanks so much!
Townhouse butter crackers added a little more sweet butter flavor than saltines. Overall outstanding recipe and best crab cake I’ve had. Coming from a southern MD family that has personally had probly over ten bushels myself over my lifetime. Use all backfin for filet mignonette of crabmeat
This is the absolute best crab cake recipe ever, hands down. Restaurant quality.
Awesome recipe. Made them once with crab, then the next time I used some leftover baked salmon instead and they were a huge hit as salmon cakes. Even my picky eaters loved them.
To quote my grown kids: “This is stupid good!” Fantastic recipe, thanks!
Just made these tonight; they are fantastic!
One of the best crabcake recipes I’ve made! Tried some variations…substituted canned chunk chicken breast…added sautéed bell peppers and onions (added additionalegg and mayo to helpbind). Each worked well.
This is my go to recipe for crab cakes. Absolutely delicious!
Delicious crab cakes! They were so easy to make, I followed the recipe as is. Served with lemon as suggested. Perfect! I made the mix a few hours before I needed to bake them which saved me time. My husband is not a crab cake lover at all and he LOVED them! He said he’d eat them anytime! Thanks for the healthier version of crab cakes.
I am very picky when it comes to crab cakes. This turned out absolutely delicious!
An amazing, easy, and versatile recipe! I was looking for a tasty, but simple crab cake recipe that I could do a bit of tweaking too. This was it! I did make a few changes.
I added grated shallots and a high quality brand jar of roast red peppers drained well and diced small(you just need a little for taste color). I sauteed the shallots and peppers in a little garlic olive oil, and cooled before adding to the egg mixture. Instead of the saltines I used a high quality gourmet butter cracker for extra flavor, and used a bit less then the recipe calls for of the crackers, maybe about 8-9 tablespoons. I also omitted the bay seasoning, and used my own seasoning blend of garlic salt, Hungarian paprika, celery salt, and fresh ground black pepper. I also added 2 tablespoons of melted salted butter mixed with a tablespoon of garlic paste, and added that directly to the egg mixture(make sure to temper your mixture as to not scramble the egg). I also pan fried with 1 part olive oil and one part salted butter. It turned out wonderful. I served it with a simple salad, and a New Orleans style remoulade. I definitely plan to make again soon, and see what other combinations I can come up with, because it’s simple and not expensive. Thank you for this recipe.
I was excited to try this recipe but was disappointed. It calls for entirely too much filler – way more than I generally use. Also, despite all the spice it was not that flavorful and took longer than 12-14 minutes to bake. I generally fry but wanted to follow the recipe as provided. I will try again but reduce the amount of filler significantly, use different spices and fry rather than bake.
The BEST homemade crab cake recipe! This is the second time that I am making these crab cakes. I added a bit more old bay bc I love the extra kick. I’m also tripling the recipe bc I am also using the mixture to stuff baby bella mushrooms as well. The cakes and mushrooms will be served with a side salad as well. This recipe is easy to tinker with. The first time, I added finely diced bell peppers and mushroom to the mixture. It was excellent. This time, I am just following the recipe. A little side note…. You can use steak sauce in place of the Worcestershire sauce. Just use half to a third of what the recipe calls for bc it is thick BUT it gives just as much flavor.
These are phenomenal! I used Ritz crackers because that’s what I had on hand. I was only able to get 5 cakes, but they were one of the best I’ve ever had. Thanks for sharing.
First time making crab cakes and they were delicious! I forgot to put the butter on them but no one seem to notice.
I used Ritz instead of Saltine crackers and it gives a buttery flavor. Old Bay is salty enough so I rather a little more Old Bay and no additional salt. I’ve done this recipe twice to great delight.
BTW, I am from Maryland and this is exactly how we like them. 🙂