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.
Any idea how many crackers in grams please. I can’t get saltines here so have no idea what the correct measurement is or how wet the mixture needs to be to just simply guesstimate. (I don’t understand why you took the time to give corect metric conversions and then simply missed one ingredient off and a main one at that!)
Thank you for catching that! 2/3 cup of crushed Saltines is about 41g. If you use another type of cracker, I recommend the same weight.
This crab cake recipe has been absolute “go to” this past year. I do cheat a little and combine a can of jumbo lump with the fresh jumbo lump as the fresh is $25. This recipe is delicious though. My husband doesn’t even like crab cakes (because of too much filler) so he LOVES these! If you make these ahead and let them “sit”’for about 24 hours, the flavors develop even more, though I have made these with almost no “sit” time and they are still delicious. Bake or roast some potatoes, fix a nice salad and you have yourself a delicious meal!
Can you use canned crab for this or is that taboo?
I make a vegan version of these, using a product called Just Egg, (made from mung beans) which is literally just like eggs. Use vegan mayonnaise and wprstershire sauce. Ii add lemon juice and vegan butter. My favorite brand is Wayfare. Have made with and without the parsley. Works great either way. I use a 1/2 cup scooper (like a huge ice cream scooper) and bake them at 350° for 40 minutes. These turn out fantastic!
I also make a Remoulade sauce with vegan ingredients: mayo, worstershire sauce, dijon mustard, butter, lemon that works perfectly.
Sally, These are amazing!!! We just moved to the Oregon coast and started crabbing. I have never made crab cakes before, this recipe is fabulous, easy and the results are amazing! Thank you so much.
Made these tonight and they were fabulous.
I just made these again last night for family get together…. I splurged and got the Jumbo lump crab (ouch prices are high!)… I let them marinate in fridge for 24 hrs.. I again flattened them (gently) for use on my flat top. Perfection. They outer crunch is amazing considering how little filler there is. I Paired it with Grilled asparagus, and Roasted red potatoes… Ive now shared your recipe with over 15 people… ITS THAT GOOD! This is going to be our new Christmas dinner, never thought Id swap out my chicken Parm on Christmas for a crabcake!!Thanks again.
Can’t wait to make these for my daughter because she loves crab cakes so much!
Thank you
Best crab cakes ever! These were by far the best crab cakes my husband and I have ever eaten! Far superior to a restaurant who puts all those unnecessary fillers in. I followed the recipe to a T except for the melted butter at the end, I sprayed them with the olive oil spray I used to coat the baking sheet!!! Please try this recipe you won’t be disappointed!
My Daughter challenged me to make crab cakes and I made some crab cakes tonight, the flavor is absolutely AMAZING!!! I’m so happy I came across the recipe…This recipe is a keeper, thank you so much!!
I just made these tonight. I was looking for a remoulade suggestion. Omfg these need nothing absolutely nothing on the side. Sally they were insane!!!
I have 10 girls coming for my daughters 21st. She had one tonight and all I heard was mmmm mmmm mmm.
I did mine on the flat top. I added a 17th cracker maybe that was the binding force … but they didn’t break at all when I flipped. THEY ARE AMAZING ! I wish I could post a pic.
And I’m following up tonight. Last night I made three on the flat top. Tonight I had 3 more left. All I heard was omg the flavor tonight was so much better than last night. You made me a superstar!! Thanks again!!
We’re so thrilled these crab cakes are such a hit for you, Jim!
Hi! Can you substitute Ritz crackers?
This is my go-to recipe for guests, especially lunch guests. I usually serve with caprese salad and roasted broccoli and garlic. Everyone loves it. Do you happen to have the nutritional information for it? I am particularly interested in calories and carbs. Thanks.
Hi Michelle! So glad you love this recipe. We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients, and many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients. However, there are many great online calculators where you can plug in your exact ingredients like this one: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Thanks for the calculator link!
I keep this recipe favorited so I can come back to make these crab cakes frequently! Every other recipe doesn’t come close. I love the Dijon and of course the Old Bay. Thanks for a great recipe that my family adores.
I loved this dish, it felt so fresh. However, I did not like the salad dressing at all, it was too much and clashed with the main dish I felt. As with other recipes, I thought the portion size was small, more for 2.5-3 people rather than 4 (I am small and the other 2 people were 2 11-year old boys so hardly big eaters)
what salad dressing?
Im going to make these next week for my daughter’s 21st… Anyone have a good Remoulade they’d recommend?
OMG!!! Theses are so Amazing!
We were so surprised that these “Crabby” patties (we have a toddler obsessed with SpongeBob) went over so well, especially him. We all loved them!
The only difference was we used imitation crab. This recipe is now part of our family repertoire.
Thank you so much for sharing this with the world.
A wonderful recipe with really great ratios. Many recipes are either more like a baked crab salad/dip, or a big ball of soggy crackers with a little stringy crab throughout. This is just as advertised: crab, with very little filler. I make these for my parents with a little roasted red pepper aoli.
Thank you for your kind feedback, Melissa. We’re so glad to hear that you and your parents enjoyed these crab cakes!
Can you make these a day ahead and leave in refrigerator
All the flavors really come together when you Refridgerate overnight, or at the most, 2 days. Once you try overnight patience you won’t want to go back to just 30 minutes.
Made these tonight and used disposable muffin pans — they were excellent.
These crab cakes are the BEST things I have made ! My family thought I order them from the restaurant. Truly appreciate your wonderful recipe.
Hi Sally,
I am a native Marylander and this recipe is very close to my own recipe. It looks and sounds fantastic. I am going to try. Gotta love our crabs!
We want to bake the mixture in pyrex looking glass crab shells.
Recipe sounds wonderful.
Sounds like my mother’s recipe.
Thanks.
I made these tonight. They were amazing!! The only change I made was I used townhouse crackers instead of saltines. This is definitely a keeper recipe!!
I made these exactly like the recipe for some die hard crab cake lovers, and they were a big hit. Mine did not brown on top as much as i would have liked, so I flipped them onto the platter and the bottoms were golden. Thanks for the great blog and recipe. The crab meat was $50./lb and I had anxiety about ruining it, but these were perfect.
Hi there! I’m from BMore… living in Dallas…. love to order from my fav pub to ship crab cakes…. but I’m going to give your recipe a try… I’ll let you know.
oxo
The best I’ve ever made myself!! Love the texture and how it keeps ALL the crab flavor! My daughter, who does not normally like crab cakes, loved these.
As always, absolutely superb. I made these with light mayo to save some calories and you never would’ve known the difference. I live in MD and am very seasoned as to what makes up a great crab cake and these could easily be served in a fine dining restaurant – really, the best I’ve ever had and that’s saying a lot. Thanks Sally!
Just tried this recipe while on vacation in Myrtle Beach and they were spectacular! I would have never thought to bake them versus pan-frying them, but they turned out perfectly fluffy with crispy bottoms and great crab flavor instead of the usual “deviled crab” taste. I served them with a simple remoulade but they didn’t need it! I also added more parsley and omitted the Worcestershire because our local supermarket was completely sold out! Didn’t matter, these were hands-down the best crab cakes I’ve ever had.
Thank you so much for the great review, Jim — we’re so glad the crab cakes were a hit!
I’ve made this as an appetizer and everyone LOVED it. But, now I want to make it just for dinner and need some great sides – what would be “authentic” Maryland fare (or what would just taste good with these) on the side?
Hi Christine, we love crab cakes with corn on the cob and roasted potatoes on the side.
Perfect – 2 of my favorite foods 🙂
I like sliced local tomatoes as a side and corn on the cob
I made these tonight and they were fabulous.
Oh and I used light Mayo. Think thIs recipe will definitely replace the recipe I have made for years as part of our CHRISTMAS EVE FEAST OF THE 7 FISHES
My husband and I love crab cakes, but it’s difficult to find lump crab out here in the Texas Panhandle. Crab cakes were always easy to find on menus when we lived on the East Coast, so I’d never made them from scratch before. Costco had lump crab in stock, so I jumped at the chance to finally try my hand at making them. They turned out wonderfully. I also made a cajun remoulade sauce to go with them (sorry to people from Maryland, but we had this sauce in Louisiana when my husband lived there and have never looked back).