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 over 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!
One reader, Lois, commented: “I am 65 years old and from southern Maryland. I have finally found the BEST crab cake recipe ever! I have tried many over the years, but this is the one! My husband and I have these for dinner twice a month. I don’t like ordering crab cakes out at restaurants anymore, because I know I can make these at home, and they always taste amazing… ★★★★★”
Another reader, Annie, commented: “Oh my! I live in Ohio and I’ve never had the opportunity to get a real Maryland crab cake. I decided to make this recipe and I’m telling you, it is the best crab cake I’ve ever had. I love crab cakes but living in the Midwest, I rarely find a crab cake that’s worth eating at a restaurant. So glad I found your recipe. ★★★★★”
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 a fabulous 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
- Asiago-crusted skillet bread
- Homemade garlic bread
For even more inspiration here are 15+ summer dinner ideas! And don’t forget the chocolate chip cookies or vanilla cupcakes for dessert!
Print
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 silicone 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 parchment paper or 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 | Silicone 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.
Reader Comments and Reviews
To freeze, do you bake the crabcakes first then freeze them or are you freezing the unbaked mixture, thawing and then cooking the crabcakes? Thank you.
Hi M, you can freeze unbaked or baked. See the recipe Notes for 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.
hi sally, can whole fat greek yogurt be used instead of mayo? thank you 😉
Hi Sonny! We haven’t tested it, and you’ll lose some flavor, but you could try Greek yogurt or sour cream instead. However, there’s so many other flavors going on (mostly crab) that the mayo isn’t as much a flavor as it is a great way to hold everything together. We do recommend sticking to the recipe for best results!
Can I broil?
Hi Laura, we do not broil here, but you could try to for the last minute or two if you prefer.
I know what Maryland crab cakes are !! These are spot on. I will make minis on Thanksgiving for an appetizer. Thank you
Hi Sally I followed this but used fresh crab claw meat I used homemade bread crumbs instead of crackers these were really good
Can I fry these crab cakes instead of baking them?
Hi Marie, we haven’t tried deep frying these crab cakes so we’re unsure of how they’d do — let us know if you do give it a try!
Hi Sally, recipe sounds delicious and easy. I want to bring to a get together, can I cook at home and then reheat a few minutes at the hostess’s home? Thanks.
Can’t see why not, Sharon!
AWESOME RECIPE.. WILL make this Again. EVERYONE LOVED THEM
This is the best crabcake! Easy to make and outstanding results. I make just as recipe shows and they always come out delicious. Thanks for sharing!
Really fantastic, I used ritz crackers because I didn’t have saltines, my guests raved about them… I have found my crab cake recipe
To double the recipe using 2 # of lump crab meat, would all the other ingredients be doubled as well?
Hi Lorraine, yes, you should be able to double all of the ingredients without any problems.
Do you have preferred sauce?
I’d don’t comment on many recipes online, but I’ve made this one so many times, I just have to. It’s THAT good! After living in MD for 15 years and moving away a few years ago, I’ve never found anything that comes close to these. In fact, these are as good as my favorites at a restaurant outside Baltimore. Don’t substitute a thing. They’re perfect as is. I find I have to bake a bit longer and then broil the tops to get that perfect finish, but other than that, follow the recipe exactly and you wont be disappointed….I promise!
These are great! I make them just as the recipe says but don’t add the Old Bay. I have gotten so many requests for the recipe. We are having a big party on Labor Day and have a Gluten Free family member, I used Shar saltines I hope they come out the same! Also for anyone that is making these gluten free, I didn’t realize not all Worcestershire Sauce are gluten free but the Lea and Perrins brand is.
Fingers crossed for the gluten free version!
not so good, it may be the baking after a half hour at 450 they were still mushy inside, lack of flavoring bay spice doesn’t quite do it on its own, and I used a lot 1 tablespoon
I didn’t have crackers so made some whole grain breadcrumbs and eliminated the Worcestire sauce. Also upped the Old Bay to 1.5 teaspoons. They were delicious!
Sally – my sister-in-law sent me your recipe. I have lump crabmeat and I am planning to make your recipe tonight. I don’t have saltine crackers in the house. Do you think think would be ok?
So happy to have found your site. I’ll leave a review after we have them.
Hi PattyH! We don’t recommend leaving the crackers out. You could use Ritz crackers instead if you have those!
Thanks, Trina!
I had a typo in my original comment – I meant to ask if I could use Ritz crackers as that is what I had in the house. And I did use them.
The recipe came out perfectly! We really enjoyed the crab cakes. Thank you.
I’ll give saltines a try next time.
I cut the Worcester, mustard , lemon juice, spice in half. Kind of overpowering the delicate flavor of the Chesapeake Bay lump crab meat. I also removed the salt from the recipe didn’t need it really.
I can only buy frozen lump crabmeat in my local fish markets. Please comment on using frozen crabmeat. Thank you.
Hi MB Wade, frozen is great! Just thaw and drain excess liquid before using in this recipe.
Wondering what the nutrition is perr regular ctab cake.
Hi Saroj, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Did your crab cake recipe
Raves came in from local eastern shore people
Thanks
My husband, who grew up on the shore of the Delaware Bay, whose mom was an excellent cook, who has eaten more crabcakes than most people, says these are the absolute best crabcakes he has had. And that says a lot.
I made these and made sure I had enough to freeze. They freeze WELL! It was so nice to have on hand, especially for company. I LOVE treating my friends and they LOVED them. I LOVE how all we have to do is FOLLOW your directions and THERE YOU GO! Thank you for ANOTHER easy yet great recipe!
Love this recipe, I have been around the country, East Coast to West Coast and these are the best imo. Friends and family can’t stop talking about these crab cakes. I also regularly make a lot of your other recipes, I love to bake and Sally’s Addiction is now my addiction
Hubby and I treated ourselves to the good stuff, real lump crabmeat. This recipe was the absolute best! Held together, moist, meaty and perfectly seasoned.
I made these last night for company. Baking in the oven was so easy. I doubted the temperature but I was wrong you were right! The one thing I added was a couple tablespoons of minced celery because I love celery. Oh, and my guests loved them!
Hey Sally – I made these and followed your recipe but am not a fan. Lived on the Chesapeake all my life and have had many crab cakes. The best are minimalistic to really just enough ingredients to hold the cake together. These, I felt, have way too much going on… too many ingredients, binders, spices, etc. Overpowered the delicate crabmeat. Keep it simple – only a little binder to hold it together.
I think the amount of binder and spices are perfect. I have lived on the Chesapeake Bay for decades and this is the best recipe by far. I do mix and leave them overnight before making them.
We just made these and they are delicious. I added a tsp or so more of Old Bay in the second batch as I thought it could use more of that flavor. Both batches turned out great! I used frozen crab meat, so I had to squeeze out the excess water prior to using.
55 years old born, raised and still live in Maryland we go crabbing on the weekends, we live around the water, FIRST time I have ever made crab cakes because my husband is a crab cake snob, he loves G & M Restaurant and Pappa’s crabcakes if you live here you know… anyway made these last night only thing I didn’t have Dijon used yellow his response KEEP THAT RECIPE they are very good tasting 🙂 after mixing I put them in the fridge for 5/6 hours to let them absorb the glue to keep them together Thanks SALLY
I highly recommend this recipe! I seldom order crab cakes in a restaurant because I’m almost always disappointed in them. Will definitely be making these again!
We love your crabcakes! Now I need to make them gluten free. Any advice?
Hi Sally, Other readers have reported using similar gluten free crackers or gluten free bread crumbs in the place of the crackers in this recipe. Let us know what you try!