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. (My crab dip, too!) I’m really proud of it and am so excited to share these Maryland crab cakes with you!
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.
Born and raised in MD but moved to NC in my teenage years. I’m always disappointed when I order a “MD style” crab cake at seafood places. This is the best base recipe I always go to when I want the real deal and make them myself. Rave reviews from those who are lucky enough for me to share, lol. Thank you!
This recipe is spot on
These crabcakes are spot on. I followed the recipe exactly and I wasn’t disappointed. I used the dried parsley measurement in the recipe. Saves me a 4 hour trip to the Chesapeake Bay area and helps me avoid the in-laws!
I recently moved to North Carolina from Maryland. I purchased a pound of lump crab meat and made crab cakes using this recipe. I didn’t have Old Bay Seasoning, but the crab cakes still came out great. I didn’t have saltine crackers but club crackers, and I used only 1/2 cup, as I like my crab cakes with as little filler as possible.
Will be making this again once I get my hands on the Old Bay Seasoning the next time I’m in Maryland.
Made this recipe yesterday and it was great. Not a big fan of crab cakes because most of them have too much filler – but this was really good. Husband wanted to know if he could have leftovers today – sorry all gone!!!
Best crab cakes ever!!!! Thank you, Sally !
Absouletly delicious!
64 years young MD native who has been catching crabs since early childhood. Your recipie is almost identical to our family recipie that I’m told goes back at least to my great gm. Excellent advice on the fresh ingredients and especially the high oven temp. We like to use a preheated pizza stone. Also let the mixed ingredients rest overnight prior to assembling the cakes. You did leave out the most important component. Fresh caught MD crabmeat. Call me a snob, but pasteurized crabmeat from anywhere but mid Chesapeake Bay waters pales in comparison. If you want to get really crazy use the lump backin whole from the biggest male crabs. Thanks
I’ve made this several times and it’s a hit with family and friends. Easy to mix up and oh so easy to bake these.
Our very favorite crab patty recipe!!!!’
5 stars!!! Thank you for sharing!!!!
I just wanted to say THANK YOU for sharing this recipe. We tried it, LOVED it, and I am printing it now so I never lose it. Not only were these crab delicious, I appreciate that I can navigate to the recipe easily on your website and print the recipe by itself.
These crab cakes are hearty and can stand as an entree. (with a guilt-free salad, of course)
First of all, I thank you for this recipe! I made a few nights ago, I followed the recipe to the tee! including the Saltines and even the 1/8 tsp salt!! My boyfriend and I were so excited to take our first bite and we both were so disappointed because the crab cakes were so salty we could not eat them! I will tweak this by omitting the salt next time =) I do like the other ingredients and the basic recipe you have here is very easy and fun. Thank you
We made this for breakfast today – it is outstanding! We have beautiful fresh lump crab meat. We followed the directions and the crab cakes turned out GREAT!
Best crab cakes ever! Made exactly like the recipe except I used sprouts butter crackers and let it sit over night. I love that they were baked.
I’m not usually the kind of person to post reviews on this kind of internet content. There are already plenty of people posting and there’s no reason why another “Yum” in the sea of stuff will make a difference.
This is different. As a proud Delmarva kid now exiled to New England where people lobster > crab (heresy), I’ve been jonesing for a bushel of crabs on some newspaper or a fried crabcake as a taste of home. I finally broke down and, in spite of the fact that my chef level is “I burn cereal”, I decided to find a recipe that promised what I’d been looking for.
This was it. Even I was able to follow the instructions and make the things. They were as CLOSE to what I remember as I can imagine to the taste of childhood (and would’ve matched it if I pan-fried them instead of just baking or could’ve added some butter that we had to preclude due to a household dairy allergy).
I cannot sing the praises of this recipe enough. So much so, in fact, that I was moved to comment. So take that for the high praise that it shows.
I made these crabcakes last night and they were awesome! So easy to make.
For everyone in the DMV area that have tried this recipes where do you get your crab meat from? My bf who is from Bmore will die on his love for MD crab cakes. His favorite are from Koopers Tavern or the ones at Loch Bar. These look very close to those and I would love to try and make them for him. I live near the DC Wharf but have never bought seafood from there wondering if that’s a good place and what exactly should I ask for ?
Hi Cheryl! I was born and raised in Maryland and now live in Colorado for the past two years so I know how you feel! Nothing compares to Baltimore crab cakes! One thing I have found here in Colorado at least is getting Phillips crab meat from Costco. It is lump just like you would get from Maryland and Phillips HQ is right on the inner harbor. Hopefully that helps!
Thank you. I am not a member at this time but My daughter is, so I will give Costco a try. I will call them and other sources that have been suggested. Looking forward to making and eating crab cakes.
I am also from Baltimore…best there is Faidley’s in the Lexington Market. Check the Phillips crabmeat can for where it is fished. The Costco cans say the meat is from SE Asia. A big no in my book.
lol, tried Ritz before I even saw this and they seemed to come out a little saltier…..sticking w/saltines from now on!
Third time making these and they are a hit with the entire family! We enjoy them with lemon wedges, corn on the cob, homemade frites (real French fries), and a salad. Delicious. Very easy. Simply perfect. Overall a great recipe we will enjoy for years.
Thank you!
These were delicious!!! Just about the best I’ve had, certainly the best I’ve ever made. I love crab cakes, and this will be my favorite recipe from now on. I used 1/2 cup measuring cup and unmolded onto silicone mat, came out perfectly! Thanks again for the great recipe!
Fantastic!!! BF asked me to write it down! 🙂 Better than my go to Barefoot Contessa recipe. Did drizzle tops with melted butter and put a dot of butter on parchment paper before forming the crab cakes bc didn’t have a silicone baking mat…made clean up easy too.
I too grew up eating crabcakes in MD and the Northern Neck area of VA. These definitely satisfy the craving since I can’t get to the Corner Stable in Timonium very often. I live in San Diego now and with these and some steamed shrimp (with Old Bay of course) really take me back! Thank you for this great recipe.
These were some of the best crab cakes we have ever had, and definitely better than any I’ve ever had at home before! Thanks so much for posting…you have made a bunch of MD/PA hybrids very happy!
Oh my gosh! Used this recipe yesterday to make THE BEST CRAB CAKES EVER! Purchased some lump backfin crabmeat and used it. Absolutely delicious and easy too! Followed the recipe exactly but added a little Penzeys Black & Red pepper for a bit of heat but hardly noticed it. The subtle flavors were amazing! Refrigerated for an hour or two to firm up and brushed with melted butter before baking! A little rich but definitely a special treat! Two thumbs way up on this recipe!
These crab cakes were so good, I couldn’t believe I cooked them! Absolutely delicious…fancy restaurant quality! Thank you for making me look good!!!
We were able to get Maryland Crabs, but did not have all the ingredients.
I had to use salted matzoh, lemon pepper, and chopped corn flakes instead of Bay Seasoning. But they turned out fabulous. Thank you.
Excellent recipe! I’ve lived in Maryland for over a decade, so I can vouch for the authenticity of the taste! Recently, I had to give up gluten. It’s tough to find gluten-free crab cakes in my area, so I adapted this recipe with gluten-free ingredients with a good result. I’ll definitely be making this again!
I’m a Marylander, where lump crab crab cakes have almost risen to an art form. Now in Florida, have not found anything close to the kind of crab cake one finds in MD in local restaurants. This recipe is THE answer. After trying once, it is now my GO TO recipe. Soooo good. So very very good.
WONDERFUL!!! LOVE USING THE CRACKERS INSTEAD OF PANKO AND FOR YEARS I TRIED FRYING MY CRAB CAKES AND IT NEVER WORKED OUT FOR ME , SO BAKING THEM IN A HOT OVEN THEY CAME OUT PERFECT 1st TIME.. THANKYOU FOR SHARINGOXOXO
Loved this recipe!! I substituted brioche slic3d bread for bread crumbs! It had a fluffier texture!
We made these tonight and they were so good! They were delicate and tasty and even liked by the seafood haters in our family. I can’t eat eggs so I left the egg out and used vegan mayo and they still turned out perfectly, just a slightly smaller batch (5 crab cakes). I’ll definitely be making this one again!