Maryland Crab Cakes Recipe

Maryland-style crab cakes shouldn't be loaded up with an excess of filler. This recipe keeps the focus squarely on the crab.

By
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Senior Culinary Director
Daniel joined the Serious Eats culinary team in 2014 and writes recipes, equipment reviews, articles on cooking techniques. Prior to that he was a food editor at Food & Wine magazine, and the staff writer for Time Out New York's restaurant and bars section.
Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Updated Apr. 15, 2020
20170504-maryland-crab-cakes-vicky-wasik-16-edit.jpg
Vicky Wasik

Why It Works

  • Lump blue crabmeat offers a good proportion of large chunks.
  • Panko bread crumbs are the perfect binder: light, airy, and flavorless enough to disappear into the cakes.
  • Mayo and egg help hold the cakes together and add moisture.

Real Maryland crab cakes are all about the pure indulgence of lump crab, with as little filler and breading as possible to get in the way—just enough to keep them from falling apart. Here's how to make crab cakes so that they come out deeply flavorful, with large chunks of perfectly seasoned crabmeat, every time. To be honest, they're so good that they don't even really need the lemon wedge, or condiments like tartar sauce.

Recipe Facts

3.9

(13)

Active: 20 mins
Total: 20 mins
Serves: 4 servings

Rate & Comment

Ingredients

  • 1 pound (450g) lump blue crabmeat, picked over for shells

  • 1/3 cup (80ml) mayonnaise

  • 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs (1 ounce; 30g)

  • 1 large egg, beaten

  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) Dijon mustard

  • 2 teaspoons (10ml) Worcestershire sauce

  • 4 dashes Tabasco

  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil and/or unsalted butter (45ml/45g), plus more as needed (if pan-frying)

  • Lemon wedges, for serving

  • Tartar sauce, for serving (optional)

Directions

  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine half of crabmeat with mayonnaise, panko, egg, mustard, Worcestershire, Tabasco, and paprika. Season with salt and pepper and stir until thoroughly combined.

  2. Gently fold in remaining half of crabmeat until just combined; try not to break apart the lumps of meat any more than necessary as you stir.

  3. If pan-frying, form crab mixture into patties and arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet. In a large cast iron or nonstick skillet, heat oil (and/or butter) over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add patties and cook, rotating and flipping occasionally for even browning, until browned and crispy on both sides, about 10 minutes. Lower heat at any point to prevent burning, and add more oil or butter as needed if pan goes dry.

  4. If broiling, line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and preheat broiler. Form the crab mixture into handball-size balls and mound on the prepared baking sheet. Broil about 5 inches from the broiler element until well browned on top and heated through, about 4 minutes.

  5. Serve right away with lemon wedges and tartar sauce, if desired.

Special equipment

Large cast iron skillet or nonstick skillet, rimmed baking sheet

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
415 Calories
27g Fat
22g Carbs
25g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 415
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 27g 35%
Saturated Fat 4g 19%
Cholesterol 164mg 55%
Sodium 1124mg 49%
Total Carbohydrate 22g 8%
Dietary Fiber 5g 19%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 25g
Vitamin C 94mg 468%
Calcium 178mg 14%
Iron 3mg 14%
Potassium 603mg 13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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