Description
This Old Bay Crab Cakes recipe delivers plump, flavorful crab cakes seasoned perfectly with Old Bay and complemented by a lively Cajun aioli. Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, these crab cakes make a classic seafood appetizer bursting with succulent crab meat and fresh herbs.
Ingredients
Scale
Crab Cakes
- 2 large Eggs; beaten
- 1/4 cup Mayonnaise
- 3 Tbsp Chives or Green Onions; finely sliced
- 1 Tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
- 3 Tbsp fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Tbsp fresh Dill; chopped
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground Black Pepper
- 1 1/2 lb Dungeness Crab Meat
- 1 cup buttery Crackers; crushed
- 1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
- 2 Tbsp Butter
- 2 Tbsp Avocado Oil
Cajun Aioli Sauce
- 1 Egg
- 2 tsp Champagne Vinegar or White Wine Vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup light-flavored Oil
- 2 tsp Garlic; finely grated using a microplane
- 1 Tbsp Capers with a bit of brine (or substitute pickle relish)
- 2 Tbsp Cajun Seasoning
To Serve
- Crab Sauce
- Spring Mix
- Lemon Wedges
- Extra Dill
Instructions
- Prepare Crab Mixture: Add the beaten eggs, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay seasoning, black pepper, chives, and chopped dill into a large mixing bowl. Mix until well combined, ensuring the flavors meld together evenly.
- Fold in Crab Meat and Cracker Crumbs: Gently fold in the Dungeness crab meat and the crushed buttery crackers into the mixture without over-mixing to avoid breaking up the crab meat. Form the mixture into 6 even crab cakes.
- Chill Crab Cakes: Place the formed crab cakes onto a parchment-lined sheet pan. Cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour or overnight to help them set and develop flavor.
- Prepare for Frying: Heat butter and avocado oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Press panko bread crumbs onto both sides of each crab cake to create a crispy coating.
- Fry Crab Cakes: Fry the crab cakes in the hot butter and oil, cooking about 5 minutes per side until they are golden brown and crisp on both sides. Adjust heat as needed to avoid burning while fully cooking through.
- Make Cajun Aioli Sauce: While the crab cakes are frying, place the egg, champagne vinegar, Dijon mustard, and salt into a large mason jar. Slowly pour the light-flavored oil over the top, allowing ingredients to separate into layers.
- Emulsify Sauce: Firmly press an immersion blender into the jar and blend for 30 seconds, starting the emulsification process. Move the blender up and down slowly to fully combine and thicken the sauce into a creamy aioli.
- Finish Sauce: Stir in the finely grated garlic, capers with brine, and Cajun seasoning to complete the flavorful Cajun aioli.
- Serve: Plate the crab cakes on a bed of spring mix, garnish with lemon wedges and extra dill, and serve with a generous dollop of the Cajun aioli sauce.
Notes
- Use fresh lump crab meat for the best texture and flavor in your crab cakes.
- Press panko bread crumbs firmly to the crab cakes for an extra crispy crust when frying.
- Refrigeration time helps the crab cakes hold together better during frying and enhances flavor.
- The Cajun aioli sauce can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- If you prefer a lighter option, bake the crab cakes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Adjust Old Bay seasoning and Cajun seasoning amounts to your taste preference for spiciness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 crab cake
- Calories: 835 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 2499 mg
- Fat: 63 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 50 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 42 g
- Cholesterol: 230 mg
