My Jersey Shore Famous Crab Cakes Recipe is made with very little filler and lightly seasoned with Old Bay, cooked to a golden brown. Every bite is packed with crab meat, and the best part is that these delicious crab cakes can be on your dinner table in about 30 minutes.
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If you've ever dreamed of serving up restaurant-quality crab cakes right at home, this recipe is your ticket. My easy crab cakes are packed with lump crab meat, seasoned to perfection, and pan-fried until golden brown.
Ingredients
Gather the ingredients to prepare our easy crab cake recipe. Culinary professionals call this the “Mise en Place,” which means "everything in its Place."
Setting up your ingredients not only helps speed up the cooking process but also ensures you have all the necessary ingredients on hand to make the recipe.
Some recipes call for a little Dijon mustard in the imperial sauce; feel free to add a teaspoon to the recipe, I sometimes do.
How to Make the Best Crab Cakes
Follow along with my simple step-by-step instructions to learn how to make the best crab cakes in your home kitchen.
- Add the mayonnaise, Old Bay, parsley, sugar, large egg, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice to a medium bowl.
- Whisk to combine.,
- Add the crabmeat, roasted red peppers, red onions, imperial sauce, and breadcrumbs to a large bowl.
- Gently mix the ingredients together, being careful not to break up the crab meat.
- Shape the mixture into portions (feel free to make them as big or small as you like)
- Dust the crabcakes with a light coating of breadcrumbs. You can use seasoned breadcrumbs, unseasoned bread crumbs, panko bread crumbs, or cracker crumbs for this crab cake recipe.
*You can even skip the breadcrumbs if you’re cutting back on carbs and broil the crab cakes.
Refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes to allow the breadcrumbs time to absorb the liquids.
- Add the crab cakes to a hot pan with a bit of cooking oil to sauté them.
- Gently turn them over and saute the other side.
- Place the finished crab cakes on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches at least 165°F.
If they do break apart, you can squeeze them back together gently to reform them.
Chef Tips
- Chill the patties for at least 30 minutes before cooking so they'll hold their shape better.
- Use panko breadcrumbs for a lighter, crunchier texture.
- Fry in a mix of butter and oil for the best flavor and browning.
Do I have to fry the crab cakes?
No, you don’t. They bake up nicely with or without the final bread crumb coating and will cook evenly in an Air Fryer.
Do I have to add onions and peppers to the crab cakes?
No, you don’t. True Maryland-style crab cakes would not contain either of these ingredients. I appreciate the added flavor that the onions bring, but in all honesty, the peppers and fresh parsley are primarily used for color.
What type of crab meat makes the best crab cakes?
Be aware of what part of the world the crab meat is coming from; crabs from the east coast of the US and the Gulf of Mexico produce the best crab meat. Crabs from other parts of the world have a distinct flavor and may come from waters of questionable quality.
The source of crab meat can be from any part of the world that has crabs, including varieties such as Blue Swimming, Dungeness, Snow, King, and, of course, my favorite, Blue Claw (note that Blue Swimming is not the same as Blue Claw).
- Jumbo lump
- Lump
- Backfin
- Claw
- Imitation crab meat
How do I make Old Bay Seasoning?
If you can’t find Old Bay at your local grocery store, it’s easy enough to make at home.
- 1 tablespoon celery salt
- 2 teaspoons ground bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 1 pinch cinnamon
- 1 pinch ginger
If you’d rather not make the seasoning, you can use the recipe as a guideline and substitute your favorite seasonings for seafood.
Then it’s just a matter of serving them up with your favorite side dish and enjoying a restaurant-style dinner that would have cost you a lot more if you had gone out to eat.
After one bite, you'll see just how simple it is to bring that restaurant-style flavor to your home kitchen. They're crispy, tender, and loaded with crab, not filler.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve our crab cakes with our classic tartar sauce, remoulade, our famous cocktail sauce, or a zesty aioli. If you want to keep it light, a squeeze of fresh lemon is all you need.
- Serve with coleslaw and fries for a Maryland-style platter.
- Pile on a soft brioche bun with lettuce and remoulade for the ultimate crab cake sandwich.
- Pair with a crisp white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc.
Recipe FAQ’s
You can either bake or fry these crab cakes. My personal preference is to saute them because I can cook them long enough to get a good color and freeze them for later dinners when I don’t feel like cooking. But if you’re trying to save calories, baking them is a good option.
Refrigerating the crabcakes before cooking is the secret to keeping them from falling apart while they’re cooking. And don't overmix the crab meat. You want the cakes to hold together but still have texture. The trick is just enough binder (like mayo, egg, and a bit of breadcrumbs) without drowning the crab.
Yes, you can. Shape the patties, cover, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before cooking. You can also pan-fry them for color and freeze them. Bake from frozen at 350°F for 20-25 minutes.
More Crabmeat Recipes You’ll Love!
Easy Crab Cakes (Restaurant-Style at Home)
Ingredients
Imperial Sauce
- ½ cup Hellmann's mayonnaise
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
- 1 squeeze fresh lemon juice
Crab cakes
- 1 lb crab meat jumbo lump, lump or claw, wild caught
- 1 tablespoon onions finely chopped (optional)
- 1 tablespoon roasted red peppers or fresh red peppers finely chopped finely chopped (optional)
- 1 tablespoon Italian parsley finely chopped
- ¼ cup seasoned bread crumbs or plain bread crumbs
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Instructions
Imperial Sauce
- Add the mayonnaise, Old Bay, parsley, sugar, large egg, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice to a medium bowl. Whisk to combine.
Crab cakes
- Add the crabmeat, roasted red peppers, red onions, imperial sauce, and breadcrumbs to a large bowl.
- Gently mix the ingredients together, being careful not to break up the crab meat.
- Shape the mixture into portions (feel free to make them as big or small as you like).
- Dust the crabcakes with a light coating of breadcrumbs. You can use seasoned breadcrumbs, unseasoned bread crumbs, panko bread crumbs, or cracker crumbs for this crab cake recipe.*You can even skip the breadcrumbs if you're cutting back on carbs and broil the crab cakes.
- Refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes to allow the breadcrumbs time to absorb the liquids.
- Add the crab cakes to a hot pan with a bit of cooking oil to sauté them.
- Gently turn them over and saute the other side.
- Place the finished crab cakes on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches at least 165°F.
- Alternatively, you can also bake them in a 350°F oven for approximately 20 minutes, with or without the bread crumb exterior.
Notes
- Chill the patties for at least 30 minutes before cooking - they'll hold their shape better.
- Use panko breadcrumbs for a lighter crunch.
- Fry in a mix of butter and oil for the best flavor and browning.
- 1 tablespoon celery salt
- 2 teaspoons ground bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 1 pinch cinnamon
- 1 pinch ginger
- Serve our crab cakes with our classic tartar sauce, remoulade, our famous cocktail sauce, or a zesty aioli. If you want to keep it light, a squeeze of fresh lemon is all you need.
- Serve with coleslaw and fries for a Maryland-style platter.
- Pile on a soft brioche bun with lettuce and remoulade for the ultimate crab cake sandwich.
- Pair with a crisp white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc.
Edward Fern says
I thought give it 6 stars but end up giving only 5,the reason:
Mixed instructions,at the beginning says refrigerate the mix for 30 minutes,but in the “instructions” section or step by step says let it sit for 10 minutes AND IT DOESN’T mention the refrigeration at all,this is true for almost all of Dennis Recipes,don’t get me wrong this is a great piece of CRAB !! We use and Love almost all(or 98%) of Dennis Recipes,they are simple,quicker than many other recipes out there yet always delicious! but it many times leave you thinking over and over again at every step of the way.Sometime an ingredient mentioned in the list is not in the intructions or viceversa, nor in the pictures,This is probably the writer other than the Chef Dennis him self and of course not revised for errors’ etc.We just decided to start cooking from Dennis recipes only(when it comes to restaurant style dinners and always ingredients ready),this one After 1 hr in refrigeration,We’ve baked for 18 minutes at 350a,then sprayed with real avocado oil and broiled in the fryer machine for 3 minutes for a perfect flavorfull and textured 6 medium size CAKES made out of fresh crab lump from a somewhat famous fish market in Pensacola Beach,Fl,again thank you Dennis for this big piece of Crab Sir !!
Chef Dennis Littley says
Sorry to disappoint you with my instructions Edward, sadly its just me doing everything. Cooking, taking the pictures, writing, social media, answering 20+ reader emails a day, and now training the future of my website with my son and niece. I do my best to update recipes and find mistakes thanks to readers like you who are kind enough to point them out. This was one of my oldest posts actually originating fron August of 2011 when I had no idea what I was doing. I’ve come a long way and keep reminding people, I’m supposed to be retired. At 72 I think I still a have a few good years ahead of me.
Edward Fern says
Dear Dennis,Thank you!!so much for your impressive and wonderful work still at the age of 72,Since the date We find you My wife and I depend and go to your website every time We plan for something delicate and Delightful, We’ll always enjoy of it,Wishing you many more years of hapiness,blessing and sucess ahead,
Jon says
Loved this recipe. I love crab cakes but they are hard to find a “real” one. Thank you for sharing they are chef’s kiss delicious. Can these be frozen if I’d make a large batch?
Chef Dennis Littley says
Absolutely! I always make up a batch and keep them in the freezer for dinners and crab cake sandwiches!
Jon says
So is it better to cook then freeze or freeze raw?
Chef Dennis Littley says
Since the crabmeat is already cooked, I brown them on both sides, then freeze them solid on a tray, and once frozen, store them in ziplock bags. I wouldn’t fully cook them, because then they’ll be dry with the reheat.
Jason says
Fast, easy, and spectacular. Highly recommend. Used the Costco lump fresh wild crab. The cakes were top notch (made 4 large) and used red onion but no peppers. Paired with Brussels sprouts and Chardonnay but would be interested in adding a sauce. What would be the ideal sauce to use on these and roasted vegetables?
Chef Dennis Littley says
Depending on your taste preference either my cocktail sauce or tarter sauce would go with the crabcakes. As for the brussels sprouts, you can toss them with a balsamic glaze (most grocery stores sell it) and add a bacon and leeks to the pan to roast with them. As for a sauce for the sprouts, I think the only sauce I would add is a cheese sauce, but I think if you use the glaze you won’t need it.
Meg says
Made it tonight! it was ore than enough fir 6 nice size cakes. I lived the red peppers and onions. I baked to 20 minutes without sauting, but next time I’ll try sauting. thanks for sharing the recipe Chef Dennis!!!
Chef Dennis Littley says
You are very welcome, and I’m glad you enjoyed my crab cake recipe.
Matt says
Fantastic recipe. I was a cook for a long time, I make many things well at home (often better than going to a restaurant). I’ve always struggled to make good crab cakes at home. This recipe is the one.
Chef Dennis Littley says
That’s what I like to hear! Thanks for letting me know you both enjoyed my crab cake recipe, it was always a big hit in my restaurant days.
Heidi Culver says
These were amazingly tasty! I replaced the panko with fried pork skin, green onion for onion, no red pepper, and dried parsley. I then poured the whole bowl into a square baking pan and baked it at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Amazing! Scooped bits off with more chicharrones! Thank you!
Chef Dennis Littley says
Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed my recipe. Pork skin sounds like an interesting addition and making it more like a dip is a delicious way to serve it, especially with chicharron dippers.
Judith says
These are not “Maryland style”! We would never put onions and peppers in crabcakes– it buries the taste of the crab!
Chef Dennis Littley says
Too bad you didn’t read the post. I don’t call them Maryland crabcakes, they are Jersey Shore crabcakes. I also make mention that for Maryland crabcakes you don’t add onions peppers.
Cathy says
Just made these tonight and they were excellent. I did substitute crushed saltines for the panko since I didn’t have panko.
This will be my go to recipe from now on and I will definitely share with friend and family. Thank you.
Chef Dennis Littley says
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the crabcakes. Crushed saltines or ritz crackers are a nice change of pace from the panko bread crumbs.
John Rhoe says
I have searched for a good crab cake recipe for years and now I have it!
Chef Dennis Littley says
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed my crab cake recipe, it was always a big hit during my restaurant years.
Celia says
Can these be prepared a day ahead of time, but adding the breadcrumbs just before baking so that they remain crisp? My concern is the mixture will become soggy, but I really would like to make the most of my time since I have a large crowd coming over.
Chef Dennis Littley says
These are pan fried, and can be browned, cooled and refrigerated the day before. Reheat in the oven for 25 minutes at 350 degrees when ready to serve. Use a instant read thermometer to make sure they are at least 165 degrees before serving.