Maryland Style Crab Cakes with Spicy Remoulade

Maryland crab cakes are a classic seafood dish made with blue crab meat, Old Bay seasoning, and just enough binder to hold everything together. They’re a traditional recipe that works just as well for an easy dinner as they do for a special brunch spread. Our Maryland-style version keeps the focus on the crab itself, skipping the extra fillers and add-ins that tend to mask its natural flavor.

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Crab cakes are always a must on any restaurant menu, but they’re surprisingly easy to make at home. This is our go-to recipe when we want something that feels a little elevated without being complicated, whether we’re serving them straight up for dinner or turning them into crab cake eggs Benedict for brunch.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

For crab cakes, we recommend jumbo lump, lump, or backfin crab meat. Since all the other ingredients are inexpensive, splurge on the best crab you can afford.

The complete ingredient list and measurements are listed in the printable recipe below.

• Crab: If you are lucky enough to get fresh crab, definitely buy it. If you are like us, you can usually only get pasteurized crabmeat in a little plastic tub with a resealable lid. It typically has a shelf life of 6-12 months after opening and should be consumed within 3 days.
• Egg and Mayo: These two ingredients serve as the binder for the cakes, so use your favorite brand.
• Saltine Crackers: Saltine crackers make a great filler for crab cakes, providing structure without masking the crab’s flavor. We have made these with crumbled or crushed saltines and panko bread crumbs. Both versions come out delicious, so use whichever you prefer.
• Old Bay: This is a must-have blend of spices for crab cakes, but it can also be used on fries, veggies, chicken, and burgers, in addition to seafood. We also added a tiny bit of smoked paprika.
• Mustard: We used stone-ground mustard for a little zing. You can substitute Dijon mustard or even generic yellow mustard.
• Worcestershire Sauce: This adds a tang and umami flavor to the crab cakes.

Types of Crabmeat

For crab cakes, we use meat from blue crabs, not snow crabs, Dungeness crabs, stone crabs, or king crabs.

• Jumbo Lump: This meat comes from the muscles connected to the swimming legs of the crab, and since they only have two, this is usually the most expensive crabmeat. Jumbo lump is sturdy, with a fine texture and a sweeter flavor, and is delicious on its own or as a topping for salads or other dishes. We use jumbo lump for our crab cakes.
• Lump: Made from smaller pieces of crab meat and broken jumbo lump, it also has a delicate, sweet flavor. It is great for crab cakes and salads.
• Backfin: Backfin crab meat comes from the body of a crab and is made up of smaller, broken chunks of lump crabmeat. It is less expensive than lump but still has a delicious flavor. It is perfect for pasta dishes or crab cakes.
• Claw: Claw meat is the least expensive but still has a delicious crab flavor, although not as sweet as the lump. It is darker than the other types of crab meat and has a pinkish-brown color. It is ideal for soups, dips, and stews.

How to Make Maryland-Style Crab Cakes with Spicy Remoulade

Here are the quick, step-by-step instructions with visuals; you can find the full instructions, including the exact ingredients, in the recipe card below.

Pro-tip: Don’t overwork the crabmeat mixture so the cakes have big chunks of crabmeat.

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, Old Bay, parsley, green onions, black pepper, and salt.

2. Place the crabmeat on top, followed by the crumbled saltine crackers. With a rubber spatula or large spoon, gently fold everything together. Be careful not to overmix the crabmeat.

3. Form the crabmeat mixture into four patties about 1 ½ inches thick and place on a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Cover the baking sheet tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

4. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil until shimmering. Add the crab cakes and cook until golden brown, crispy, and heated through (about 3 minutes). Use a fish spatula to carefully flip the crab cakes, then cook for another 3 minutes or until browned.

5. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, Sriracha sauce, salt, and lime juice, and serve with the crab cakes along with your favorite sides.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: Follow the recipe as instructed. Place the uncooked cakes in a single layer on a baking sheet, cover them with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Proceed with cooking according to the recipe instructions. They can also be prepared and frozen uncooked. Defrost them in a single layer overnight in the refrigerator, and then cook according to the recipe instructions.

How to Store: You can freeze cooked and uncooked crab cakes for up to 3 months. Arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and place them in the freezer. Freeze them until firm, then transfer them to a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. Leftovers can also be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an air-tight container.

How to Reheat: Crab cakes can be reheated in a skillet with some butter or oil. Cook them for 2-3 minutes per side until warmed through. Frozen crab cakes should be thawed in the refrigerator before reheating.

Crab Cake Sides

Crab cakes are a perfect main dish that turns any dinner into a special occasion when paired with the right sides. We love them with Southern-style coleslaw, Parmesan truffle fries, or as part of a surf-and-turf dinner with grilled marinated flank steak. They also make a delicious sandwich with arugula and remoulade inside a toasted brioche bun

Recipe Tips and Notes

• Handle the crabmeat carefully. Gently fold the crabmeat into the other ingredients, avoiding overmixing.
• Chill the crab cakes before cooking. To help prevent the crab cakes from falling apart when cooking,g chill them for at least 30 minutes before baking or frying.
• Carefully flip the cakes.  Use a thin metal fish spatula to flip the crab cakes. It’s flexible and easily slides under delicate crab cakes without falling apart.

Frequently Asked Questions