Crab Cake

Article by Emily Saladino

When Food Network Kitchen set out to make our best crab cake recipe, opinions were strong and varied. Our recipe developers decided to focus on Maryland-style crab cakes made with quality lump crabmeat and very little filler, plus a dash of seafood seasoning like Old Bay. After lots of tinkering, we landed on these decadent, generously sized and seasoned cakes that absolutely deserve to be called “best.”

How to Make Crab Cakes Like A Pro

No one wants to waste good quality crab in lackluster cakes. Follow our recipe developers’ expert tips for guaranteed crab cake success.

Jumbo lump crabmeat is the best crab for crab cakes. Crabmeat is front and center in this recipe, so splurge on the best and freshest that you can find. Our recipe developers find the delicate flavor, large size and sturdy texture of jumbo lump crabmeat makes for better cakes than other types of crab, like lump, backfin or claw.

Rest is essential. When you put the crab mixture in the fridge for 30 minutes, the panko absorbs some of the liquid and binds together. This makes the cakes easier to shape and sturdier as they cook so they won’t fall apart. You can also place the formed crab cakes on a dish or baking sheet in the fridge for another 15 minutes right before pan-frying to help them keep their shape in the hot oil.

Pan-fry, then finish in the oven. It's possible to make crab cakes entirely on the stovetop, in the oven or even in your air fryer! But our test kitchen found that pan-frying then finishing the crab cakes in a hot oven creates the best texture: tender interiors encased in a perfectly crispy crust.

Serve the tartar sauce cold. Timing is everything, so fix the tartar sauce while the crab cakes set in the fridge, then stash it in the fridge while you pan-fry the crab cakes. That way, everything is at its ideal temperature when it’s time to serve, and the cool, tangy tartar sauce beautifully offsets the warm and crunchy cakes.

What to Serve with Crab Cakes

Our recipe developers like the way homemade tartar sauce offsets the flavor of these crab cakes, but you can swap in cocktail sauce if you prefer.

Turn your crab cakes into a meal by accompanying them with a simple green salad and boiled corn on the cob. Other crab cake side dishes include grilled asparagus, herbed summer squash and sweet or tangy slaw.

How to Store Crab Cakes

Crab cakes are best served immediately, but you can make and shape the patties in advance. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 to 2 days. Leftover cooked patties will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge. Reheat in a warm oven.

Other Ideas for Crabmeat

If you’re lucky enough to find jumbo lump crabmeat at a good price and want to put it to use, check out some of our other crab recipes, like crab salad, she crab soup, layered crab Rangoon dip or cookout-ready crab sliders.