17 Crab Cake Recipes That Are Packed With Flavor

Jumbo lump crab meat, fresh herbs and fragrant seasonings, a creamy rémoulade for topping—is there anything more deliciously decadent than crab cakes? We don’t think so. Whether you pan-fry them until gloriously golden-brown and serve them at a dinner party or crisp them up in the oven for a summer weeknight meal, they never disappoint.

If you've never made your own at home before, these recipes will make you want to try. Crab cakes are surprisingly easy to make from scratch—and you'll get excellent results as long as you use top-notch ingredients. We've got lots of recipes to guide you, but there's no better place to start than our all-time-best recipe. When we set out to make the "best" crab cakes, opinions in the test kitchen were strong and varied. But we could all agree on plenty of fresh, high-quality crabmeat with very little filler. After some tinkering, we created these cakes (generously sized and highly seasoned) with plenty of lemon juice, fresh herbs and spices. The jumbo lump crabmeat is front and center, so splurge on the best and freshest you can find.

These crowd-pleasing crab cakes are a no-brainer for parties and get-togethers. They're easy to make — and ready in under an hour. Plus, their size makes them just as perfect for cocktail hours and cookouts as formal sit-down dinners.

Treat your guests to these decadent crab cake sandwiches, piled high with fresh crab meat and served on warm buttery brioche buns. There’s no need to form or fry individual patties in this streamlined recipe – simply spread the crab cake mixture onto the rolls and bake them until the crab develops a golden-brown crust and the brioche toasts to a light crunch. To make things even easier, the sauce that coats the crab does double duty as a tangy spread for the sandwich.

Wondering what sets these crab cakes apart? We like to think it's all the extra homemade goodness that's packed inside. From the do-it-yourself breadcrumbs to the made-from-scratch aoili, there are plenty of fresh ingredients in every bite.

These savory sliders are a cinch to make but you will have to plan ahead. The crab cakes need at least one full hour in the refigerator (overnight is better) to firm up before cooking.

These deliciously crisp cakes are loaded with sweet crab. Not overmixing and allowing the mixture to rest before cooking helped the crab cakes hold their shape better, as did cooking them in an air fryer. Serve these hearty morsels with creamy chipotle sauce and you'll have a decadent dinner in no time.

Rachael Ray takes the ultimate comfort food up a notch by folding fresh lump crabmeat, Old Bay seasoning and a blend of sharp white Cheddar and Gruyere into a creamy, baked pasta topped with spicy panko breadcrumbs. It's a crowd-pleasing mashup of two classics that feels indulgent enough for a dinner party but easy enough for a weeknight.

Geoffrey uses only high-quality ingredients when he's making crab cakes (no canned crab meat here!) which is why we love his tip about making them go further: he stretches his ingredients by adding some cooked brown rice to the mix.

These crab cakes aren't as tightly packed as others, but that's intentional. They're light and flaky and full of crab flavor.

These health-ified crab cakes are baked (not fried) and served with a better-for-you tartar sauce that replaces some of the mayonnaise with creamy and decadent Greek yogurt.

Ellie coats her crab cakes in Panko breadcrumbs before cooking them in the skillet — for an irresistibly crunchy crust on the outside.

Nobody does dinner party appetizers like Ina so it's no wonder that her mini crab cakes have so many glowing reviews. Fans rave that they are "incredibly light", "brown and crisp on the outside and tender and moist on the inside" and have "amazing flavor."

These bite-size crab cakes are perfect for entertaining. You can serve a few, plated with remoulade, as an appetizer or simply set a platter out and let your guests dig in while they sip on pre-dinner cocktails. Either way, these crab cakes are guaranteed to impress.

Valerie's 5-star take on crab cakes has rave reviews. Fans call them "amazing", "fanstastic" and "so good" and promise that you'll want to slather the remoulade sauce she serves alongside on everything.

When you need a next-level upgrade for your classic crab cakes, reach for this recipe. Guy Fieri's signature Donkey Sauce does double duty in this app: It's used as a binder for the crab cakes and as a dipping sauce.

When you need a lighter-and-brighter meal, try these crab cakes. They're ready in under an hour — and perfectly delicious and satisfyng served atop a simple green salad.