Maryland Crab Cakes with Quick Tartar Sauce
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A Maryland staple, these crab cakes are made from fresh lump crab meat and just enough filler to bind the crabmeat together.
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)
When you live in Maryland, eating Chesapeake blue crabs and crab cakes is practically a religion—and, in my family, we are all loyal devotees. Every summer, we hit all of our favorite crab shacks, from local joints all the way to the Eastern shore, where you can look out over the bay and put your feet in the sand.
I’d never attempt making steamed blue crabs at home. Live crabs, giant steamers—yikes! But I do often make crab cakes, which are just as delicious and easier to prepare (not to mention eat). The key is using fresh lump crabmeat and just enough filler to bind the crabmeat together. I love them with tartar sauce, but you could also serve them with lemon wedges or cocktail sauce. Don’t forget the peel-and-eat shrimp, hush puppies, and cornbread.
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need To Make Maryland Crab Cakes
It’s very important to use fresh, good-quality lump crab meat. Look for fresh-off-the-boat crab meat, which is sold in a clear plastic container, usually resting on ice in the seafood department. It’s expensive, but one pound is enough to make six generous crab cakes (or 12 mini ones).
If fresh lump crab meat is not available, the second-best option is refrigerated crab meat, such as Phillip’s, which is readily available year-round. Avoid shelf-stable canned crab meat, which contains additives that affect the taste and texture of the meat. (For a less expensive alternative to crab cakes, or when fresh crab meat is not in season, try fresh salmon cakes.)
Note that celery is not traditional in Maryland crab cakes, but I love the little crunch it adds; feel free to leave it out if you’re a purist.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Make the Crab Cakes
To begin, combine the eggs, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, Old Bay, salt, celery, and parsley in a bowl.
Mix well to combine.
Add the crab meat (be sure to check the meat for any hard and sharp cartilage) and panko.
Gently fold the mixture together until just combined, being careful not to shred the crab meat.
Shape into 6 large crab cakes (about ½ cup each) and place on a baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This is really important to help the crab cakes set.
Preheat a large nonstick pan to medium heat and coat with oil. When the oil is hot, place crab cakes in the pan and cook until golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Flip and cook 3 to 5 minutes more, or until golden. Be careful as the oil may splatter.
Make the Tartar Sauce
Combine the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, sweet pickle relish, red onion, lemon, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
Whisk well, then cover and chill until ready to serve.
Video Tutorital
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Maryland Crab Cakes with Quick Tartar Sauce
A Maryland staple, these crab cakes are made from fresh lump crab meat and just enough filler to bind the crabmeat together.
Ingredients
For the Crab Cakes
- 2 large eggs
- 2½ tablespoons mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's or Duke's
- 1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup finely diced celery, from one stalk
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 pound lump crab meat (see note below)
- ½ cup panko
- Vegetable or canola oil, for cooking
For the Quick Tartar Sauce
- 1 cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's or Duke's
- 1½ tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon minced red onion
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
For the Crab Cakes
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean-up.
- Combine the eggs, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, Old Bay, salt, celery, and parsley in a large bowl and mix well. Add the crab meat (be sure to check the meat for any hard and sharp cartilage) and panko; using a rubber spatula, gently fold the mixture together until just combined, being careful not to shred the crab meat. Shape into 6 cakes (each about ½ cup) and place on the prepared baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This helps them set.
- Preheat a large nonstick pan over medium heat and coat with oil. When the oil is hot, place the crab cakes in the pan and cook until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Be careful as oil may splatter. Serve the crab cakes warm with the tartar sauce.
For the Quick Tartar Sauce
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, relish, mustard, onion, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The crab cakes can be formed, covered, and refrigerated a day ahead of time before cooking. The tartar sauce can be made and refrigerated up to 2 days in advance.
- Note: If you can only find jumbo lump crab meat, you may need to break the pieces up a bit. If the clumps are too large, the crab cakes won't hold together well.
- Note: The nutritional information does not include the tartar sauce.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 2 crab cakes
- Calories: 299
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Sugar: 1 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Sodium: 1141 mg
- Cholesterol: 275 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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This is the best crab cake recipe ever. I’ve served this often and it’s delicious. Served on a bed of arugula with a light French vinaigrette and Jenn’s tartar sauce. Delicious. I made a mistake of doubling up on the Old Bay (I’m from New Orleans and thought this would work) but don’t do that. The lovely flavor of the jumbo lump crabmeat (ours comes from the Gulf) is lost. Make this today and yes…it is adequate for a meal (two per serving).
These are the best crab cakes I’ve ever had! Truly restaurant quality. I knew they’d be good when I saw the picture. I made them for friends who are very picky and they loved them!
Absolutely the best crab cakes recipe! I have made these at least five times, and they never disappoint! Excellent!
This is hands down the best crab cake recipe I ever tried, and the homemade tartar sauce is the perfect accompaniment. The panko breadcrumbs are the key to a good crunch. For the holidays, I make miniature versions of these as appetizers. We served these to some visiting friends from Maryland and they claim that these were better than any they’ve had back home! I’ve never been disappointed in any of Jenn’s recipes.
My husband loves crab cakes and for our annual New Years appetizer night, I made these crab cakes. Amazing! They are so easy to make and so good! Only change I made was to bake them. Even our picky eater liked them and that’s saying something. Try these, you won’t be disappointed!
Easy and delicious! A definite “keeper”!
Hi Jen. I don’t know if you remember me but I’m the die hard loyal gourmet cook who used “The New York Times Cookbook,” by Craig Claiborne for over 30 years before I found you and your amazing recipes online. Just like my favorite cookbook your recipes never fail. That’s the sign to me of a great recipe or cookbook. That being said, your recipe for Maryland Style Crab Cakes were not only easy to make but delicious 😋! Crab🦀 Cakes are one of my husband’s favorite foods, and both of us agree that your recipe is hands down the best we have ever had. Tom is from a country town in Maine and I moved to Maine from New Jersey/New York 18 years ago. Tom grew up with fresh farm food and local seafood and I frequented many restaurants in New York City. He knows “fresh” and I gourmet. What a match! I always cook with my All-Clad pots and pans but I wouldn’t mind owning a Le Creuset Dutch oven that you are giving away. I’m going to try and review all the recipes I’ve used of yours to hopefully win the Dutch oven. Stay safe and well, Love, Beth 😊💕
❤️
This was one of the first recipes I tried from your emails. I made them for a poolside cocktail party. They were bite size & I served them with the quick Tarter sauce.
They were a huge hit, My future son in law who hates seafood loves them. I have given this recipe as well as your email address out so many times. PS I love your book.
Would the cooking time be the same if I make 6 large crab cakes vs the smaller size (12 mini)? Thanks!
Hi Debbie, the recipe is for 6 crab cakes, so I’d just stick with the timing in the recipe. Hope you enjoy!
These crab cakes are amazing and tartar sauce are amazing even for the pickiest and crab cake snobs. (We have some in my family).
This is such a great upgrade from using just Old Bay and Mayo. It gives it more flavor and crunch. I usually freeze some and pull them out for a quick and delicious lunch.