Crab Cakes

These are the best crab cakes I've ever made and I've compared this recipe to several. Obviously, getting lump crab is ideal, but I've made the recipe so many times with refrigerated, canned, crab-claw meat to excellent success.

Prep Time1 10

Cook Time12

Total Time1 22

Course: Main Dish or Appetizers

Cuisine: Seafood

Keyword: crab, dinner, easy recipes

Servings:

Calories: 278kcal

Author: Sally Humeniuk

Ingredients

1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over for shells (or canned crab claw meat)
½ cup saltine crumbs, divided
3 scallions, minced
¼ green bell pepper, minced (only about 2-3 tablespoons)
2 Tablespoons melted butter, divided plus 1 Tablespoon softened butter
2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
1 large egg yolk
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 teaspoons hot sauce, I often use Frank's, adjust a little less with hotter sauces, like Tabasco.
1 ½ teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
1 Tablespoon butter (again), for brushing on the crab just before bakine
Lemon wedges, for serving

Instructions

Dry 1 pound crabmeat well with paper towels. Using a rubber spatula, gently combine crabmeat, ¼ cup saltine crumbs, 3 minced scallions, ¼ minced green pepper, 2 Tablespoons melted butter, 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise, the 1 egg yolk, 1 Tablespoon Dijon, 3 teaspoons hot sauce (or less if very hot), and 1 ½ teaspoons Old Bay seasoning in a large bowl.
Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions (or 8 for appetizers) and shape into tight, mounded cakes. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup saltine crumbs evenly on a large plate, big enough that your crab cakes will all fit. Form the portions into patties and place firmly on the top of the crumbs on the plate so the crumbs will stick to the bottom of the patties later. This ensures the bottoms of the cakes to not come out soggy. Cover the plate of crab cakes with plastic wrap and refrigerate, for at least 1 hour or up to 6 hours.
Adjust an oven rack to the center position in your oven and heat the broiler. Grease a rimmed baking sheet with the softened butter. Transfer the crab cakes to the prepared baking sheet, crumb side down. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and gently brush a little over each of the crab cakes. Place the cakes in the oven and broil until the crab cakes are golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve with the lemon wedges.

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