Old Bay Crab Cakes Recipe

This Old Bay Crab Cakes recipe has everything you could ever want in this classic seafood appetizer. The crab cakes are plump, flavourful, and full of succulent crab meat and seasoned to perfection. Serve them with a dollop of lively Cajun aioli, recipe included.

Attention seafood lovers! There’s plenty of fish in the sea… and seafood recipes on this blog. Enjoy air fried Teriyaki Salmon Bites as a quick weekday dinner option or treat your family to a weekend Instant Pot Shrimp Boil.

Old Bay Crab Cakes Recipe

At our house, crab cakes are a treat for special occasions like birthdays, New Year’s Day, and Valentine’s Day. Sometimes I buy them pre-made but if I can source real crab (Dungeness or Maryland Blue Crab), even better. We love these Maryland style crab cakes packed with plenty of sweet jumbo lump crab and flake crab meat.

The most important thing to remember while making any crab cake recipe is not to allow the other ingredients to outshine the delicate crab meat. Maryland crab cakes contain only a little filler, just enough buttery cracker crumbs to bind with the egg, seasoning, and crab. 

These golden fried crab cakes are such a treat. The flavour is buttery, spicy, and sweet all at the same time with a delightful crunch from the outer layer of crispy panko crumb. I never can eat just one.

Eat these crab cakes all on their own or dip them in Cajun crab cake sauce (see recipe card). The combination of capers, Old Bay Seasoning, garlic, and Dijon mustard in a creamy aioli is pure magic!

Ingredients for this Old Bay Crab Cakes Recipe

While the ingredients list looks extensive, a portion of the items belong in the Cajun crab cake sauce. Feel free to omit the sauce and serve crab cakes with a squeeze of lemon and fresh dill.

• Eggs
• Mayonnaise
• Chives
• Old Bay Seasoning
• Lemons
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Dill
• Black Pepper
• Crab
• Crackers
• Panko Crumbs
• Butter
• Avocado Oil
• Champagne Vinegar
• Dijon Mustard
• Salt
• Garlic
• Capers
• Cajun Seasoning

The eggs in this recipe serve two functions. Firstly, they bind with the cracker crumbs and help the crab cakes keep their shape. Secondly, eggs are an important component of homemade mayonnaise and in this recipe, Cajun aioli.

Using fresh chopped chives (or green onions), fresh dill, fresh lemon juice, real garlic, and freshly ground black pepper will give the best flavour results. You’ll notice there’s no salt in the crab cake mixture, as Old Bay seasoning contains enough salt to properly season the mixture.

You can’t have Maryland crab cakes without Old Bay Seasoning… the components of this famous seafood spice blend from Maryland are a closely guarded secret. Known ingredients include paprika, red pepper powder, celery salt, and black pepper.

While some prefer saltine crackers in their crab cakes, I love to use buttery crackers (such as Ritz) in my crab mixture. Why? Because butter is always better! The outer panko crumb layer is not necessary, but I love how extra crispy these crab cakes are once they are fried.

Butter adds flavour while the Avocado oil combines with the butter to lower its smoke point. This prevents the butter from prematurely browning and the crab cakes from getting too dark as they cook.

What is the Best Crab Meat for Crab Cakes?

If you have access to fresh Maryland Blue crab, it makes the best crab cakes. Otherwise, use fresh jumbo lump or lump Dungeness crab meat. Crab meat sold in plastic tubs will also work but avoid canned crab meat or the flavour of your crab cakes will suffer.

How to Make Old Bay Crab Cakes

Crab cakes are one of the easiest seafood appetizers to make and this Old Bay Crab Cake recipe creates some of the most flavourful crab cakes you’ll ever eat.

Old Bay Seasoning was originally created to compliment seafood without overpowering it. Add a little lemon juice to brighten the flavours and these crab cakes really steal the show. 

To begin mixing the crab cakes, place the eggs, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay seasoning, black pepper, chives, and dill in a large mixing bowl. Mix gently until well combined.

Gently fold in the crab meat and cracker crumbs into the egg mixture, taking care not to over-mix, and keeping all that lovely lump crab meat intact. Carefully form the combined ingredients into 6 crab cakes.

Next, place crab cakes on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour or overnight. Don’t skip this resting step as it helps to firm up the cakes before cooking.

To cook the crab cakes, heat butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Press panko breadcrumbs onto both sides of each crab cake and fry each side until crispy golden brown. It usually takes about 5 minutes cook time per side.

Crab cakes are done cooking when the outside becomes golden brown and crisp and the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees.

To make a larger batch of crab cakes, feel free to pan-fry the crab cakes, then bake them in the oven until they reach 145 degrees.

How to Make Sauce for Crab Cakes

This vibrant Cajun aioli is the ideal sauce to serve with crab cakes.

Cajun aioli is so simple to make, you can whip it while the crab cakes are frying. The easiest way is to place the eggs, vinegar, Dijon, and salt in a large mason jar. Next, slowly add the oil over the top so the ingredients settle into separated layers.

Lower an immersion blender in the egg layer and blend for 30 seconds, watching as the emulsification process begins. Slowly move the blender up and down to thoroughly combine and emulsify the ingredients. Finally, stir in the garlic, capers with brine, and Cajun seasoning.

How to Serve Old Bay Crab Cakes

These Old Bay Crab Cakes make a great party appetizer or dinner party starter. However, you can also eat them as a main alongside a supporting side dish.

To serve crab cakes as an appetizer or starter, place cooked crab cakes over a bed of mixed greens and top with Cajun aioli, regular aioli, or remoulade style Crab Cake Sauce with fresh dill weed or chopped fresh chives. Serve hot with a side of lemon wedges.

Sides dishes that go well with crab cakes include a fresh salad, sautéed, or roasted vegetables. Pair them with a homemade soup, a rice or pasta dish, or just a side of fries for a fun spin on fish and chips.

Storing and Reheating Leftover Crab Cakes

Cooked crab cakes will keep up to 3 days in an airtight container in your refrigerator. You can fry them in a pan or use an air fryer to reheat. You can also freeze them to enjoy later!

Hi! I’m Bernice Hill and I am the sole recipe developer, photographer, and writer at Dish ‘n’ the Kitchen. It is my pleasure to share easy to follow recipes that are delicious, nutritious, and approachable for the whole family.

If you make this Old Bay Crab Cakes Recipe, I’d love to hear about it in the comments section or a recipe rating. Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Pinterest for my latest recipes. Also, if you do make this recipe, please share your photos and tag me on Instagram. I hope you like this recipe!