The Maryland Crab Cake is the signature seafood dish of the state. It will also be a signature seafood dish of your home because this recipe is super simple and absolutely delicious.
After living near Washington D.C. for over two years, I can say with certainty; my Maryland Crab Cake tastes just like I remember them, and my local friends have approved them. I have stayed true to its origin by using 100% jumbo lump crab meat, with very little filler and, of course, the Maryland staple, Old Bay Seasoning.
These Maryland Crab Cakes are perfect for an appetizer or the main entree. You can even make this recipe into a crab cake sandwich.
Personally, I love to serve the Maryland Crab Cakes as the star of the show with a lemon wedge on the side. One little squeeze of lemon juice is all that’s needed to enhance the flavors and natural sweetness of the blue crab.
Devouring Maryland Crab Cakes in Washington D.C.
If you love seafood, a trip to Maryland and Washington D.C. is not complete without ordering a plate of Maryland Crab Cakes. During our time living near Washington D.C., we took full advantage of eating the freshest crab in the area.
One of the best places to eat Maryland Crab Cakes is at Pappas Restaurant. The restaurant and seafood market has been consistently voted as the best crab cake in Maryland for several years.
Most of the locations are in the Baltimore area, but lucky for us; one opened near Washington D.C. Moreover, the Pappas Restaurant opened at the MGM National Harbor, which also happened to be where we worked at the time. Needless to say, we devoured our fair share of the award-winning Maryland Crab Cakes.
We also enjoyed visiting the Municipal Fish Market at The Wharf and ordering a bushel of fresh blue crab and crab cakes from Captain White’s Seafood. Additionally, we also enjoyed delicious no-filler crab cakes at Captain Zack’s Seafood in Chincoteague, Virginia. As I said, we took full advantage of eating fresh crab during our time in the Washington D.C. area.
Therefore, I have created my Maryland Crab Cake recipe to be as close to the award-winning and delightful crab cakes I enjoyed throughout my time in Washington D.C.
What is a Maryland Crab Cake?
A crab cake is a fish cake made with crab meat, various seasonings, and other ingredients such as crumbs, mayonnaise, and eggs to make a “filler,” also known as a binding agent. Then it is either sautéed, baked, grilled, deep-fried, or broiled.
A Maryland Crab Cake is when the crab meat only comes from a Maryland blue crab. Additionally, the crab meat is typically jumbo lump, the crab cake is made with very little filler, and Old Bay Seasoning is present.
List of Ingredients for Maryland Crab Cakes
As the state crustacean, the Maryland blue crab is the star ingredient of Maryland Crab Cakes. The blue crab meat might be costly, but it is worth every penny as it has a distinct sweetness and flavor that makes this recipe delicious.
It is recommended to use jumbo lump blue crab meat, but you can substitute 8 ounces for regular lump crab meat or shredded crab meat if needed.
This is a brief overview. Please refer to the full recipe description at the end of this post.
- Jumbo Lump Blue Crab Meat, fresh or pasteurized
- Saltine crackers
- Egg
- Mayonnaise
- Lemon juice
- Dijon mustard
- Worcestershire sauce
- Old Bay seasoning
- Salt and pepper
How to Make Maryland Crab Cakes
This is a brief overview. Please refer to the full recipe description at the end of this post.
Crush the saltine crackers into finely ground crumbs – you can use a food processor or place the crackers in a plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Set aside.
Whisk together the binding agent – in a small bowl, whisk together the egg, mayonnaise, dijon mustard, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay seasoning, salt, and pepper.
Mix all the ingredients – add the jumbo lump crab meat on top, followed by the saltine cracker crumbs. Gently fold the mixture together until just combined. It is important to do this step very carefully because you do not want to break up the jumbo lump crab meat!
Form crab cakes – using a 1/2 measuring cup, carefully scoop the crab mixture into portions. Place the crab cakes on a plate or baking sheet and cover them with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Saute the crab cakes – in a large nonstick pan, heat the butter over medium heat. Once melted, cook the crab cakes for 4 – 5 minutes or until golden brown. Carefully flip the crab cake, add more butter and cook for another 4 – 5 minutes. (See Tips & Tidbits for other ways of cooking the Maryland Crab Cakes).
Serve immediately with a side of lemon wedges, tartar sauce, cocktail sauce, or on a butter bun for a delicious crab cake sandwich.
Tips & Tidbits
Here are a few tips and tidbits of the different crab meat and ways you can cook Maryland Crab Cakes.
Different Types of Crab Meat
There are different types of crab meat that you can purchase for your Maryland Crab Cakes – jumbo lump, regular lump, and shredded (fresh not imitation).
Jumbo lump crab meat comes from the two large muscles connected to the swimming legs. Regular lump crab meat is broken pieces of jumbo lump and large chunks of body meat.
Shredded crab meat (not mistaken for the shredded imitation) is typically considered backfin – a mixture of small pieces of body meat. If you buy shredded crab meat, make sure it is fresh and says white meat.
Some recipes say the shredded crab meat combined with lump crab meat works well because the shredded pieces act as a binding agent. However, I recommend using jumbo lump because it’s the best quality, and the crab is the star ingredient. You can truly tell the difference in flavor from all lump crab meat vs. shredded crab meat.
With that said, I understand jumbo lump crab meat can be pricey. Therefore, I also recommend using a mixture of jumbo and regular lump crab meat.
Other Ways of Cooking Maryland Crab Cakes
Personally, I love Maryland Crab Cakes sautéed, but you can also broil or bake the crab cakes.
Broil – turn the broil on high. Lightly grease a baking sheet with oil. Place the crab cakes on the sheet and add 1/2 tbsp of butter on top of each cake. Place the baking sheet under the broil for 4 – 5 minutes or until the top is gold-brown.
Bake – preheat the oven to 450°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet with oil. Place the crab cakes on the sheet and add 1/2 tbsp of melted butter on top of each cake. Bake for 6 minutes, flip the crab cakes, and bake for another 5 – 7 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and on top.
More Seafood Recipes
- Coconut Shrimp (Fried + Air Fryer) with a Sweet Red Bell Pepper Chili Sauce
- Authentic Seafood Risotto from Southern Italy
Maryland Crab Cakes with Little Filler
These classic Maryland crab cakes have little filler with a touch of Old Bay Spice and lemon juice to bring out the delicious flavor of the lump crab meat.
Ingredients
- 1 pound jumbo lump Blue Crab meat, fresh or pasteurized (see note below)
- 20 saltine crackers, finely ground
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- Place the saltine crackers into a plastic bag and crush the crackers with a rolling pin (or a meat mallet) until finely ground. You can also use a food processer. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, mayonnaise, dijon mustard, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Add the jumbo lump crab meat on top, followed by the cracker crumbs. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the mixture together until just combined. It is important to do this step very carefully because you do not want to break up the jumbo lump crab meat!
- Using a 1/2 measuring cup, carefully scoop the crab mixture into (5 - 6) perfectly shaped crab cakes. Place the crab cakes on a plate or baking sheet and cover them with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- In a large nonstick pan, heat 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Once melted, cook the crab cakes for 4 - 5 minutes or until golden brown. Carefully flip the crab cake, add the last tablespoon of butter and cook for another 4 - 5 minutes.
- Serve immediately with a side of lemon wedges, tartar sauce, cocktail sauce, or on a butter bun for a crab cake sandwich.
Notes
To broil the crab cakes - turn the broil on high. Lightly grease a baking sheet with oil. Place the crab cakes on the sheet and add 1/2 tbsp of butter on top of each cake. Place the baking sheet under the broil for 4 - 5 minutes or until the top is gold-brown.
To bake the crab cakes - preheat the oven to 450°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet with oil. Place the crab cakes on the sheet and add 1/2 tbsp of melted butter on top of each cake. Bake for 6 minutes, flip the crab cakes, and bake for another 5 - 7 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and on top.
If you want to cut the cost of the jumbo lump crab meat, you can substitute 8 oz for regular lump crab meat or shredded crab meat. Shredded crab meat (not mistaken for the shredded imitation) is typically considered backfin - a mixture of small pieces of body meat. If you buy shredded crab meat, make sure it is fresh and says white meat.
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