Get ready to satisfy your seafood cravings with these classic Maryland-Style Old Bay crab cakes! These delicious crab cakes are bursting with fresh, sweet crab meat held together with little filler, and topped with a simple lemon aioli. Oven and air fryer instructions included!
If you're looking for a delicious seafood recipe that will wow your family and guests, look no further than the beloved Old Bay crab cake! This iconic dish has been a staple of Maryland cuisine for over 75 years, and for good reason. With its blend of savory herbs and spices, Old Bay seasoning perfectly complements the delicate flavor of the crab meat in this classic recipe.
We eat a lot of seafood in my house. Seafood is a staple of the Mediterranean diet and is packed with omega-3 fatty acids, which have numerous health benefits. Some of my favorite seafood dishes are my award-winning shrimp saganaki, miso maple glazed salmon, and fish tacos with pineapple salsa.
Jump to:
- A Restaurant-Quality Dish You Can Make at Home
- What is Old Bay seasoning?
- Why You'll Love This Dish
- Doctor's Tips:
- Ingredients
- How To Make Maryland-Style Old Bay Crab Cakes Step-By-Step
- How To Make Crab Cakes in the Air Fryer
- Chef's Tips
- What To Serve With Crab Cakes
- Recipe FAQs
- More Tasty Recipes
- Recipe
- Reviews
A Restaurant-Quality Dish You Can Make at Home
This is a restaurant-quality dish that you can make at home and will definitely impress your family and guests!
I find that in restaurants, crab cakes often have more breadcrumbs than actual crab meat. These Old Bay crab cakes, on the other hand are the real deal!
They are inspired by the crab cakes that you find along the Chesapeake Bay on the coast of Maryland, that are bursting with fresh, sweet, blue crab meat. I use just enough filler to hold them together. My secret is to use fresh breadcrumbs from sandwich bread rather than packaged breadcrumbs. I find that they produce a lighter, flakier crab cake.
I also like to bake my crab cakes in a hot oven or air fryer to achieve the perfect color and texture. It's healthier than frying, and you can avoid the stress of trying to flip the crab cakes in hot oil in a frying pan!
To pair with these Old Bay crab cakes, I make a simple lemon aioli. The bright, lemony, creamy sauce is the perfect accompaniment to these tasty crab cakes.
What is Old Bay seasoning?
Old Bay seasoning was first introduced in Baltimore, Maryland in 1939 by a German immigrant named Gustav Brunn. The spice blend was originally created as a way to enhance the flavor of seafood, which was a staple in Maryland cuisine.
The original recipe contained 18 herbs and spices, including celery salt, bay leaves, mustard, and paprika. Today, Old Bay seasoning is still made using the same blend of herbs and spices, and it has become an iconic flavor in the world of seafood.
You don't want to overwhelm the sweet flavor of the crab meat. Old Bay seasoning perfectly complements the delicate flavor of the crab in this classic crab cake recipe.
Why You'll Love This Dish
- Tasty- fresh, sweet crab paired with savory seasonings and a lemony sauce
- Healthy- seafood is full of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids
- Versatile- perfect for entertaining guests or for a special family dinner- either way, you will impress with this restaurant-quality dish
Doctor's Tips:
Seafood is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and is a staple of the Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean diet is a healthy eating pattern that incorporates the traditional flavors and ingredients of the countries that border the Mediterranean sea. Following a Mediterranean diet can help reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity, certain types of cancer, depression, cognitive decline and decrease overall mortality!
Ingredients
Recipe notes and substitutions. See recipe card below for full ingredient list.
- Fresh crab meat- use good-quality, fresh lump crab meat or jumbo lump crabmeat; you can find it in the seafood section of your grocery store
- Old Bay seasoning- the classic seasoning for this dish!
- Lemon juice- use fresh lemon juice for the crab cakes and the lemon aioli; I also like to serve lemon wedges on the side for squeezing on top of the cooked crab cakes
- Breadcrumbs- I make fresh breadcrumbs with sandwich bread but you can substitute panko bread crumbs or cracker crumbs made from Saltine crackers
How To Make Maryland-Style Old Bay Crab Cakes Step-By-Step
See recipe card below for full recipe instructions.
- Step 1- Mix the egg, mayonnaise, mustard, Old Bay, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt together in a large bowl.
- Step 2- Gently stir in the crab meat and fresh parsley trying not to break up the crab meat too much.
- Step 3- Form the mixture into 8 cakes, compacting them just enough to hold together. Place them on a greased baking sheet. If the crab cakes seem loose, refrigerate them for 20 minutes to help them firm up.
- Step 4- Spray the crab cakes with olive oil and sprinkle a little additional Old Bay on top. Bake in the oven at 400°F for 15-17 minutes until cooked through and golden brown.
Arrange Old Bay crab cakes on a serving platter and serve with lemon aioli and lemon wedges. If desired, serve with mango salsa on the side.
How To Make Crab Cakes in the Air Fryer
Crab cakes are so easy to make in the air fryer! They come out golden brown on the outside and moist on the inside. And they cook faster in the air fryer than in the oven! This is the model air fryer that I use.
Preheat your air fryer to 350°F. Spray the air fryer basket with oil and arrange the crab cakes on top in a single layer. Cook until crab cakes are golden brown and cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F, about 8-10 minutes.
If you're on the fence about whether to get an air fryer, read my post Why You Need An Air Fryer In Your Life.
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Chef's Tips
- This authentic Maryland crab cake recipe is all about the crab so use fresh, good-quality lump crab meat, if you can find it. It's typically sold in the seafood department of the grocery store, resting on ice. The next best option is refrigerated crab meat, which is readily available year-round. Avoid shelf-stable canned crab meat, which contains additives that affect the taste and texture of the crab meat.
- I like to make fresh breadcrumbs from sandwich bread rather than using packaged breadcrumbs because they make for a lighter, flakier crab cake. To make fresh breadcrumbs, remove the crusts from a couple of pieces of sandwich bread and process them in a food processor until crumbs are formed. You can substitute panko breadcrumbs or crumbled Saltine crackers.
- For best results, don't over-mix the crab mixture. You want to leave some lumps of crab meat in the cakes and avoid breaking it up too much.
- If the crab cakes seem soft, refrigerate them for 20 minutes before baking. This will help them firm up so that they don't fall apart.
What To Serve With Crab Cakes
This is a restaurant-quality dish that is an elegant main course served with a salad. It's also the perfect party appetizer. When serving these as an appetizer, I make smaller crab cakes that are easy to pick up.
I top the crab cakes with a simple lemon aioli and serve lemon wedges on the side. You can also serve them with remoulade, tartar sauce, cocktail sauce, hot sauce, or your favorite crab cake sauce.
If you want to take these crab cakes to the next level, make my mango salsa to serve with them. It's a colorful, fresh salsa that’s bursting with flavors and textures. I combine fresh mango, crunchy red bell pepper and red onion, herbaceous cilantro, jalapeño pepper for some heat, and fresh lime juice for a punch of acid. Sweet, salty, spicy and citrusy- it’s a flavor explosion!
Recipe FAQs
A crab cake is considered a Maryland crab cake when it is made using the meat from Maryland blue crabs. Maryland crab cakes are typically made with lots of fresh crab meat and minimal filler.
These Old Bay crab cakes can be stored in an airtight container or plastic wrap in the fridge for 3-4 days.
You can either bake, fry or air fry these crab cakes. I prefer baking and air frying over pan frying because it uses less oil so it's healthier. It's also easier- no worrying about flipping delicate crab cakes in hot oil. Just put them on a sheet pan or in the air fryer basket, cook, and you're done! If you want a crispier texture, you can pan-fry them in olive oil or butter.
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Recipe
Maryland-Style Old Bay Crab Cakes
Equipment
Ingredients
Crab Cakes:
- 1 large egg
- 2 ½ tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 lb. lump or jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over for shells
- 1 ounce (about 1 cup) fresh breadcrumbs* (can substitute ½ cup panko breadcrumbs)
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- Olive oil spray
- Lemon wedges for serving
Lemon aioli
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Mix the egg, mayonnaise, mustard, Old Bay, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and parsley together in a large bowl. Add the crab and breadcrumbs and gently mix to combine being careful not to over-mix it.
- Form the mixture into 8 small cakes, compacting them just enough to hold together. Place them on a greased baking sheet. If the crab cakes seem loose, refrigerate them for 20 minutes so that they firm up.
- Spray the crab cakes with olive oil and sprinkle a little Old Bay on top. Bake in the oven 15-17 minutes until crab cakes are cooked through and golden brown. Arrange them on a serving platter and serve with lemon aioli and lemon wedges. If desired, serve with mango salsa on the side.
- To make the Lemon Aioli, mix the mayonnaise, lemon juice, and garlic powder together in a small bowl.
Air Fryer Instructions:
- Spray the air fryer basket with oil and arrange the crab cakes on top in a single layer. Cook at 350°F until crab cakes are lightly browned and cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F, about 8-10 minutes.
Notes
-
- Use fresh, good-quality lump crab meat, if you can find it. It's typically sold in the seafood department of the grocery store, resting on ice. The next best option is refrigerated crab meat, which is readily available year-round. Avoid shelf-stable canned crab meat, which contains additives that affect the taste and texture of the crab meat.
- I like to make fresh breadcrumbs from sandwich bread rather than using packaged breadcrumbs because they make for a lighter, flakier crab cake. To make fresh breadcrumbs, remove the crusts from a couple of pieces of sandwich bread and process them in a food processor until crumbs are formed. You can substitute panko breadcrumbs (if using panko breadcrumbs, use about ½ cup).
-
- For best results, don't over-mix the crab mixture. You want to leave some lumps of crab meat in the cakes and not break it up too much.
- If the crab cakes seem soft, refrigerate them for 20 minutes before baking. This will help them firm up so that they don't fall apart.
url says
We love crab cakes, always have it in seafood restaurants. Unfortunately, they use too much bread crumbs.
I have all the ingredients, except the Old Bay Seasoning. I am definitely going to follow your recipe. In the meantime, I will look out for the Seasoning in the supermarket.
Thank you Sonali.
Dr. Sonali Ruder says
The Old Bay takes the crab cakes to another level! I hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂