Baked Crab Cakes (minimal filler)
Lump crab cakes are made with Old Bay seasoning, butter, lemon, and herbs with minimal filler. These baked crab cakes are deliciously crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Get ready to dig into pure crab flavor without pan-frying and risking them falling apart.
Servings: 6 crab cakes
Ingredients
- 16 oz fresh lump crab meat drained
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or 2 teaspoons dried
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning*
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice plus extra for serving
- 16 saltine crackers crushed into crumbs 2-inch cracker size
- 2 tablespoons softenend butter for greasing the baking sheet
- topping: 4 tablespoons salted melted butter divided
- topping: lemon wedges
No-Fail Blender Hollandaise Sauce (optional)
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
Instructions
- Place the lump crab meat into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the egg, mayonnaise, Worcestershire, Dijon, parsley, lemon juice, and seasonings. Whisk together until smooth.
- Pour the egg mixture over the crab. Add in the cracker crumbs and fold the mixture together carefully with a spatula to keep the lump crab chunks intact.
- Cover the mixture and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to one day.
- Heat the oven to 450 degrees and prepare a baking sheet generously greased with butter.
- Using clean hands, divide the crab mixture into 6 equal-sized mounds, about 1/2 cup each. Don't compress them down into a patty; keep them as a mound, minimally forming them just enough so they keep their shape.
- Place them a few inches apart on the greased baking pan and spread melted butter generously over the tops, allowing it to drizzle down into the crevices. Place them immediately in the hot oven and bake for 13-15 minutes or until a golden crust forms on the outside.
- Remove from the oven and spread the tops with more melted butter and a squeeze of lemon. Serve immediately.
No-Fail Blender Hollandaise
- Into a blender add egg yolks, lemon juice, dijon, salt and cayenne pepper. Blend for 5 seconds until combined.
- Place the butter in a microwave-safe glass measuring cup or bowl. Heat until the butter is hot, about 45 seconds - 1 minute.
- Turn the blender on medium high, and slowly stream in the hot butter into the mixture until emulsified.
Notes
Freezing & Reheating
You can form the crab cake patties, leave them unbaked, and freeze them in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. When ready to consume, thaw in the fridge, spread butter over the tops, and bake as directed.
You can also freeze baked and ready-to-eat crab cakes. Bake them from frozen at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
Reheating Leftovers
If you have baked crab cakes leftover in the fridge, air fry at 375 degrees for 3-4 minutes or until warmed through.
You can also reheat crab cakes in the oven. Place them in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until warmed through.
Homemade Cajun Seasoning:
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, regular paprika works too
- 1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano