Maryland Crab Cakes are heavy on lump crabmeat, not filler, and have great flavor thanks to a touch of Old Bay seasoning. Served with a spicy mustard sauce, these homemade crab cakes are better than any restaurant version.
As a born and bred Marylander, I’ve been eating and loving crab cakes for over 40 years. I tried recipe after recipe as a young cook, trying to figure out the difference between a good crab cake and a great one. I finally cracked the code and created this Maryland Crab Cake recipe: heavy on lump crabmeat, not filler, and spiced with just the right amount of Old Bay Seasoning. Plus, it’s served with a spicy mustard sauce that is truly dip-worthy.
I first found the basis for this recipe in a Mini Crab Cake recipe from Chef Shannon Overmiller. I made these frequently over my 10 years as a personal chef, and they became a staple of my party menus—and a client favorite! Over time, I created my own version of the recipe and switched to making the crab cakes full-size.
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What Makes This the Best Maryland Crab Cakes Recipe
- Big Crab Flavor: Like all good Maryland crab cakes, there is a ton of crab and very little filler in this recipe.
- Tasty Sauce: The mustard-heavy sauce takes the crab cakes to a new level of deliciousness.
- Good for Make-Ahead: Prep the cakes in advance and sauté just before serving.
- Make for a Crowd: Easy to double this recipe to serve more people.
Maryland Crab Cakes Recipe Ingredients
Ingredients for Sauce
- Mustard: I use both whole-grain and Dijon mustard in this recipe—feel free to just use one or the other, though I think the combination really makes it special.
- Mayonnaise: I’m partial to Hellman’s (Best Foods) Mayonnaise, but use your favorite. The full-fat version is recommended, though you could use light mayonnaise if that’s what you have on-hand.
- Sriracha: Feel free to replace with whatever hot sauce you prefer.
Ingredients for Crab Cakes
- Crabmeat: Maryland blue crab meat is of course preferred, but may be hard to find in your area. This recipe calls for lump crabmeat, though if you want to really splurge, go for jumbo lump crabmeat.
- Parsley: Maryland crab cakes favor parsley as the only herb, but you could replace this with fresh chopped chives.
- Panko Breadcrumbs: I love using panko breadcrumbs in crab cakes, as they help keep the crab cakes light. You can replace with regular dried breadcrumbs though, or even with crushed saltines.
- Old Bay Seasoning: The secret weapon! Feel free to up the amount if you love Old Bay. Or leave it out if you don’t.
- Olive Oil: Just your basic olive oil is best for frying the crab cakes. No need to use an expensive extra-virgin olive oil (save that for your salad!).
How to Make Maryland Crab Cakes
Step 1
Whisk together ⅓ cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon chopped parsley, and ¼ teaspoon sriracha. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and put into the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Step 2
Rinse 1 pound lump crabmeat in a strainer under cold water. Take small handfuls of the crabmeat and squeeze dry gently, using your fingers to remove any pieces of shell that might remain in the meat. Set crabmeat aside in a small bowl.
Step 3
In a large bowl, combine ⅓ cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon lemon juice,1 large egg yolk, 3 tablespoons chopped parsley, ½ cup panko breadcrumbs, 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine well.
Step 4
Then gently stir in crab meat.
Step 5
Use your hands to form 8 crab cakes, setting each aside on a plate until you have finished forming all of them.
Step 6
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add crab cakes and sauté until browned on the bottom, about 4-6 minutes.
Then flip over and brown on the other side, about 3-4 minutes.
Step 7
Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with lemon wedges and sauce. Sprinkle a little Old Bay on top of the sauce before serving if you like.
How to Store Maryland Crab Cakes
Store leftover crab cakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Crab cakes also freeze well! Put them in an airtight container or freezer bag, or wrap them with plastic wrap and foil, then store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator before reheating.
Maryland Crab Cakes FAQs
For the best texture and flavor, reheat the crab cakes on a nonstick skillet. Flip crab cake a couple of times, until it is fully heated through. If you don’t mind the top and bottom not being crispy though, you can reheat crab cakes in the microwave on 70% power, until warmed through.
Personally, I prefer to pan-fry my crab cakes. I just love the crispy top and bottom that results from sautéing your crab cakes. But you can also bake crab cakes—put them on a foil or parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in a 375-degree oven until they are cooked throughout (about 20 minutes).
Old Bay is a blend of 18 herbs and spices that feature red pepper, celery salt, and paprika. In Maryland, we use Old Bay for tossing steamed crabs as well as seasoning crab cakes or other seafood items. Old Bay is also used to top popcorn, french fries, potato chips, bloody marys, and more.
👩🍳 Expert Tips for Maryland-Style Crab Cakes
Stir in crab meat and form patties gently so as to not break up any large chunks of crab. This is even more important if you are using jumbo lump crabmeat, since there are more large chunks of crab in jumbo lump. The best part of a crab cake is biting in to one of those chunks, so try to leave them in there.
If it’s too hard to form a patty without the crab cake falling apart, you need more binder. Try adding more breadcrumbs and/or more mayonnaise.
These lump crab cakes make fantastic appetizers as well. Form mini crab cakes instead of large ones. Then put the sauce into a squeeze bottle, and drizzle a little on each mini crab cake before serving. These were the hit of many parties I catered!
Wondering what makes a Maryland crab cake vs. other types of crab cakes? Maryland crab cakes are famous for using very little filler. In my experience, you do need a little filler (breadcrumbs or saltines) in order to be able to form them into patties that don’t fall apart, but you want to use so little that you barely notice it when you are eating the crab cakes.
In addition, there are no onions, shallots, or green onions in the mixture. And no herbs outside of parsley. Seasonings generally include mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice. And of course, a bit of Old Bay flavor!
Can’t get enough Old Bay? Make sure to try our Old Bay Shrimp, Old Bay Salmon Rillettes, and Old Bay Seared Salmon.
And if crabmeat is your one true love, don't miss our Baked Crab Dip or our Maryland Cream of Crab Soup. Or try a no-bake version of crab dip like this Chilled Crab Dip. These Crab Stuffed Shrimp and this Crab and Asparagus Quiche are also delicious. I've got lots more ideas in my Top Crab Recipes post!
Wondering what to serve with crab cakes? Let’s start with the sauce. If you want to try a different sauce from the one in this recipe, I recommend an aioli sauce like this Roasted Garlic Aioli or Truffle Aioli.
Next, you’ll want a side dish. For me, the crab cakes are always the star of the show, so I like to serve with simple sides like steamed green beans and roasted potatoes. Pairing crab cakes with a salad is always a good option too—try this simple side salad or this arugula salad. For a clambake kind of vibe, pair with foil packet potatoes!
Other Delicious Seafood Recipes
Love this recipe for Old Bay crab cakes? How about trying some of our other favorite seafood main courses next?
If you try this Maryland Crab Cake recipe, I would love to hear from you! Please rate this recipe and leave a comment below—your feedback is invaluable to me.
And please follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or subscribe to my newsletter. I’d love to inspire you with more delicious, healthy, and seasonal recipes!
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Maryland Crab Cakes Recipe
Ingredients
For the Dipping Sauce
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon chopped parsley
- ¼ teaspoon sriracha
- Kosher salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the Crab Cakes
- 1 pound lump crabmeat
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 large egg yolk
- 3 tablespoons chopped parsley plus more for garnish
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Lemon wedges to serve
Instructions
- Whisk together sauce ingredients, then season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Rinse crabmeat in a strainer under cold water. Take small handfuls of the crabmeat and squeeze dry gently, using your fingers to remove any pieces of shell that might remain in the meat. Set crabmeat aside in a small bowl.
- In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients for the crab cakes except for the olive oil. Stir to combine well.
- Gently stir in crab meat.
- Use your hands to form 8 crab cakes, setting each aside on a plate until you have finished forming all of them.
- Heat olive oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat.
- Add crab cakes and sauté until browned on the bottom, about 4-6 minutes.
- Then flip over and brown on the other side, about 3-4 minutes.
- Garnish with chopped parsley.
- Serve with lemon wedges and sauce. Sprinkle a little Old Bay on top of the sauce before serving.
Notes
Store leftover crab cakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Crab cakes also freeze well! Put them in an airtight container or freezer bag, or wrap them with plastic wrap and foil, then store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator before reheating. Expert Tips:
Stir in crab meat and form patties gently so as to not break up any large chunks of crab. If it’s too hard to form a patty without the crab cake falling apart, you need more binder. Try adding more breadcrumbs and/or more mayonnaise. These crab cakes make fantastic appetizers as well. Form mini crab cakes instead of large ones. Then put the sauce into a squeeze bottle, and drizzle a little on each mini crab cake before serving. For the best texture and flavor, reheat the crab cakes on a nonstick skillet. Flip crab cake a couple of times, until it is fully heated through. If you don’t mind the top and bottom not being crispy though, you can reheat crab cakes in the microwave on 70% power, until warmed through.
Nutrition
Instagram Users: Now that you've made these Maryland Crab Cakes with Dipping Sauce, tag me @vanillabeancuisine or #vanillabeancuisine because I’d love to see your results!
More About Molly
Cooking healthy(ish) meals with seasonal ingredients is my passion. Trained as a French pastry chef, I spent over 10 years as a personal chef. Here you'll find well-tested recipes that you and your family will love!
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