Pan Seared Crab Cakes
These crispy Maryland-style Pan Seared Crab Cakes are packed with chunks of fresh, tender crab meat, lots of zesty seasonings and served with a homemade remoulade or tartar sauce.

Sommer’s Recipe Notes
To me, the best Pan Seared Crab Cakes are the Maryland-style version, with very little filler. They are primarily made of big chunks of crab meat, with just a little bit of crumb, egg, and seasoning to hold them together and enhance the flavor of the crab.
Our version of Maryland-style crab cakes includes a unique combination of both fresh lump crab meat and shredded crab meat. This creates crab cakes that are incredibly meaty and tender, and don’t need as much extra filler to bind everything together.
Not only does the egg act as a binder, but the shredded bits of crab also bind the larger chunks of meat together as well. Plus, using shredded crab helps to cut the cost a bit, so it’s a win-win!
Why You’ll Love Pan Seared Crab Cakes
- Perfectly crisp – I just can’t get enough of how perfectly balanced these crab cakes are — crisp and golden on the outside, yet juicy and tender on the inside.
- Enjoy them your way – You can serve these as a main course on their own, an appetizer or even served on a simple salad or as part of a summer seafood sandwich.
- Real crab meat – So many crab cake recipes ONLY use imitation crab, but our recipe uses the real-deal — lumps of succulent fresh crab meat!
I like pan-fried crab cakes the best for the wonderfully crispy exterior. However, I’m including oven instructions as well, so you can easily bake them if you prefer! Oh, and don’t forget to pair these with savory dips.
Ingredients and Tips
- Crab meat – You’ll need both fresh jumbo lump crab meat and a good quality fresh shredded crab meat. The combo is what gives these cakes their meaty texture.
- Saltine crackers – For the filling, use crushed saltine crackers.
- Mayonnaise – You can use regular, low-fat or paleo mayo.
- Egg – Use an egg at room temperature to bind everything together.
- Dijon mustard – This will give you that tangy kick.
- Old bay seasoning – Use a classic old bay seasoning blend.
- Butter – Whether you’re frying or baking these, butter will create the perfectly crispy exterior.
Recipe Variations and Dietary Swaps
- Panko – Swap the saltine crackers with panko breadcrumbs.
- Spiciness – Stir in a dash of cayenne pepper or horseradish into the crabmeat mixture to get a spicy kick.
- Gluten-free – Use GF saltine crackers or breadcrumbs.
- Greek yogurt – Replace the mayo with Greek yogurt for a lighter version.
How To Make Pan Seared Crab Cakes
With just a few easy steps, you can make these rich and crispy restaurant-worthy Pan Seared Crab Cakes from scratch. The best part is that from start to finish this classic crab cake recipe takes less than an hour to make.
Find the full Pan Seared Crab Cakes recipe with detailed instructions and storage tips in the printable form at the bottom of the post!
Tips For Success
- Old Bay seasoning and saltine crackers are both salty, so no need to add extra salt here. You can add a few scrunches of black pepper to the mix if you desire!
- Be gentle when mixing the ingredients! You want those large crab chunks to stay intact, so don’t mix too hard.
- The crab cakes need to be formed and chilled before cooking. This essential chill time helps them to “set” and keep their shape. Be prepared for this step and do not skip! That is what makes this recipe the best crab cakes recipe there is!
Storage Notes
- Storing Leftovers – Stored in a sealed container, leftovers will keep well for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
- Reheating Leftovers – Reheat leftovers in a microwave or in the oven for a few minutes.
- Freezing Leftovers – Freeze the baked or fried crab cakes for up to 3 months by wrapping each individually in plastic wrap, and then place in an airtight plastic bag or another container. A layer of aluminum foil around the container will help to keep them even fresher.
Serving Suggestions
Serve your Maryland style crab cakes warm with lemon wedges on the side and some sliced green onions for garnish, if desired!
We recommend serving fresh Maryland Crab Cakes with one or all of these 3 classic seafood sauces:
- Zesty and creamy Remoulade Sauce
- Tangy and bright Tartar Sauce
- Perky and spicy Cocktail Sauce
This easy crab cakes can also be served as a meal with a few extra sides! Try them with:
Pan Seared Crab Cakes Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 8 ounces fresh jumbo lump crab meat drained well
- 8 ounces fresh shredded crab meat drained well
- ½ cup crushed saltine crackers or 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley or 1 tsp fresh dill
- 2 teaspoons old bay seasoning
- 3 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Set out a large mixing bowl and rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- To the bowl, add all the crab meat, crushed crackers, mayonnaise, egg, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, fresh chopped herbs, and old bay. Gently mix until well incorporated.
- Use a 1/3 cup to scoop out 6 equal portions. Gently press into large patties, about 1 ½ inch thick. Set on the baking sheet. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes, but up to 4 hours.
- For Stovetop Cooking: Set a large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter. Once melted, cook the crab cakes 4-5 minutes per side, until golden-brown.
- For Baked Crab Cakes: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Melt the butter and drizzle it around the crab cakes on the baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, flipping once after 5 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Coming from the Chesapeake bay region, Maryland crab cakes are known for their star ingredient: crab. Unlike other crab cakes, which can include a lot of breading, Maryland crab cakes are mostly made of crab meat with a few other ingredients to enhance the flavor.
It’s probably because you didn’t use enough binding ingredients like egg or mayo. Otherwise, you might not have chilled them before cooking.
They should be golden and crispy on the outside, but you can also use a meat thermometer to ensure that the temperature of the crab cakes are at 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
At the risk of offending those of you who can get blue crab, I am in San Diego and made crab cakes with the Handy International crab cake mix (lump crab and other crab), and all of my guests were delighted, saying “best I ever had”- but please give us grace as we don’t have access to your yummy crab. So if you are in parts of the US where getting the blue crab is inaccessible, this worked beautifully with this recipe. (And the next time I am in your parts of the world, I will look forward to the real deal!)
I’m from Baltimore. Just FYI, Phillips crab meat is processed garbage and their lump crab is a joke. If you’re in an area with options, buy any other brand!
Maryland crab cakes are made with blue crab meat. The Phillips crab meat that you show is from Indonesia and is not blue crab meat.
Maryland crabs are blue crabs, and they are the best tasting ones in the world! Maryland style crabcakes, however, are probably OK to use other types of crab meat.
I made this recipe and felt like the dijon mustard was a little strong. Otherwise, the texture was good. I didn’t have 30 minutes in the fridge, so I popped them in the freezer for 15 minutes and it worked really well. I also lightly coated them in breadcrumbs before frying.
I have never written a review for a recipe until I made this recipe.
These crabcakes were outstanding! Just as good as any restaurant and actually better. Followed the directions exactly. I was a little hesitant about the saltines but used them anyway. I used the stove top method which was great and the remoulade sauce was perfect.
This is my go to recipe for crabcakes!
I just made these and they’re delicious!! My husband wants me to make them again tomorrow!!
Im from OCEAN City Md and Ive been in Wisconsin for 10 years, I want some of that lol.
I love a good crab cake and the flavors in this tastes amazing!