Six simple ingredients and a few minutes of hands-on time make these crispy baked crab cakes the perfect choice for a quick weeknight dinner.

An oval serving platter with baked crab cakes, a bowl of cocktail sauce for dipping and lemon wedges.

Making crabcakes used to be something we reserved just for weekend meals, but now that we’ve developed this quick and easy baked version, we can serve them any night of the week.

A quick look at how to make baked crab cakes

This recipe features a short ingredient list that includes pasteurized crabmeat, panko crumbs, mayonnaise, lemon juice, scallions, and an egg.

Here’s how to make it:

  • Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl.
  • Pack some of that mixture into a measuring cup coated with nonstick spray.
  • Turn the measured portion out and form it into a patty with your hands.
  • Place the formed crab cake on a baking sheet and repeat the process.
  • Bake for 10 minutes, turn the crab cakes over and continue baking for 10 minutes longer.

The main ingredient – pasteurized crab

Found in the refrigerated section of your grocers’ seafood department, pasteurized crab meat is fully-cooked and ready to eat as is.

Unopened pasteurized crab meat has a shelf life of six months to a year, so be sure to look for a “use by” date stamp on the container. Once you’ve opened it, though, you’ll need to use it up within a day.

There are a few varieties of pasteurized crab including jumbo lump, lump, backfin, and claw. Jumbo lump will carry the highest price tag, with lump being next and claw being the least expensive.

You can use any one of them to make these crab cakes, so feel free to buy the variety that fits your budget.

More crab recipes

Quick Bake Crab Cakes

Quick Baked Crab Cakes

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Six simple ingredients and a few minutes of hands-on time make these crispy baked crab cakes the perfect choice for a quick weeknight dinner.
Yield: 3 to 4 servings (6 cakes)
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 1 container, 8-ounce pasteurized crabmeat
  • 1 cup panko crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 4 scallions, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F and coat a shallow baking pan with nonstick spray.
  • Drain the crab in a colander and using your fingers, pick through it to remove any bits of shell that might remain after processing.
  • Transfer the crab to a mixing bowl, then add the panko crumbs, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and scallions and combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then add the egg and combine thoroughly.
  • Gently but firmly, pack some of the crab mixture into a 1/3 cup measure that has been coated with nonstick spray.
  • Turn the measuring cup upside down and tap it gently until the formed crab cake comes out.
  • Using your hands, gently firm the mixture into a patty and place it on the prepared baking sheet.
  • Repeat the process with the rest of the crab mixture – you should end up with 6 crab cakes.
  • Bake the crab cakes for 10 minutes, then remove them from the oven and carefully turn them over.
  • Continue baking for an additional 10 minutes or until golden and crisp on the outside.
  • Serve immediately with cocktail and/or tartar sauce and lemon wedges.
Author: Lynne Webb
Course: Seafood
Cuisine: American
Keyword: baked crab cakes, easy crab cakes
Calories: 202kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 78mg, Sodium: 454mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g
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