Quick Baked Crab Cakes
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.
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 Baked Crab Cakes
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.
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.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 202Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 78mgSodium: 454mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 11g
Note: Nutrition information is estimated and may vary from your actual results.
10 Comments on “Quick Baked Crab Cakes”
This is a great recipe. Unfortunately I’m not a great cook. Mine came out on the dry side and fell apart when I flipped them. What would you recommend?
Thanks
Hi Mary,
There are a few variables that could have caused your crab cakes to be a little crumbly. The moisture level in crabmeat can vary slightly and so can the size of your eggs. Next time, try reducing the quantity of panko by 1 tablespoon and add 1 additional teaspoon of mayonnaise. Pack the crab mixture tightly into the measuring cup and when you turn it out, make sure you firm it up nicely with your hands before putting it on the baking sheet. When you turn them after the first 10 minutes of baking, use a second “helper” utensil to carefully push the crab cake onto your spatula, then use it to gently lower it back onto the baking sheet on the other side. Crab cakes are delicate, so turning them is very different from flipping foods like pancakes or burgers. Hope this helps!
Made these tonight. So easy and delicious. Will never go out to a restaurant for crab cakes again. Hubby LOVED them. Thank you for this recipe.
Hi Jayne,
I’m glad to hear that you and your husband enjoyed the crab cakes. Thanks for taking the time to let us know.
What do you normally dip your crab cakes in?
Hi Angela,
I usually whip up small batches of both cocktail and tartar sauce to serve with crab cakes. Remoulade is another popular choice. You can find the instructions for that included with our Salmon Croquettes recipe.
Can I make crab cakes a day ahead refrigerate, cook next day & serve.
Hi Anna,
Since chilling crab cakes is often recommended to make them easier to handle for frying, I would say that there is no reason you couldn’t make them a day in advance.
Can you freeze these?
Hi Eleanor,
That is a good question. I’m sorry but I haven’t ever frozen homemade crab cakes. I would think that once they’re baked it would be fine to do. I will have to try it and update the recipe.