Crab Cakes
A hearty vegetarian built around crabmeat, italian-style breadcrumbs and mayonnaise β roughly 65 minutes start to finish, and rated medium to make. Scroll down for the ingredient checklist, a serving scaler and unit converter, and the method broken into 7 steps.
You'll mainly reach for frying pan / skillet and whisk. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (5)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
π Unit converter
How to make it
- Pick through the crabmeat to remove any bits of shell or cartilage, keeping the lumps as whole as possible.
- In a bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, egg, ground mustard, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, parsley, salt, and pepper until smooth.
- Gently fold in the crabmeat and breadcrumbs, mixing just enough to bind so the crab stays in distinct pieces rather than turning to paste.
- Divide the mixture into 8 portions and shape each into a patty about 2 cm thick, then chill them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes so they hold together during cooking.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering.
- Cook the cakes for about 4 to 5 minutes per side, turning once carefully, until they are golden brown and heated through to an internal temperature of 74 C (165 F).
- Drain briefly on paper towels and serve hot with lemon wedges.
You'll use: Frying pan / skillet Β· Whisk
Ingredient substitutions
- Lemon
- lime Β· 1 tbsp white wine vinegar per lemon
Tips & common questions
How long does Crab Cakes take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish β an estimate based on the 7 steps and 11 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of lemon?
Try lime. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes β use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Crab Cakes vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat or fish, so it's suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheeses for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Crab Cakes is an original recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Dungeness crab cake at Oso - Sarah Stierch.jpg by Missvain, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top β how we source recipes.