READY IN 20 mins

Maryland Crab Cakes I

Read Reviews (121)

"Growing up near the Chesapeake Bay you learn that crabs are as valuable as gold. My mom made crab cakes every Friday in the summer months, but I like my recipe just a tad better. Don't tell mom." — John L.

Directions

Pick the crab meat to remove any remaining pieces of shell.
Pick bread into small pieces and place in medium-size bowl with crabmeat. Add egg, mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and Old Bay seasoning ™. Mix ingredients by hand to avoid overworking the crabmeat, you want to keep the lumps of meat as much as possible. Form into patties; this should make 6 good-size cakes.
Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet, then fry cakes for about 4 minutes each side or until brown crust forms on both sides of the crab cake.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 12 mins
COOK 8 mins
READY IN 20 mins

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Jan 07, 2004

This recipe will definately be a keeper. I made a big mistake - I used canned crabmeat and forgot to rinse it first - my crabcakes were salty! I will definately make it again and I know it will be great. My patties stayed together fine. I used a cast-iron pan and I believe that really makes a difference - it browned the crabcakes quickly and made an excellent crust - turning them over was no problem. Don't try turning the cakes over until you have a good crust and don't forget to rinse your canned crabmeat!

—anchrista

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Jun 01, 2006

i have read other reviews and i understand that apparently, crab cakes from maryland are supposed to fall apart. i'm from texas, where we think of a crab cake as sticking together. so, if you're looking for a "traditional" maryland crab cake, this may be it. if you want something that makes an actual "cake", this isn't it. i added probably 1 cup of bread crumbs to keep the crab mix together; even then i had to smush the "cakes" like i was trying to make diamonds from coal a la superman. as per other suggestions, i added less old bay, and thank goodness. the flavor was okay but not amazing. sorry, but i'll keep looking.

—lockesmom

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149 Ratings

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Sep 30, 2003

Best crab cakes I've made and I've tried alot of recipes. To keep them from falling apart I shape the mixture into balls for the first side and the after I turn them I flatten into patties. This hint came from a previous recipe and it really works!

—MNT

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Apr 25, 2004

We made these a few times and followed the recipe exactly. They turned out great. I chose this recipe because it called for bread instead of bread crumbs. I wanted to modify the recipe to cut down on the number of crab cakes and added some celery and onion. We liked the crunch of the celery. Here's my changes. Drain well: 1 can lump crabmeat (Lump crabmeat is the best in the can because it has the biggest pieces) – put in a strainer – press down and let sit for ½ hour to drain. Mix: 1 egg, beaten, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 3/4 teaspoon Dijon-style prepared mustard, Couple dashes Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning, 1 T finely minced onoin, small stick celery finely minced, 2 slices white bread, cut into small pieces. Add crabmeat – gently mix. Lightly bread the patties with cracker meal. Fry them in olive oil until brown. We liked them fried in olive oil for that fried taste. We fried our first batch in butter and they just didn't taste as good to us - they didn't come out nice and crunchy like we like them.

—Sarah

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Jan 27, 2008

I am from Maryland so a few hinters. Never ever flatten your crab cakes like the picture! A Mayland crabcake should be the size of your fist and fluffy. Fold in gently (to prevent shredding) of Fresh Lump Maryland Blue Crabs. A true Maryland Crabcake is 80% broiled, not fried...so broil till golden.

—The Messy Cook

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Jan 05, 2004

This recipe is very good but a bit too salty with the tablespoon of Old Bay it calls for. The second time I made it, I used just half a tablespoon of Old Bay and substituted a tablespoon of very finely chopped celery, plus a pinch each of parseley flakes, black pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika and allspice for the other half. Also, if you have trouble with these staying together, don't add extra egg, just make sure you pack your crab cakes as compactly as you can. Then, after they've been cooking for a couple of minutes, press down on the tops of the cakes with a big spatula, and whatever you do, don't try to flip or move them until they're sufficiently cooked on one side.

—METAPEDE

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Jan 03, 2003

I'm from Maryland and this recipe is to die for! I made mini crab cakes as an appetizer and my friends raved over them. I added another egg and it did stay together very well. I also used crabs that I caught the day before (15 small).

—JBAILY

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Dec 31, 2006

I added a tad less of the old bay and dijon mustard--little less salty tasting. Also, sprayed a cookie sheet and tops of cakes with pam and baked on 375--came out just as crispy and tasty as frying in butter!

—geodrew

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Nutrition

Calories
166 kcal
8%

Carbohydrates
5.3 g
2%

Cholesterol
114 mg
38%

Fat
7.9 g
12%

Fiber
0.7 g
3%

Protein
17.4 g
35%

Sodium
896 mg
36%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Maryland Crab Cakes I

Serving Size: 1/6 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 166
Calories from Fat: 71

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 7.9g 12 %
Saturated Fat 3.2g 16 %
Cholesterol 114mg 38 %
Sodium 896mg 36 %
** Potassium 326mg 9 %
Total Carbohydrates 5.3g 2 %
Dietary Fiber 0.7g 3 %
Protein 17.4g 35 %
Sugars 0.6g
** Vitamin A 4 %
** Vitamin C 4 %
** Calcium 12 %
** Iron 11 %
** Thiamin 9 %
** Niacin 41 %
** Vitamin B6 9 %
** Magnesium 12 %
** Folate 25 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.