If you’ve ever been to a classic seafood restaurant, you know a good crab cake is a thing of beauty. Lightly seasoned, just enough binder to hold them together, and bursting with naturally sweet crab flavor! The best part? They’re surprisingly easy to make at home.
Why I Love This Recipe
These Baltimore-Style Crab Cakes come together with a handful of pantry staples — including buttery Ritz crackers for the perfect crunch — and can be served as is or piled high on brioche buns for the ultimate crab cake sandwich. Don’t forget a generous dollop of homemade tartar sauce or your favorite remoulade!
I’ve got tons of great recipes featuring crab, so be sure to try one of these easy dishes next: creamy hot crab dip, my tender, flaky crab-stuffed salmon fillets (one of my all-time favorite dinners!), or this silky smooth homemade crab bisque. Or check out all of my restaurant-worthy dinner recipes for more inspiration!
Ingredient Highlights
- Authentic Baltimore-Style: True to their roots, these crab cakes use just enough binder to keep everything together, letting the flavor of jumbo lump crab meat really shine. I’m using Ritz crackers, but you can switch it up with breadcrumbs or glute-free breadcrumbs if desired. There are great gluten-free breads and buns available these days.
- High-Quality Ingredients: Jumbo lump crab meat has the best texture and naturally sweet flavor — worth every penny!
- Great as a Sandwich (or Not!): Serve them plain, with a side salad, or tuck them into a brioche bun with my creamy tartar sauce for a seriously drool-worthy meal.
For the tartar sauce, you’ll need: a mayonnaise you love, sweet pickle relish, Dijon mustard, shallots, fresh lemon juice, kosher salt, and black pepper.
To assemble, make sure you’ve got brioche buns, sliced tomatoes, avocado, and crisp lettuce!
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Mix wet ingredients and spices. Combine egg, mayonnaise, Old Bay, Dijon, Worcestershire, fresh herbs, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl, then whisk well.
- Form the crab cake mixture. Add crabmeat and crushed crackers, then mix gently until just combined. Try not to break up the crab lumps too much!
- Portion the crab cakes. Use a large cookie scoop to portion the mixture into equal size crab cakes. 1 lb of crab meat will yield 7 crab cakes. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, then refrigerate for 30 minutes (or up to 1 day).
- Cook the crab cakes. When ready, gently form the crab cakes into uniform size and shape, pressing down slightly and smoothing the edges to form a flat, round circle. Heat 2 Tbsp unsalted butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Cook crab cakes for 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown and crispy. Drain for just a minute on a paper towel before serving.
- Serve immediately. Crab cakes are best served hot from the skillet. Enjoy over a salad or, as shown here, on brioche buns with tartar sauce, sliced tomatoes, and avocado. Don’t forget a pinch of flaky sea salt, always!
For a similar dish, consider trying my pan-seared salmon croquettes made with fresh salmon. I prefer to serve these with zesty remoulade sauce!
Make The Homemade Tartar Sauce
In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, Dijon mustard, diced shallots (or grated onion), juice from 1 lemon, a little Kosher salt, and black pepper.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. This truly is the best homemade tartar sauce, perfect on all kinds of seafood from classic fish cakes and fish and chips, to fresh salmon cakes and juicy homemade salmon burgers!
Sauce swap: Prefer a spicy kick? Go for a remoulade sauce instead of tartar sauce–it often has a splash of hot sauce or Creole seasoning for more heat. Or try my creamy dill sauce. You can’t go wrong with either!
Assemble The Crab Cake Sandwiches
- Toast Buns (Optional): For extra flavor and texture, lightly toast brioche buns in a dry skillet.
- Add Toppings: Spread a spoonful of tartar sauce on each bun, then layer with lettuce, avocado, sliced tomatoes, and a hot crab cake.
- Season & Serve: Top with a little flaky sea salt and another dollop of sauce before placing the bun on top. All that’s left to do is dig in and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
- Classic Sides: Serve with crispy homemade potato chips, French fries, or maybe even my polenta fries.
- Light & Fresh: Pair with a simple green salad or sliced avocado in warmer months.
- Roasted Veggies: When it’s chilly, try them with roasted vegetables for a cozy dinner.
- Leftover Makeover: Take leftovers and transform them into a crab cake benedict! A poached egg and hollandaise over a crab cake is next-level brunch.
Ari’s Best Tips!
- Pick Through the Crab Meat: Always remove any cartilage or shells before mixing.
- Use Jumbo Lump: It may be pricier, but it yields sweeter flavor and a gorgeous texture.
- Make Mini Crab Cakes: Hosting a gathering? Form 1-2 tablespoon patties, then fry for 1-2 minutes on each side. Perfect bite-sized appetizers!
- Freezing Crab Cakes: Cool them completely, then store in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before reheating.
- How to Reheat: Warm in a 350ºF oven for ~7 minutes or microwave for 1-2 minutes until heated through.
If you make this recipe, we’d love to hear about it! Leave a rating and comment below to let us know how you enjoyed these Baltimore-Style Crab Cake Sandwiches. And if you’re craving more restaurant-worthy recipes, be sure to check out all our elevated, restaurant-worthy dinner ideas!
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Baltimore-Style Crab Cake Sandwiches (Little Filler)
Ingredients
For the tartar sauce
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp sweet pickle relish
- 2 Tbsp shallots finely chopped
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- juice from 1 lemon about 2-3 Tbsp
- ¾ tsp Kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
For the crab cakes
- 1 large egg
- 3 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp chopped parsley
- 2 Tbsp chopped dill or tarragon
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
- 1 tsp Worcestershire
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 ½ tsp Kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lb jumbo lump crab meat picked through for cartilage and shells
- 20 Ritz crackers ground into fine crumbs, or ⅔ cup breadcrumbs
For serving
- Tomatoes thinly sliced
- Lettuce
- 7 Brioche buns
- Homemade tartar sauce
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Make the tartar sauce. Combine 1 cup mayonnaise, 2 Tbsp sweet pickle relish, 2 Tbsp shallots, 1 tsp Dijon, 2-3 Tbsp lemon juice, ¾ tsp Kosher salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper in a large bowl, then whisk to combine. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Mix wet ingredients and spices. Combine 1 egg, 3 Tbsp mayonnaise, 2 tsp Old Bay, 2 tsp Dijon, 1 tsp Worcestershire, 2 Tbsp parsley, 2 Tbsp dill, 1 ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper in a large mixing bowl, then whisk well.
- Form the crab cake mixture. Add 1 lb crab meat and ⅔ cup Ritz cracker crumbs, then mix gently until just combined.
- Portion the crab cakes. Use a large cookie scoop to portion mixture into equal size crab cakes. 1 lb of crab meat will yield 7 crab cakes. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, then refrigerate for 30 minutes (or up to 1 day).
- Cook the crab cakes. When ready, gently form the crab cakes into uniform size and shape, pressing down slightly and smoothing the edges to form a flat, round circle. Heat 2 Tbsp unsalted butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Cook crab cakes for 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown and crispy.
- Serve immediately. Crab cakes are best served hot from the skillet. Enjoy over a salad or, as shown here, on brioche buns with tartar sauce, sliced tomatoes, and avocado. Don't forget a pinch of flaky sea salt, always!
Notes
- You want to purchase jumbo lump crab meat, not the claw meat. Jumbo lump is larger, sweeter, and will create a lighter, more delicate overall crab cake.
- Make sure to pick through the crab meat for cartilage and shells before using!
- Nutrition facts include crab cake, brioche bun, and tartar sauce — they do not include additional toppings, such as avocado, tomatoes, and lettuce.
- Want to serve these as an appetizer at a holiday or cocktail party? Follow the instructions, but portion the mixture into 1-2 Tbsp patties. Pan fry for 1-2 minutes over medium heat, then serve on a tray with tartar sauce, aioli, or remoulade.
Made the crab cakes this week for lunch and they were so tasty! Agree that the jumbo lump crab is totally worth the extra price. As with your other recipes, so easy to make and so many ingredients I already have on hand! This will definitely be a staple of ours for the summer!
LOVE this! We made them again recently (turned them into crab cake benedicts, be on the lookout for that recipe soon!!) and they are just the best. So glad you’re enjoying the recipe as well! xo, Ari