The Best Classic Crab Cakes Recipe (Old Bay Seasoning) - Home & Plate (2024)

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe Leave a Review

This Crab Cakes Recipe (Old Bay Seasoned) is a traditional favorite made with fresh picked crab meat and and roasted red peppers. They are perfect for that beach vacation!

The Best Classic Crab Cakes Recipe (Old Bay Seasoning) - Home & Plate (1)

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read our disclosure policy.

The right amount of crunchy Panko breadcrumbs is the essential ingredient to the best crab cakes.

The succulent crab mixture is tossed with just the right amount of breading.

It’s just enough filler for the most delicious crab cakes.

A trip to the eastern shore would not be the same without my mother’s delicious classic Old Bay crab cakes recipe.

The crab meat is freshly picked that day and with the addition of sweet roasted red peppers this dish is sure to become a favorite in your home.

This recipe is an oldie but a goodie.

It’s really not my mother’s original recipe – she found it on the back of theOld Bay Seasoningcan years ago.

But it’s a classic nonetheless.

I’ve made it my own by adding roasted red peppers and green onions to give it a little extra sweet flavor.

The Best Classic Crab Cakes Recipe (Old Bay Seasoning) - Home & Plate (2)

I remember more vacations than I can count on theOuter Banksof North Carolina where we’d head out for a morning of crabbing.

It took a lot of patience catching enough crabs for dinner.

We were kids and loved sitting around watching who had a crab on their line.

It was a slow and painful process reeling in each bite on the line.

Of course, nowadays we just head to the fish market or local grocery store.

This is the best crab cake recipe to make not just in the summer, but year-round.

What kind of crab meat should I use?

The best meat to use is jumbo lump crab meat.

If you are near the eastern shore, the best selection of fresh blue crab meat comes straight from the Chesapeake Bay.

There is nothing like sinking your teeth into Maryland crab cakes served with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or tartar sauce.

Stay away from canned crab.

The type of crab meat you use for this easy crab cake recipe makes a difference.

The seafood department at most local groceries carries fresh crab meat.

Choose between fresh lump crabmeat or backfin crabmeat.

How should I serve classic Old Bay crab cakes?

These lump crab cakes are perfect for a family dinner or for an appetizer party platter.

Just make the patties bite sized and serve with a side ofrémoulade.

Sometimes, I will serve a crab cake sandwich on a roll with a spicychipotle mayonnaiseand fresh greens.

This recipe is really versatile because you can serve it with just about any summer vegetable!

The Best Classic Crab Cakes Recipe (Old Bay Seasoning) - Home & Plate (3)

How can I keep the crab cakes from falling apart?

Mix the crab meat in a large bowl with the red peppers and onions.

Mix bread crumbs, egg, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, and the remaining dry ingredients together.

Shape into patties.

Adding the baking powder to the recipe helps the patties stay formed while cooking.

It also keeps them light and flaky.

A tip – a half an hour in the fridge covered with plastic wrap before cooking keeps them from breaking apart in the pan when flipping.

The Best Classic Crab Cakes Recipe (Old Bay Seasoning) - Home & Plate (4)

Need more summer recipe ideas? Serve up these tasty recipes!

  • Creamy Crab Bisque
  • Old Bay Crabcake Sandwich with a Chipotle Mayo
  • Crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad
  • Summer Sweet Corn Salad

REMEMBER TO SUBSCRIBE TO HOME & PLATE NEWSLETTER FOR FREE AND RECEIVE FRESH RECIPE NOTIFICATIONS DELIVERED INTO YOUR INBOX!

If you try a recipe, please use the hashtag #HOMEANDPLATE on INSTAGRAM for a chance to be featured! FOLLOW HOME & PLATE ON FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST FOR ALL OF THE LATEST CONTENT, RECIPES AND UPDATES.

The Best Classic Crab Cakes Recipe (Old Bay Seasoning) - Home & Plate (5)

Classic Crab Cakes (Old Bay Seasoning)

The Best Classic Crab Cakes Recipe (Old Bay Seasoning) - Home & Plate (6)Ali Randall

The secret to these classic crab cakes is that the succulent crab meat is mixed with just the right amount of crunchy Panko breadcrumbs.

4.75 from 4 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Chill Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs Parmesan and herb flavored
  • 1/2 red pepper roasted and diced
  • 4 green onions diced
  • 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon parsley flakes
  • 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 1 pound lump crab meat
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

  • Mix together all the ingredients, except the olive oil, using your hands if necessary. Shape into eight patties. Be sure to refrigerate the crab cakes for about 30 minutes before cooking. It helps to keep them together while cooking.

  • Be sure to refrigerate the crab cakes for about 30 minutes before cooking. It helps to keep them together while cooking.

  • Using a cast-iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat and add the crab cakes to the pan when hot.

  • Fry them flipping once until golden brown on each side, for a total of about 5 to 6 minutes.

  • Serve with lemon wedges or co*cktail sauce.

Keyword Old Bay Crab Cakes

The Best Classic Crab Cakes Recipe (Old Bay Seasoning) - Home & Plate (7)

If you make a recipe, be sure to snap a photo and hashtag it #homeandplate. I’d love to see what you cook!

You May Also Like:

  • How to Make Sausage and Chicken Jambalaya (Easy Recipe)
  • Easy Couscous Stuffed Bell Peppers Recipe
  • Crabcake Sandwich with a Chipotle Mayo
  • The Best Cast Iron Blackened Grouper Recipe
The Best Classic Crab Cakes Recipe (Old Bay Seasoning) - Home & Plate (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients in Old Bay crab cake mix? ›

BREAD CRUMBS (BLEACHED WHEAT FLOUR, DEXTROSE, SALT, AND YEAST), WHOLE EGG SOLIDS, SALT, SPICES (INCLUDING RED PEPPER AND PARSLEY), AND PAPRIKA.

Is it better to pan fry or bake crab cakes? ›

Are crab cakes better baked or fried? You can either bake or fry these crab cakes. My personal preference is to bake them because it's easier (no risk of them falling apart when you flip them) and they are less prone to drying out (it's easy to overcook the crab cakes when frying them in a pan).

What do you use Old Bay seasoning for? ›

Old Bay seasoning is an aromatic and savory blend of 18 spices that's used to season seafood including crab cakes, shrimp dishes and more. Old Bay can also be used on proteins such as poultry, beef and tofu, as well as vegetable-based dishes like these Maryland Boardwalk Fries or Old Bay Butternut Squash.

What helps crab cakes fall apart? ›

There's actually a pretty easy fix for this common problem. Simply stick your crab cakes in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. The time they spend there will allow the crab cakes to solidify their shape. It also helps to bring out their flavors more, so there's more benefits to be reaped here!

What is the difference between Maryland crab cakes and regular crab cakes? ›

The Differences In Maryland Crab Cakes

For starters, they typically use more meat and less other filling compared to regular crab cakes.

What are the ingredients in Old Bay? ›

ingredients
  1. 2 tablespoons bay leaf powder.
  2. 2 tablespoons celery salt (or 1 tbls. ground celery seed and 1 tbls. ...
  3. 1 tablespoon dry mustard.
  4. 2 teaspoons ground black pepper.
  5. 2 teaspoons ground ginger.
  6. 2 teaspoons sweet paprika (smoked paprika is even better if you can find it!)
  7. 1 teaspoon white pepper.
  8. 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Cheryll Lueilwitz

Last Updated:

Views: 6153

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (54 voted)

Reviews: 93% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Cheryll Lueilwitz

Birthday: 1997-12-23

Address: 4653 O'Kon Hill, Lake Juanstad, AR 65469

Phone: +494124489301

Job: Marketing Representative

Hobby: Reading, Ice skating, Foraging, BASE jumping, Hiking, Skateboarding, Kayaking

Introduction: My name is Cheryll Lueilwitz, I am a sparkling, clean, super, lucky, joyous, outstanding, lucky person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.