Looking for the best crab cake recipe that is easy enough for anyone to make? These succulent crab cakes made with either imitation crab or real crab are spiced just right for kids and adults alike. This is a restaurant-quality meal that's super easy to make!
Place crab, egg, bread crumbs, mayonnaise, Old Bay spice, lemon juice, onion powder and pepper in a large bowl.
16 ounces lump crab meat (1 can), or imitation crab, 1 egg, ½ cup panko bread crumbs, ¼ cup mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons Old Bay spice, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Mix thoroughly.
Form mixture into 6 patties.
Heat butter in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Cook the patties until they are browned on each side, about 5 minutes per side.
3 teaspoons butter
Serve straight from the stove, or place on hamburger buns for crab cake sandwiches.
Video
Notes
To use imitation crab (which is much less expensive than the real thing), pulse it through the food processor just once or twice, or just chop it finely, for a better texture in your crab cakes.
You can even mix real crab with the chopped imitation crab to get closer to that real crab taste without breaking the budget!
You can form the patties ahead of time and refrigerate for a day or two, or freeze for up to 3 months, prior to cooking. If you freeze them, thaw them in the refrigerator overnight and then follow the above instructions to cook them.
Or, you can cook them ahead of time and then refrigerate or freeze. Thaw frozen patties overnight in the refrigerator prior to reheating. Reheat in the oven at 350 degrees until hot. If they start to get dried out, loosely cover with aluminum foil.
Try with chipotle mayo, dijon mustard, or tartar sauce for even more flavor!
If you have trouble with your crab mixture falling apart as you are forming it into patties, try adding a little flour (up to ¼ cup) or even a little more of the bread crumbs. Not too much, though! A little goes a long way.