Textual Chef Textual Chef

Baltimore Crab Cakes

Iconic Maryland delicacy featuring jumbo lump crab meat minimally bound with just enough filler to hold together, then pan-seared until golden. These authentic Baltimore-style crab cakes celebrate the sweet, delicate flavor of blue crab from the Chesapeake Bay, focusing on the crab itself rather than heavy breading or fillers.

30 minMediumServes 4310 cal/serving

AmericanAppetizerStovetopPescatarianLow CarbHalal-friendlyPork-FreeAlcohol-Free

Ingredients

  • 1 lb jumbo lump crab meat, picked over for shells
  • 20 saltine crackers, crushed to fine crumbs
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp Old Bay seasoning
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp hot sauce
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 4 lemon wedges
  • 1/2 cup tartar sauce

Instructions

  1. 1

    In a large bowl, gently pick through the 1 lb picked over for shells jumbo lump crab meat to remove any shells, being careful not to break up the lumps too much.

  2. 2

    In a separate medium bowl, combine the 20 crushed to fine crumbs saltine crackers, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tbsp Old Bay seasoning, 1 beaten large egg, 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley, 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, and 1/2 tsp hot sauce.

  3. 3

    Mix these ingredients gently until well combined.

  4. 4

    Add this mixture to the crab meat and fold very gently with a rubber spatula, being careful not to break up the crab lumps. The mixture should just hold together.

  5. 5

    Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours to allow the flavors to meld and the mixture to firm up.

  6. 6

    Shape the crab mixture into 4 equal-sized patties, about 3 inches in diameter and 3/4 inch thick. Place them on a plate lined with wax paper.

  7. 7

    In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the 2 tbsp unsalted butter with the 2 tbsp vegetable oil.

  8. 8

    When the butter stops foaming, carefully place the crab cakes in the pan.

  9. 9

    Cook until golden brown on the bottom, about 4-5 minutes.

  10. 10

    Gently flip the crab cakes and cook until the other side is golden brown and the cakes are heated through, about 4 more minutes.

  11. 11

    Transfer the crab cakes to serving plates and garnish with 4 lemon wedges.

  12. 12

    Serve immediately with 1/2 cup tartar sauce on the side.

Questions

Can I make Baltimore Crab Cakes dairy-free?

Yes. The dairy in this entry is 2 tbsp unsalted butter. Swap the butter for olive oil where it melts, or a plant-based block butter where it is creamed. The richness shifts slightly, but the method does not change.

Can I make Baltimore Crab Cakes gluten-free?

Yes. The gluten in this entry is 20 saltine crackers, crushed to fine crumbs, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce. Swap the bread or crumbs for a gluten-free loaf or gluten-free panko; the soy-based sauce for tamari or coconut aminos. Everything else proceeds as written.

How long does Baltimore Crab Cakes keep?

Refrigerate leftovers within two hours and eat them within two days (seafood turns fast). Reheat gently on the stovetop.

Can I halve or double Baltimore Crab Cakes?

Yes. As written it serves 4. Every ingredient in this entry carries precomputed half and double quantities, and the app's batch dial rewrites them inside each step. When doubling on the stovetop, use your widest pan or work in two batches so the food sears instead of steaming.

Serve it with

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,512 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.

More American entries

All American recipes · All Appetizer recipes · All Crab recipes