Best 6 Crab Cakes Broiled Or Pan Fried Recipes

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Cooking crab cakes is an art that requires a perfect blend of ingredients and techniques to achieve a delicious and satisfying dish. Whether you prefer the crispy golden brown exterior of pan-fried crab cakes or the succulent, tender texture of broiled crab cakes, there are key factors to consider when selecting a recipe to ensure success. From choosing the freshest crab meat to mastering the art of binding and seasoning, this article will guide you through the process of finding the best recipe for crab cakes, whether you're a seasoned chef or a home cook looking to impress your loved ones.

Let's cook with our recipes!

PAN-FRIED SPICY CRAB CAKES



Pan-Fried Spicy Crab Cakes image

Provided by Food Network

Categories     appetizer

Yield 10 cakes

Number Of Ingredients 32

1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup finely chopped yellow onions
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
Garnish: Green onions
1/4 cup seeded and finely chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup seeded and finely chopped yellow bell pepper
Salt
Cayenne
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over to remove shells and cartilage
1/4 cup chopped green onions, green parts only, plus extra for garnish
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
3 tablespoons Creole mustard
Juice of one fresh lemon (or 3 tablespoons)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Worcestershire sauce
Hot pepper sauce
1 1/2 cups dried fine bread crumbs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Essence, recipe follows
2 eggs (for egg wash)
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Steps:

  • Melt butter in a small saute pan over medium heat. Add onions, celery and bell peppers. Season with salt and cayenne. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft and slightly golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, combine the crabmeat, green onions, Parmesan, parsley, mustard and lemon juice. Mix the mayonnaise, Worcestershire Sauce and hot pepper sauce together. Combine vegetable mixture with crab mixture. Fold in the mayonnaise mixture and 3/4 cup of the bread crumbs. Divide combined mixture into 10 equal portions and form into 1-inch thick round patties. In a shallow bowl, combine the flour and season with Essence. In another bowl, whisk the egg with the water. In a third bowl, combine the remaining 3/4 cup bread crumbs and season with Essence. Dredge the crab cakes first in seasoned flour, tapping off excess, then in egg wash, letting excess drip off. Lastly, dredge cakes into seasoned bread crumbs, coating cakes evenly. In a large saute pan, heat oil. Gently lay the cakes, 3 to 4 at a time, and pan fry until lightly golden, about 4 minutes on each side. Drain cakes on paper towels and season with Essence while still hot.
  • To serve, place Creole Meuniere sauce in the center of each plate. Spoon the Roasted Vegetable Pecan Relish in the center of the sauce and lay a cake on top of the relish. Garnish with green onions and Essence.
  • Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.
  • Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

CHEF JOHN'S CRAB CAKES



Chef John's Crab Cakes image

These are what crab cakes are supposed to be like. They are basically a fried lump of crabmeat, held together with a minimum of filler. Delicious!

Provided by Chef John

Categories     Appetizers and Snacks     Seafood     Crab     Crab Cake Recipes

Time 1h23m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 11

8 saltine crackers, finely crushed
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon seafood seasoning (such as Old Bay®)
¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 egg, beaten
salt to taste
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 pound fresh crabmeat, well drained
¼ cup dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter

Steps:

  • Mix saltine crackers, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, seafood seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, egg, salt, and cayenne pepper in a large bowl.
  • Stir in crabmeat until mixture is combined but still chunky. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  • Sprinkle breadcrumbs on a plate.
  • Shape chilled crab mixture into 4 small thick patties; coat completely with bread crumbs.
  • Melt butter in a skillet over medium-heat; cook crab cakes until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 297.2 calories, Carbohydrate 10.8 g, Cholesterol 150.6 mg, Fat 15 g, Fiber 0.6 g, Protein 28.5 g, SaturatedFat 5.2 g, Sodium 727.6 mg, Sugar 0.7 g

FRIED CRAB CAKES



Fried Crab Cakes image

This is a recipe I came up with after trying so many crab cake recipes. I think it is fantastic, and the sauce complements the fried crab cakes. Enjoy! I'm sure you will make this recipe again and again.

Provided by Nancy Gibson

Categories     Crab Cakes

Time 35m

Yield 2

Number Of Ingredients 13

⅓ cup panko bread crumbs
1 large egg, beaten
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons seafood seasoning (such as Old Bay®)
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
½ pound cooked lump crabmeat, drained
¼ cup panko bread crumbs, or as needed
2 tablespoons coconut oil
½ cup mayonnaise
1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon adobo sauce from chipotle peppers
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Steps:

  • Mix 1/3 cup panko, egg, parsley, mayonnaise, seafood seasoning, and mustard together in a medium bowl. Gently fold in crabmeat. Form into 4 patties and coat with remaining panko.
  • Heat coconut oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Fry patties until crispy, flipping once, about 12 minutes total.
  • While patties cook, prepare the sauce: Combine mayonnaise, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor; process until smooth.
  • Serve crab cakes with sauce on the side.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 868.9 calories, Carbohydrate 28 g, Cholesterol 205.4 mg, Fat 73.7 g, Fiber 1.3 g, Protein 32.9 g, SaturatedFat 21.2 g, Sodium 1652.8 mg, Sugar 1.2 g

BROILED CRAB CAKES



Broiled Crab Cakes image

I played around with Paula Deen's and Mrs. Duvall's crab cake recipes and came up with the most delicious, moist, tasty crab cake in the Northeast! My family and friends are totally amazed!

Provided by Jessica4NYY

Categories     Crab

Time 42m

Yield 8 crab cakes, 4 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 20

1/4-1/2 cup scallion, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
1 garlic clove, minced
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4-1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 lb large lump crabmeat
1 cup Ritz crackers or 1 cup Club crackers, finely crushed
2 -4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 -3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced

Steps:

  • Combine lemon dill sauce ingredients and chill.
  • Saute the scallions, garlic, and parsley in a tablespoon of melted butter over medium heat until wilted.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, worcestershire sauce, dijon mustard, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup cracker crumbs, grated parmesan, and mayonnaise. Fold in the crabmeat. Shape into 8 crab cakes and coat in remaining cracker crumbs. Place crab cakes on a buttered baking pan. Melt butter and mix with lemon juice. Drizzle 1/2 of lemon butter over crab cakes.
  • Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Drizzle remaining lemon butter over crab cakes and broil for 2 minutes until slightly browned.
  • Serve with Lemon Dill Sauce.

CRAB CAKES



Crab Cakes image

Mace, nutmeg's peppery sister, is what makes the difference in these crab cakes. The recipe, adapted from "Gullah Geechee Home Cooking: Recipes From the Matriarch of Edisto Island," comes from Emily Meggett, one of the most well-respected cooks in the Gullah Geechee community, whose food traditions are built largely on the crabs, shrimp and fish they pull from the water near their homes along the southeastern shoreline. She has made thousands of these using freshly cooked blue crabs, but meat that has already been picked and processed works as well. Be sparing with the bread crumbs, which should just hold the mixture together, then add more if the cakes are falling apart. Make sure the pan is very hot, then reduce the heat the minute they hit the oil. Keep a close eye while they brown. These are lovely bites to start a meal, or can star as supper, alongside rice and fresh vegetables. Ms. Meggett serves them with what she calls pink sauce, which is similar to this sauce, with the addition of grated onion and lemon.

Provided by Kim Severson

Categories     dinner, seafood, appetizer, main course

Time 1h30m

Yield About 12 large crab cakes

Number Of Ingredients 11

10 slices soft white or whole-wheat bread
1/2 cup/115 grams unsalted butter
1 large onion, grated
1/4 cup/30 grams self-rising flour (see Tip)
1 1/2 cups/355 milliliters whole or 2-percent milk
2 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
2 pounds/907 grams lump crab meat, drained if needed
1/2 cup/120 milliliters vegetable oil, plus more as needed

Steps:

  • Heat the broiler to 500 degrees (or its highest setting). On your oven's highest rack, broil all the bread slices on a baking sheet for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden and crisp but not burned. Flip all the slices over and broil for another 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the broiler off and allow the bread to crisp in the oven until totally dry, 15 to 20 minutes.
  • Remove the bread from the oven and let cool. Using a box grater or rolling pin, coarsely grate and crush the bread slices into bread crumbs (or, pulse them in a food processor). The crumbs should look and feel like sand; you should get about 4 cups. Set the bread crumbs aside.
  • In a large cast-iron skillet, melt the butter over high heat. Once the butter is melted, add the onion and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes.
  • Pour the butter and onion into a large bowl. Whisk the flour into the melted butter and onion, then slowly whisk in the milk to make a creamy sauce. Once the sauce is smooth, whisk in the eggs, lemon juice, vinegar and mace.
  • Add the crab meat to the cream sauce and mix lightly with a fork; don't break up the pieces of crab meat. Gently fold in just enough of the bread crumbs so that the mixture holds together (about 2 1/2 cups). Divide the crab mixture into 12 equal portions, setting them on a baking sheet as you go. They should be thick rounds - about the size of the palm of your hand, and roughly 1 1/2 inches thick.
  • Using your hand, take a scoop of the toasted bread crumbs and coat each crab cake.
  • Wipe out the skillet and heat the oil over high. Once the oil is hot, place a few of the crab cakes in the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, or until browned and cooked through. Place the cooked crab cakes on a paper towel to drain. Working in batches, cook the remaining crab cakes, adding more oil as needed.
  • Serve crab cakes immediately, or set aside in a warm oven (see Tip) while you cook the remaining crab cakes.

MRS. DUVALL'S PAN-FRIED CRAB CAKES



Mrs. Duvall's Pan-Fried Crab Cakes image

This recipe is the actor Robert Duvall's mother's recipe for crab cakes, and I think it is the best one there is. The crab cakes are small so they have the perfect ratio of crunchy exterior to creamy crab interior. Please use the best crabmeat you can find for best results. I use saltines for the soda crackers. This recipe was originally published in a 2003 issue of Food & Wine.

Provided by xtine

Categories     Crab

Time 40m

Yield 4 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 12

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup minced onion
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 lb lump crabmeat, picked over
1 cup finely crushed soda cracker
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
lemon wedge, for serving

Steps:

  • In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, onion, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, salt and cayenne pepper. Fold in the crabmeat and 1/4 cup of the cracker crumbs. Shape the mixture into 16 cakes about 1 inch thick. Coat the crab cakes with the remaining cracker crumbs and transfer to a baking sheet lined with wax paper.
  • In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in 2 tablespoons of the oil. When the foam subsides, add half of the crab cakes and cook over moderate heat until golden and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Drain the crab cakes on paper towels and keep them warm in a low oven. Cook the remaining crab cakes in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoons oil. Serve with lemon wedges.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 468.8, Fat 29.7, SaturatedFat 7.5, Cholesterol 198.2, Sodium 916.9, Carbohydrate 19, Fiber 0.7, Sugar 1.9, Protein 30.5

Tips:

  • Choose the freshest crab meat possible. Fresh crab meat will have a sweet, delicate flavor and will be free of any off odors.
  • Use a light touch when mixing the crab cakes. Overmixing will toughen the crab cakes.
  • Don't overcook the crab cakes. Crab cakes are best when they are cooked through but still moist. Overcooked crab cakes will be dry and tough.
  • Serve crab cakes with your favorite dipping sauce. Some popular dipping sauces for crab cakes include tartar sauce, cocktail sauce, and remoulade.

Conclusion:

Crab cakes are a delicious and versatile seafood dish that can be enjoyed as an appetizer, main course, or sandwich. Whether you broil them or pan-fry them, crab cakes are sure to be a hit with your family and friends.

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