We love crab. Every kind of crab and in the hundreds of recipes and applications. Crab is quite versatile. One of our favorites is crab cakes. These Cajun Crab Cakes are perfect to enjoy by themselves, as an appetizer, and as a crab cake sandwich!
What is in a crab cake?
Crab cakes are generally nothing more than lump crab meat, breadcrumbs, eggs, a condiment (usually mustard or mayonnaise) and spices. Vegetables are common and optional. Just based on that ingredient list, you can see that the possibilities are numerous.
What type of crab is best for crab cakes?
So, let’s break it down…crab first. What type of crab should you use? Generally, blue crab is the most popular on the east and gulf coasts and Dungeness on the west coast. We’ve not had or made crab cakes with king, snow or stone crabs but you certainly could and I’m sure some people do just that.
We opted for blue crab for this Cajun Crab Cake recipe as it is readily available and has a sweet taste that works perfect for crab cakes.
INGREDIENTS
Cajun Crab Cakes
- 1 small sweet onion, chopped fine
- ½ red bell pepper, chopped fine
- 1 small serrano pepper, chopped fine with seeds
- 1 lb lump crabmeat – cleaned and picked
- 1 cup breadcrumbs (panko or similar)
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 3 eggs
- 2 tablespoon chopped chives
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce (Crystal, Tobasco, or similar)
- 2 tablespoon cajun seasoning – pick your favorite, or make our homemade Cajun seasoning (see text above)
- 2 tablespoon butter and olive oil for pan frying
SPICY AIOLI
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce (sambal oelek, sriarcha, chili paste, or similar)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped herbs (e.g., rosemary, oregano, thyme, parsley)
- pinch of salt
- cracked black pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
Crab Cakes
- Pick through the crab for shells and cartilage and discard any you find.
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix until combined.
- Form into equal sized balls and form into a thick patty (think sliders, but you can make into any size you wish).
- Add the butter and about a teaspoon of olive oil to a hot pan on medium-low heat and pan fry the crab cakes. Look for a deep golden color on both sides – 4-5 minutes per side.
- Serve with Spicy Aioli or a squirt of lemon!
SPICY AIOLI
- Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix to combine. Refrigerate until ready to use.
NUTRITION
Calories: 300kcal
