These broiled Maryland crab cakes have been in my family for generations. This is my grandma’s recipe! It’s truly the best crab cake recipe I’ve ever had, and I’ve tried countless versions!
You should also check out my Jumbo Lump Crab Cake Sliders as well as my Jumbo Lump Mini Crab Cake Bites!
I’ve lived in Maryland for my entire life and I can tell you this: we love our crabs.
Steamed, soups, crab cakes… it’s what’s for dinner.
When I have friends visit from out of town, they always want to go out for crabs and beer. It’s a tradition!
My grandma, Zelda, has been making these jumbo lump crab cakes for as long as I can remember.
I can tell you with complete certainty: these are the BEST crab cakes you’ll ever have.
All jumbo lump meat, very little filler, no unnecessary ingredients. This recipe is legit.
If you think you’ve had better, all I can say is this: don’t knock ’em till you’ve tried ’em. And be sure to check out all of those 5 Star ratings below.
How to Make Crab Cakes
What type of crab meat is best?
For BEST results, you need fresh, good-quality jumbo lump blue crab meat for this recipe. I know that jumbo lump meat is ridiculously expensive, but there’s a reason for that.
I’m not saying the flavors won’t still be good here with less expensive crab, but if you want the most authentic Maryland crab cake experience, you need to go for the best ingredients.
I realize that many parts of the country/world will not have access to jumbo lump crab meat, so do the best you can.
Ask around. Ask your local seafood restaurant for recommendations.
Some people like to mix in backfin crab meat because it has a bit more flavor than lump meat. You can do this if you like! It’s just not how my family does things.
Give me all lump meat, all day long.
If you can help it, I strongly recommend avoiding national chain brand crab meat.
More likely than not, it’s not even blue crab meat; it’s probably from Asia. No flavor at all.
What are Fines Herbs?
Fines Herbs refers to a dried spice blend used commonly in French cuisine.
It’s sold by many brands, but I’ve always used the one from Spice Island since it’s available at my grocery store.
If you can’t find it at the store or online, you can make it at home.
It’s made from a mix of commonly used herbs: parsley, chives, tarragon, and chervil.
Google around and you’ll find plenty of recipes.
What is Old Bay?
Old Bay is a seasoning that’s considered a staple in many Maryland homes, including mine.
It’s amazing on many seafood dishes, especially steamed crabs!
I also use it in things like dips and potato latkes.
To me, a good crab cake MUST include Old Bay.
If you can’t find it at your local grocery store, you can always buy it online somewhere like Amazon.
How To Broil
For my money, the best crab cake recipe is broiled crab cakes, hands down. We always broil our crab cakes.
Fried crab cakes are tasty, but broiling truly allows the flavors and textures to shine through.
Broil on the lower setting, and do not flip them.
The meat is already cooked; you are simply cooking the egg and solidifying the filling.
These crab cakes are delicate because of that beautiful lump meat. Flipping them might cause them to fall apart.
The low broil will give them a nice golden color, but you can adjust the setting to high for the final 30-60 seconds for an even deeper caramelization if you’re willing to watch them like a hawk.
Baking will technically work, but you won’t get that crisp, caramelized top. Broiling is truly the way to go here.
How to store
Store the crab cakes covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
If you’re not going to use them within a few days, these freeze very well.
Like everyone else in the family, I tend to make a double recipe and then freeze the leftovers (wrapping them individually).
The crab cakes reheat in a couple of minutes and are a perfect meal.
They make a great sandwich.
What is a good crab cake sauce?
I like crab cakes with dijon mustard (and Saltines) but many prefer tarter sauce.
You can purchase jarred varieties at the store, but it’s easy to prepare at home.
Check out this basic tarter sauce recipe from Ina Garten.
What can I serve with crab cakes?
I always recommend keeping it simple and serving these babies with Saltines and Dijon or yellow mustard.
A lot of people like serving them with tartar sauce. Serve them on bread for an amazing sandwich.
For a classic side dish, I recommend coleslaw!
More Crab Recipes
If you liked this recipe, I definitely recommend checking out my Hot Crab Dip Recipe! It’s perfect for parties!
Maryland Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes
Ingredients
- 16 ounces fresh jumbo lump crab meat
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup regular mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
- 1/8 teaspoon fines herbs (I like the one sold by Spice Island, see notes)
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1-2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- Set the oven to low broil and place the oven rack near the top.
- In a medium-sized bowl, carefully pick through the crab meat to remove any shells. Try not to break up the lumps. Be as thorough as possible.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg and then add in the mayonnaise until combined.
- Add the breadcrumbs and stir to combine. Add the Old Bay, fines herbs and garlic powder. Add the mustard and Worcestershire sauce, stir until well combined.
- Gently stir the wet mixture into the crab meat, one spoonful at a time. This part takes some patience because you really want to avoid breaking up the lump meat as much as possible.
- Carefully form 5-6 crab cakes.
- Lightly grease the bottom of a baking sheet (cooking spray works well for this) and place the crab cakes on the sheet. Place a small piece of butter on top of each crab cake.
- Broil on low for 12-15 minutes, keeping a close eye to make sure they don’t burn. Don’t flip them, just allow them to cook on one side the entire time (the lack of filler makes them very delicate). If the tops seem like they’re going to burn, lower the oven rack. You’re not cooking the meat but you want the filling to solidify and the egg to cook through.
- If you want the tops a bit more golden, switch the broiler to the high setting for the last minute or so.
- When the tops are golden brown, remove the pan from the oven and allow the crab cakes to cool slightly before serving.
- I recommend serving them with Saltine crackers and dijon mustard. They also make a great sandwich.
Video
Notes
Please read my full post for additional recipe notes, tips, and serving suggestions!
Nutrition
Recipe Troubleshooting
For immediate help troubleshooting a recipe, please email me using the form on my contact page. I’ll try to respond to urgent questions as quickly as possible! For all general questions, please leave a comment here :)
I love crab cakes and yours look delicious. Your recipe is very similar to mine with the exception of the mayo and mustard. I’m going to try your version. Thanks for sharing.
If you cannot get lump crab,can you use crab claw meat?
I just found some claw meat on sale and made cakes from it last night. No, not as good as the “real thing” but at $6.99/lb on sale, they were pretty darn tasty. I’m going back for more cans to freeze while they’re on sale.
I grew up in Texas, and we went crabbing armed with stew meat on a string and a net for hauling them in. My Mom made the best crab cakes!!! Unfortunately, I never saw her useee and a recipe for any of her delicous dishes – even hot rolls, pies and cakes!!! I fully intend to try your recipe as it looks delicious. They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, (God willing, I will be 93 in Dec.), but I am going to prove them wrong by trying this recipe. Thanks for sharing!!!
Hi Jen,
I see that you have some culinary experience. Do you also have a good recipe for Cajun crab dip?
Greetings! A fellow Maryland Girl living in a Virginia world here! You are so right about your recipe. My parents and grandparents were born and raised in Baltimore and depending on where you lived (Baltimore itself, the Metropolitan area, Eastern Shore, Southern or Western Maryland) Crab Cake recipes can differ greatly by region and by family. It’s all in what you were raised with, use this and not that and so on. The only ingredient that everyone agrees with is the necessity of Old Bay. I remember The Baltimore Spice Company when it was located near the Inner Harbor and they still made Old Bay (since they were the original makers of Old Bay before McCormick’s bought them out and acquired the recipe). My mother’s Old Bay tin had so many recipes on it for seafood, shellfish, poultry, beef and salads. Trust me she made them all and they were always wonderful. I have been attempting to collect family recipes that were never written or passed down so they are never forgotten. This is incredibly difficult when those members of your family are no longer available to ask, so here I am searching the internet and I found your wonderful recipe. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe! I can close my eyes and smell them cooking in my grandma’s tiny rowhouse kitchen as I type this. If only I could get the recipe from the Sisters at St. Michael the Archangel for their kielbasa and pierogies. Then my kids and eventually grand kids will know what kielbasa is really supposed to taste like!!!
Many Thanks to Grandma Zelda! These were better than any East Coast crab cake I’ve ever had! As I’m in Ohio I had to make my own Old Bay seasoning and Fines herbs but beyond that, really easy and totally delicious! Thanks again!.
You can easily order Old Bay online. It’s worth it, and having that colorful can adds a touch of class to your kitchen ;-)
I followed the recipe exactly and the result was pure perfection. Hate to brag about my own cooking but damn! Thanks for the recipe!
What can you substitute the fine herbs with.. Can’t seem to find them in my local grocery stores.
Hi Tammy! If I ever can’t locate it, I usually buy some on Amazon. That was the first one listed, but I think I saw some cheaper options listed below as add-on items. Here’s a recipe to make it from scratch (I’d use the dried one), if you happen to already have these 4 herbs on hand. You could probably get away with omitting the chervil and doubling the dried parsley.
As a fellow Marylander, do you also side eye every Maryland crab cake recipe you see until you read the ingredients? I’m completely guilty of it! But, I make mine the same as you and I’m even more thrilled you like to eat yours with saltines because I don’t know anyone else who does that!
Just tried this recipe again using leftover King Crab from New Year’s Eve. Other than a texture difference between Blue and King, the cakes were amazing. I’m hooked!
As a relative newcomer to Maryland (year and a half) I’m happily becoming indoctrinated into all things crab.I’ve tried several crab cake recipes and this is the best I’ve found, and I won’t look any further. The butter on top and broiling make a huge difference over other recipes.
As a retiree on fixed income, I’ve had to cut corners on the crab. Yes, I’ve had the good stuff and sure it’s better but the price is ridiculously high. I’d rather settle for less primo crab and enjoy it a lot more often. I’ve also found that I can buy several containers/cans of crab when I find it on sale and freeze some for future cooking.
Well that just makes my day! Thank you :)
I made these over the weekend for my born and raised Baltimore sweetheart and he said they’re restaurant quality and it’s better than anything he’s had before (including Timbuktu and Jimmy’s). Huge compliments to you! He hasn’t stopped raving about them! Thank you for sharing and I will definitely be making these again and again.
I need help with the broiler issue. I have an old stove, the kind with the broiler in what looks like a drawer at the bottom. There is only one setting for it. Can I bake or grill these instead? I have an outdoor gas grill and an indoor Foreman grill, although the Foreman also does not have a temperature setting. TIA!
Hi there! I would bake as opposed to grilling these since they’re so delicate. I’ve never tried this before, but I can’t see it being an issue. I looked at a few other recipes with similar quantities, and they suggest 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Let me know if you have any feedback on this method after you try it!
25 minutes at 375* worked great! I didn’t mean to pray the entire meal, but I’m pretty sure I said GOOD LAWD all during dinner! Huge hit, thanks!
Oh excellent! I will pass this along to others if I get the same question. Thank you so much for following up!
what is fine herbs made up what combinatio of herbs ????
Hi Leslie! If you read my post, I explain all of that in the small section “What is fines herbs.” :)
Thanks Jennifer for your response !!!!
I have to say, I love GOOD crab cakes so much, I HAVE to multiply the recipe by at least 5! (I do make them on the larger side, & HAVE to have some to freeze! Lol)…but, just thawed out and am broiling one at this moment, they are SO good!!!!!!