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!Â
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 :)
Paul Busman says
I’ve made your crab cakes about 5 times now, and they’re a household staple. On a fixed income I don’t want to spend the $$$$ for the lump crabmeat. I wait for a sale on the cheaper stuff, and while it may not be perfect, it’s pretty darned tasty.
Yesterday I made an excellent variation. I’m a diehard griller so I made smoked crab cakes. I got one side of the grill heating with applewood chips in my smoker box. When the grill got up to 350 I put the crab cakes in (on a wire mesh cake cooling rack) on the unheated side for indirect baking. Other baked crab cakes I’d seen recommend 30 minutes so that’s what I gave them.
The smoky flavor was an excellent addition to the crab! It wasn’t a heavy smoke, just enough to give the cakes a hint of outdoor cooking.
Crab Dynasty says
Delicious crab cake recipe! Broil vs fried is a personal preference here in Maryland, but most will broil over fry when dealing with blue crab meat. It usually takes a lot of filler to not fall apart in a fryer. To me, you want to taste the crab meat without the saturation of oil. Usually cheap, frozen crab cakes are fried to dress up the fake or frost-bitten crab meat. Making them fresh is the way to go. Thank you for sharing.
Liz says
These were amazing!
Shirley says
Jennifer, I too am a Maryland gal. I have lived in Alaska now for 20 years! It is almost Mother’s Day 2018. I asked my Sons to send me Jumbo Maryland Lump Crabmeat, due to arrive on Friday! Can’t wait to use your crab cake recipe and share some with our neighbors and freeze some, too! Thank you for your post.
Christie H says
These crab cakes look amazing and I am planning to try them. I’m in Maryland too, and can’t find the fines herbes at any of my local stores (Spice Island’s website shows none within 20 miles of Rockville that carry it). Which grocery store chain in Maryland do you use that carries it?
Maryland Crab Cakes says
This is probably one of the best crab cake recipes that I have tried. You have to be real careful that the crab meat does not fall apart when combining ingredients. You have to delicately fold the mixture or you can ruin them. I used this recipe, but broiled them instead. Thank you for sharing! Rated By Crab Dynasty
Dan Adkins says
I made them over the weekend and they came out great. The trick is to use good quality lump crab meat. No canned or imitation crab! This is the real deal.
Dan Smith says
Excellent crab cakes. Lots of butter and Old Bay!!! I made them for my first date, and she loved them. She wants to go out on another date, so I must have impressed her. I hope she likes me more than the crab cakes!
Dave Keister says
ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE, JUST MADE THESE AND WIFE SAID THEY WERE VERY GOOD AND MOST OF THE TIME ALL I GET IS IT’S OK.
Amanda says
Fantastic, and I am a crab cake LOVER. Best I have ever had, and I made them! Thank you!
Cathy says
I am not a crab cake aficionado but I know good crab cakes when I taste them. These are EXCELLENT!! My husband who dislikes all things mayonnaise is addicted! These have become a special treat. The texture, taste and flavor are so true to what a crab cake should be in my opinion. Thank you!
Amber Williams says
I make these all the time, they are so good!
Audrey says
How is the crab cooked? Do I buy it fresh, and cook it before making the cakes. Love crabcakes, but I have never cooked crab at home other than King crab. TIA
Jennifer Farley says
Hi Audrey, when you purchase a pound of lump crab meat, it’s already cooked :)
Bob says
Thank you for sharing your recipe. Im a Marylander and was a little leary of using italian style breadcrumbs. I followed your recipe to a tee and they came out great. As an added bonus, they were picture perfect.
Andy Hare says
Great recipe but may I suggest that the crab mixture be refrigerated for 3 hours before making into cakes? It truly brings the mixture together and lets the cakes stay more stable during broiling.