Hello friends! After taking a small break from writing on the blog while I am in Greece, I am back with a new summer recipe: Delicious Mini Crab Cakes with a Spicy Rémoulade Sauce that I know you are going to love.
Although crab cakes are usually made in a larger size and served as a sandwich with a buttered and toasted bun, I prefer to form them in smaller sizes to serve as an appetizer or as a finger food.
Two secrets to making the best crab cakes are to use the freshest lump crab meat you can find, and, to use as little filler as possible. Here, I use Panko breadcrumbs which are lighter and airier than regular breadcrumbs and provide a great texture to these cakes. As an alternative to breadcrumbs, many use crumbled saltine crackers instead.
Ingredients for the Mini Crab Cakes
Here is what you need to make these delicious crab cakes:
- Lump crab meat (best quality you can find – you will only need half a pound)
- Green onions – the white and most of the green part
- Panko breadcrumbs – the filler for the crab cake mixture; also used for coating the patties
- An egg – the main binding ingredient
- Lemon juice – to brighten the flavor
- Worcestershire sauce – just a small amount gives great flavor
- Mayonaise – just a little, to help bind the mixture
- Dried mustard – you can also use Dijon mustard
- Seasoning (sea salt & pepper)
- Fresh thyme
- Olive oil – for sauteing
- Lemon wedges – for serving for great, fresh flavor
Buying tips for crab meat
Good quality crab meat is the key ingredient in this recipe. As it is the case with most seafood, crab meat is highly perishable, so it is important to look for fresh crab meat. Most of us would not want to bother with steaming crabs and then picking the meat, so luckily there is an easier alternative.
There is also “claw meat,” which is a bit darker in color, less expensive, and best used for soups or dips. When you shop for crab meat, make sure to look for a label that says “hand-picked” which means that it has been picked through for shells.
How to make crab cakes that won’t fall apart
- Once you form the patties, it is important to chill them for at least half an hour before cooking them. You can even make the mixture, refrigerate it for a couple of hours and then form the patties later in the day.
- When you are ready to cook them, spread some breadcrumbs on a tray and coat the chilled patties well with it. Press gently to get the breadcrumbs to adhere, then turn over and repeat making sure all surfaces are covered.
How to serve the mini-crab cakes
My favorite way to serve them, however, is with a cool, spicy Rémoulade Sauce. The flavor combination is just unbeatable!
How to make a meal out of Mini Crab Cakes with a Spicy Rémoulade Sauce
To make a light meat out of these crab cakes, serve them with a refreshing coleslaw with a spicy rémoulade sauce.
Rémoulade sauce is a classic French cold sauce with many versions, depending on the seasoning and spices used. This version (recipe follows) is creamy and tangy with a slight spicy kick. It is a great condiment to have in the refrigerator to use with any seafood, steamed vegetables, and as a dipping sauce. It really can transform something simple to something extraordinary.
Refreshing Coleslaw: To make this, I simply fold the rémoulade sauce into a coleslaw mix for a great, refreshing flavor (this was my husband’s trick and it truly does make for a superb coleslaw!).
In a bowl, I combine about 4 cups of shredded cabbage and a large grated carrot with the chilled rémoulade sauce and mix well. I then keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Simple and delicious, the flavors are bursting with great flavors. I hope you try this recipe this summer!
- 3 TBSP. olive oil
- 2-3 green onions, finely chopped (about ¾ cup)
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs, plus more for coating
- ½ tsp. dried mustard
- ½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 2 TBSP. mayonnaise
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- ½ large egg, beaten
- ½ tsp. fresh thyme
- ¼ tsp. salt
- --- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 8 oz. lump crabmeat (picked over for shells)
- --- olive oil, for frying
- --- lemon slices for serving
- Place a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, add the olive oil. Next, add the green onions, reduce the heat slightly, and cook for 5-6 minutes or until the onions are soft and lightly browned. Remove from the heat and allow the onions to cool.
- In a large bowl, add the ½ cup of Panko breadcrumbs, dried mustard, Worcestershire sauce, mayonnaise, lemon juice, egg, thyme, salt and black pepper and mix well. Stir in the cooled onions and gently fold in the crabmeat.
- Form the mixture into 12, 2” mini cakes. Place them on a tray and chill them in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes. This step will help them keep their shape while cooking.
- Remove the chilled cakes from the refrigerator. Lightly coat them with some additional Panko.
- Add some more oil to the same skillet in which you browned the onions and bring to a medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown crab cakes about 2 minutes per each side or until nicely browned. If you need to, adjust the heat as necessary to prevent them from burning. Once the crab cakes are fully cooked, place them on a wire rack to cool. Repeat this process with the remaining cakes.
- Serve with coleslaw, lemon slices, some extra rémoulade on the side, and an ice-cold beer or iced tea.
1 cup mayonnaise
2 TBSP. whole grain mustard
¼ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 TBSP. fresh parsley, finely chopped
½ TBSP. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp. sweet Hungarian paprika
1 sm. garlic clove, passed through the garlic press
¼ tsp. ground red pepper (Cayenne)
-- Stir together all ingredients until blended. Cover and chill for at least an hour or until ready to serve. It will keep in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.
If you have any leftover crabmeat, why not try another delicious recipe from the blog:
Crab, Spinach and Feta Cheese Filo Triangles!
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Marilena,
I can’t wait to try your mouth-watering crab cakes–Leo’s favorite! The slaw alongside is beautiful –and what a great suggestion, to sauce it with rémoulade. Thank you for another beautiful recipe and photo!
Can’t wait for you to make this recipe – I know you both are going to love it, especially with the coleslaw and the rémoulade sauce!
Looks amazing Marilena. And since we’re in crab season…
Thank you so much Frank! Yes, you are right, we are in crab season:)
What is the best way to make these in advance?
I would form them and keep them in the fridge until ready to fry, as they taste best when they are fresh!
I just made the mini crab cakes for a party. Everyone LOVED them! I would like to make larger patties to serve as an entree. They are often very thick/tall at restaurants. I have tried that thicker size with other recipes. and they were not done inside after browning. Do you have any cooking advice for larger patties? Thank you for this yummy appetizer!
I am so glad you tried this recipe and that everyone love it, Judy!
The large size crab cakes are typically seared first on both sides and then finished in the oven to ensure they are fully cooked inside. As an alternative, you can serve three of these mini ones as an entree!
How would you go about freezing crab cakes and reheating for the holidays? I have never done that and do not want to invest if it is a mistake.