Simple, Light Crab Cakes.
Yesterday I broke out my grandma’s little red recipe book in search for her crab cake recipe.
It is filled was quite the array of recipes, including this lime ham salad above which I can promise will not be making it on to the blog. Eeeek.
That’s all I have to say about that.
So… the secret ingredient for the crab cakes? Saltines. But only eight saltines. No more, no less. That’s it!
There is nothing more disappointing than ordering crab cakes in a restaurant, only to bite in and discover they are filled with junk.
No fear, you won’t have that problem here. No junk in the trunk.
See, I have this little issue of rarely ever being able to make the same recipe twice. This is true almost always when it comes to cooking – I would say 98% of the time I have no recipe in mind and just throw things together until they taste good. I get bored quite easily.
However, I followed this recipe nearly to a T. I already have a favorite baked crab cake recipe that includes peppers and onions sauteed in olive oil and butter, with entire said mixture being poured into the crab cake ‘dough.’ They are buttery and melt in your mouth. But they are a bit more complicated, and include a few steps such as chopping and sauteing veggies before even making the cakes.
Some days, I just crave simple.
And I’ve been dying to try this recipe for months. It is one of my brother’s favorite meals. They are just too easy and too quick not to love them.
The outside is crispy and the inside is filled with tons of crabmeat. I loved the different textures. The only issue I had? The recipe claims it yields 4 to 6 servings. Really? Maybe back in 1965. Maybe for normal people. Maybe for those of us who aren’t gluttons.
I can tell you one thing. You will absolutely not get 4 to 6 servings if you live with Mr. How Sweet. In fact, you will get no servings. He will get one.
And he will eat them with 2 side dishes: macaroni and cheese and leftover 3 meat pizza. Because that sounds about right, no? Funny, when I put a call out on Facebook a few months ago suggesting side dishes for crab cakes, neither one of those came up. I wonder why?
serves 1-2
1 pound lump crabmeat
8 saltine crackers, crushed
1 egg
1 tablespoon mustard
1 tablespoon greek yogurt (her recipe called for mayo, I was out)
pinch of cayenne pepper
salt & pepper to taste
1 tablespoons olive oil
Combine all ingredients in a bowl except oil and stir until thoroughly combined. Heat a skillet on medium heat and add olive oil. While it’s heating, form the crab mixture into small patties – you will get about 5 to 6 cakes. Place them in the skillet and cook until lightly golden brown, about 3-4 minutes on each side.
Moral of the story? These rock. They taste incredible. You can make them in less than 20 minutes. And they’re healthy. Now get in the kitchen!
159 Comments on “Simple, Light Crab Cakes.”
done and done! totally bookmarked, love! =)
YUMMMM!!! It’s not even lunch time but I am wanting those!! Love this site.
Mmm, crab cakes. I make a very similar variation with canned salmon or canned jack mackerel…same saltines and all…for a super fast, but still good meal. Crab cakes sound even better right now, though.
Want. They look like perfect little golden cakes from above.
Hi Jessica- These look great. I’m adding them to my menu plan. What was the response, or what suggestions do you have, to side dishes that go with crab cakes?
From what I can remember, most people suggested cole slaw and fries. Most times I serve them with sweet potato fries! You can also make sandwiches out of them.
Love it! crab cakes are my favorite! I think I have exactly 8 saltines in my pantry =] We are in luck!
I’d love to make this since crab cakes are my favorite! A few questions…
1- do you pick through the crab meat to check for shells? The reason why I’ve never made my own crab cakes is this reason!
2- is the crab canned or fresh?
3- How do you keep them together? I am impressed that they are the perfect shape with the perfect amount of crisp!
Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe!
I don’t pick through the crab meat. I do buy canned lump crab, but try to pick the best and most fresh if I can. It is really expensive but we don’t eat them often so that is how I justify it! I have been making crab cakes for about 8 years and have never found any shells… knock on wood.
And I find that this recipe has been the easiest I tried in keeping them together. It must be the perfect combo of egg + mustard + yogurt. There weren’t even any pieces broken off in the pan, which almost always happens!
Awesome thanks! I’m going to make these next week as a surprise for PB!!! Thank you!
I hope you guys like them!
i have to say this is perfect except my grandmother used old bay instead of cayenne pepper. Growing up, I spend the summers on the beaches of Ocean City, MD…we caught our own crabs. My grandparents would steam them and what we didn’t eat we picked for crab cakes and crab soup. Nowadays, when I go out I refuse to order crabcakes because they are filled with more filler then crab meat…these look perfect and remind me of my gmom’s cakes.
Yes – Old Bay!!! I was looking at the comments to see if anyone mentioned it. I’m a MD girl too (although transplanted to TX almost 5 yrs ago) and Old Bay rocks!!!! They even sell it here in TX now, so hopefully everyone can get it. It’s manufactured by McCormick (in MD) and was mostly sold on the East Coast when I was a child. But that was a long time ago. :-D
That is so special that you have your grandma’s old handwritten recipes. Cracked crab is my favorite meal and I love crab cakes!! I must make these!
Ok so you had me at Crabcake! I cannot believe how simple these look and I’m trying them next week with the fiance. I’m drooling on my keyboard right now and it’s all your and your Grandma’s fault!
Chris looooves crab cakes!! These definitely look like the real thing and are the most perfectly browned cakes I’ve ever seen. Also love that they’re nice and thick!
Hmm I’ve had crab once. It was ok. I’m willing to give it another try. Maybe these??
Oh, and mac and cheese is ALWAYS an appropriate side dish!
those crab cakes look amazing!!!!
I adore crab cakes! I almost always order them when we get seafood! These look delicious! ps. making your brie soup recipe this Sunday! Can’t wait! I think the hubs is goign to love it!
omg i want these soooo badly!
when i was younger i used to eat shellfish alll the time and loved it. then in my early 20s, sudden random anaphalatic shock reaction to shrimp. And any time i come near shrimp or crab now, major allergic reactions. gah.
I want one of these! So much! They look PERFECT
I man how I love crab cakes. It’s a favorite here at our house, even my youngest, who is 6 loves them and has been eating them for years! My question is, my recipe makes them a bit more crumbly (especially since I like to bake not fry them), did you have any problems with crumbling? Maybe I need to add more “wet” ingredients. I bet the greek yogurt was good!
I LOVE crabcakes!!! You make the best recipes I wish you were my personal chef!!
These look picture perfect! Yum!
I am so NOT a seafood lover..but dang girl, your making me want these bad! Everything you post makes me drool : )
yes i’ve heard that too, saltines work perfectly in crabby cakes.
they came out great!
I love crabcakes and these look delicious! You had me at saltines… ;)
I’ve been searching for a good crab cake recipe. My boyfriend and I had them on our first date, so we make them for special occasions:)
Yummm!! I love crab cakes!! Even better that these are lighter than the original ones. :)
I’m dying to see the day when you put up a recipe I don’t drool over. They always look so good! It’s to the point where my friends and I are posting them to each other daily via twitter, facebook, whatever, begging to have some occasion to make them. Our favorite guilty pleasure :-)
Great appetizer! These look lovely.
be still my heart, i love crab cakes, especially when they are light! wonderful recipe!
OMG these look delicious. I am absolutely HOOKED on crab cakes and will have to get the boyfriend to try your recipe. (I’m no cook myself!)
xoxo
Stacey Kay
“Runway Inspiration, Vintage Decoration”
http://www.GoodwillHuntingg.com
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I love a good, healthy crab cake. How cute you are using your grandma’s recipe.
If there’s one thing I can’t resist, as a Maryland native, it’s crabcakes! These look delicious, Jessica, and you can’t beat a family favorite. Thanks for sharing!
These look insanely delicious. I love how simple they are- plenty of chance to actually taste the crab! ;)
These look delicious Jessica! Love how simple they are too. I’ll be trying them for sure.
“Salad! Salad! Salad!” Is what the crabcakes say. Simple spring mix with a handful of baby spinach and thousand island dressing=Shiyeah! Extra points for health as well. Fantastic for sack-lunch leftovers (can you make a quadruple batch and freeze some for weeknights?)
My grandma has tons of scary jello recipes too. I’m so glad that fad in cooking didn’t last! Yikes!
Simple recipes are the best. It just shows the time age by the serving size for sure! Now I’m craving crab cakes…
Made these the other night added some celery and red pepper SO delicious!
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makin’ these babies tonight!!
These look wonderful! It’s been a very long time since I made crab cakes. Adding these to the menu very soon.
these crab cakes of yours make my stomach jump like crazy !!! i want them !!
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made your crabcake recipe tonight–got two whole cooked dungeness crab. cleaned and picked them–not a single shell. What a simple and delicious recipe! Served Martha Stewart’s Watercress and Grapefruit Salad with Olives and Fried Sage on the side–poured a Loire Valley Vouvray. yum and yum. Thanks so much for the recipe!
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I made these tonight and they were amazing! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe and I’m so happy I paid the obscene price for the quality crab meat!
Just made these for lunch! Yummm! They’re super good!!
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omgeeeeeeeeeee these are great!! I had no mustard, but did have mustard powder so made my own mustard, had no eggs so used Hellmans (3tbs) to bind, and seeing as i’m from NOLA, we like it spicy so i used about 1 tsp of Cayenne! OH and i cooked down 2 tbs of garlic and 3 tbs of onion and added em to the mix! Man that was TASTY!!!
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This recipe is exactly what I was looking for! Thank u!! Every other recipe I’ve found loads up on the fillers, which takes away from the wonderful flavor crab meat has!!
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