Baltimore Crab Cakes

This Baltimore crab cakes recipe is all about the crab meat as it's loaded with jumbo lump crab meat and can be made in under 15 minutes.

In case you didn't know, my wife and I currently live in Maryland. Around here seafood is super popular - from orange glazed salmon to Cajun shrimp and grits.

However it seems like the main thing Maryland is known for is crab. I'll admit, that was pretty much the only thing I associated with the state before I moved here... well that and their crazy flag!

As I was thinking of recipes to share on the blog, I realized one meal I had never made was crab cakes. I've had plenty out and around the Baltimore area, but just never made any at home. So today was long overdue in sharing these Baltimore crab cakes.

I will preface by saying I've been told by local Marylanders that this recipe is not a "traditional" Maryland crab cake, which you broil. Mine is pan-fried but you are welcome to broil yours for about 10 minutes. But at the end of the day it's fresh Maryland crab and made in Maryland!

This recipe is actually a combination of my mother-in-law's and my dad's own recipes. We've had both and liked them so we thought we'd take the best of each. I prefer a little less mayonnaise than most crab cakes and like some heat, so a little more Old Bay seasoning.

The great thing about these Baltimore crab cakes is they can be prepared in about 10 minutes. Now the not so great thing is if you want the legit good crab cakes, you have to get jumbo lump crab meat which can be a bit pricy.

Luckily for us, we have a well-known seafood market, Gibby's, within walking distance of our house. What I love about this crab cakes recipe is that you really can customize it to your preference.

Jump to:

• Recipe Ingredients
• Step-by-Step Instructions
• Best Crab Meat
• Side Dish Options
• Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
• Other Seafood Recipes
• Baltimore Crab Cakes

Recipe Ingredients

• Plain breadcrumbs - helps create some texture.
• Egg and mayonnaise - both act as binders.
• Sweet onion, celery, parsley - additional flavor.
• Yellow mustard - adds a little sharp mustard flavor.
• Worcestershire sauce - gives some umami flavor.
• Old Bay seasoning - can't have crab cakes without Old Bay.
• Black pepper - enhances everything.
• Hot sauce - some additional spice.
• Crab meat - jumbo lump is the only way to go.
• Unsalted butter - used to cook the crab cakes.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients except the crab meat and butter.
2. Once mixed, gently fold in the crab meat.
3. Shape into 8 crab cakes. Put in refrigerator and let chill for one hour. 
4. Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook crab cakes for 3-5 minutes until light brown on the bottom.
5. Flip and cook another 3 minutes.

Best Crab Meat

To put it bluntly, jumbo lump is the only way to go. If you want a legit crab cake, you need to use jumbo lump crab meat. All the other ingredients are there to complement the crab.

Make sure you purchase crab meat labeled “hand-picked” or “fresh-picked." This tells you the meat has been picked through for shells and cartilage.

Side Dish Options

Every main entree needs a side dish and luckily, plenty of things go with crab cakes. Some options include:

• Corn on the cob
• Steamed vegetables
• Coleslaw
• Roasted Brussels sprouts
• Crispy roasted potatoes
• Cornbread muffins

Pro Tips/Recipe Notes

• Use a good quality jump lump crab meat as it is all about the crab.
• Stir all the ingredients except the crab first as you want to mix the crab as little as possible.
• Chill the crabs cakes for an hour so they don't break apart.
• Use an ice cream scoop or ¼ cup so you get consistently sized crab cakes.

Other Seafood Recipes

• Caribbean Shrimp Tacos
• Blackened Cod
• Sheet Pan Shrimp Boil
• Cajun Crab Dip
• Chimichurri Salmon
• Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp

If you’ve tried these Baltimore crab cakes or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.