Thanksgiving Appetizers Ideas: Maryland Crab Cakes with Remoulade
By Emily Carter ·
Published
Quick answer
Gently fold 1 pound of jumbo lump crab meat with mayonnaise, egg, Dijon mustard, Old Bay seasoning and just enough panko to bind, form 8 cakes and chill 30 minutes so they hold together, then sear in butter for 4 to 5 minutes per side until deep golden. Serve warm with a quick homemade remoulade of mayonnaise, capers, lemon and fresh herbs.
Thanksgiving appetizers ideas should feel like an occasion, and nothing says occasion like a tray of golden Maryland crab cakes. Jumbo lump crab folded gently with a light binder, seasoned with Old Bay, chilled so the cakes hold, and seared in butter until crisp and deep golden. A quick homemade remoulade with capers and lemon keeps every bite bright. This is the appetizer that makes guests think you planned for weeks.
Why you’ll love it
- Real jumbo lump crab in every bite, with a light binder that never tastes bready.
- The 30 minute chill does the hard work of holding the cakes together.
- Butter seared crusts that shatter against the sweet crab inside.
- A 5 minute remoulade that beats anything from a jar.
- Make ahead friendly for a calm holiday kitchen.
Ingredient notes
Jumbo lump crab meat: the whole point of a Maryland cake. Pick through it for bits of shell, but keep the lumps whole. Pasteurized refrigerated crab meat works well and is easy to find.
Old Bay seasoning: the classic mid atlantic seasoning. It brings celery salt, paprika and warm spice in one shake. Measure it; a heavy hand makes the cakes salty.
Panko breadcrumbs: just enough to bind. Panko keeps the texture light where fine breadcrumbs turn dense. Resist adding more than the recipe calls for.
Dijon mustard and Worcestershire: the quiet flavor builders. They add tang and savoriness without announcing themselves. A little of each goes a long way.
Butter and neutral oil: butter for flavor, oil to keep the butter from burning. Together they give a golden crust without bitterness.
The chill that keeps the crab cakes together
Crab cakes fall apart for one reason: they hit hot fat before the binder has set. Thirty minutes in the fridge firms the egg and mayonnaise mixture so the cakes go into the skillet as solid patties, not soft mounds. Cold cakes also sear better, because the outside has time to form a crust while the inside warms through. If you are short on time, 20 minutes in the freezer works, but do not skip it entirely. And when you shape them, make them thick. Thin cakes dry out and break; a thick 3 inch patty stays juicy in the center with a crisp shell.
Variations
- Spicy remoulade: double the cayenne and add a teaspoon of hot sauce to the remoulade for guests who like heat.
- Herb butter finish: baste the cakes with a spoonful of melted butter mixed with chopped parsley in the last minute of searing.
- Mini party cakes: shape the mixture into 16 small cakes and sear 3 minutes per side for bite size passed appetizers.
- Lemon caper butter: skip the remoulade and serve with warm melted butter, extra lemon juice and a spoonful of capers.
What we learned testing it
- Panko beat regular breadcrumbs in the side by side test. Panko cakes had a lighter, crisper crust while fine breadcrumbs made the cakes noticeably denser.
- The 30 minute chill made all the difference. Unchilled cakes needed more binder to hold, which dulled the crab flavor; chilled cakes held with less binder.
Read how we test recipes.
Thanksgiving Appetizers Ideas: Maryland Crab Cakes with Remoulade
Makes 8 crab cakes · 1 hr total · Medium
Ingredients
Equipment
Large mixing bowl · Rubber spatula · Baking sheet · Parchment paper · Large skillet · Fish spatula
Instructions
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Mix the binder, then fold in the crab
Whisk the mayonnaise, egg, Dijon, Old Bay, Worcestershire, parsley and chives in a large bowl. Sprinkle in the panko and stir just to combine. Add the crab meat and fold very gently with a rubber spatula so the jumbo lumps stay whole. Overmixing breaks the lumps and makes dense cakes.
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Form the cakes and chill so they hold
Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions and shape each into a thick patty about 3 inches across. Set them on a parchment lined baking sheet, cover loosely and chill for at least 30 minutes. This rest firms the binder and is the reason the cakes hold together in the pan.
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Sear golden in butter
Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat until the butter foams. Lay in the crab cakes without crowding and cook for 4 to 5 minutes per side until deep golden and crisp. Work in two batches if needed and keep the first batch warm in a low oven.
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Mix the remoulade and serve warm
While the cakes sear, stir together the mayonnaise, capers, lemon juice, relish, parsley and cayenne for the remoulade. Taste and add more lemon or cayenne if you like it brighter. Plate two warm cakes per person with a generous spoonful of remoulade and lemon wedges.
Notes
- Fold, never stir, once the crab is in. Whole lumps are what make a Maryland style cake instead of a crab flavored patty.
- Keep the binder light. Just enough panko to hold the cakes means crab first, filler second.
- Do not skip the chill. Warm cakes go into hot fat and fall apart; chilled cakes set and sear cleanly.
- Medium heat, not high. Butter browns fast, so medium gives the cakes time to heat through while the crust turns golden.
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition information is being calculated.
Substitutions
- Jumbo lump crab meat
- Use lump or backfin crab meat instead. The cakes will be a little less showy but the flavor stays strong; keep the folding gentle either way.
- Old Bay seasoning
- Mix 1 teaspoon of celery salt with 1/2 teaspoon of paprika and a pinch of cayenne. It is not identical, but it gives the same warm seasoned backbone.
- Homemade remoulade
- Use a good tartar sauce or a squeeze of lemon with melted butter. The cakes are rich enough to stand on their own with just lemon.
Storage and make-ahead
Refrigerate uncooked formed cakes for up to 24 hours before searing. Cooked crab cakes keep for 2 days in the fridge; reheat on a baking sheet at 375 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes until hot and crisp. The remoulade keeps separately for up to 5 days refrigerated. Freeze uncooked cakes on the tray until firm, then bag for up to 1 month and sear from thawed.
Frequently asked questions
Why do my crab cakes fall apart in the pan?
Almost always the chill was skipped or the pan was overcrowded. Chill formed cakes for at least 30 minutes, keep the heat at medium, and give each cake space so the crust sets before you flip.
Can I bake these crab cakes instead of searing?
Yes. Bake chilled cakes on a greased sheet at 400 degrees F for 12 to 15 minutes, flipping once. The crust will be less crisp than the butter seared version, but the flavor is the same.
What kind of crab meat is best for crab cakes?
Jumbo lump gives the showiest, sweetest cakes because the lumps stay whole. Lump is the next best choice. Avoid imitation crab entirely; it does not hold or taste like real crab.
Can I make crab cakes ahead for Thanksgiving?
Yes. Form the cakes and refrigerate them covered for up to 24 hours, and mix the remoulade up to 5 days ahead. Sear the cakes just before serving so the crust is hot and crisp.
Are these crab cakes gluten free?
Not as written, because of the panko. Swap in a gluten free panko and check that your Worcestershire sauce is gluten free, and the rest of the recipe needs no changes.
