Crab Cakes

After a couple weeks of making dinner for my family, I wanted to try something new. In the weeks that I had started cooking regularity I really wanted to try to make something that would challenge if I really could cook or not. This led me to create Crab Cakes. A little background, my dad is an amazing chef and seeing him create beautiful dishes and deserts has truly inspired me to create more difficult dishes. So when I saw him enjoying something I made so much made me realize that cooking wasn’t just a hobby; it was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life. That moment sparked my passion and set me on my current path to pursue culinary arts.

Ingredients

1 lb (453 g) jumbo lump crab meat, picked over and shells removed
½ cup (40 g) plain panko crumbs or crushed saltine crackers
6 tablespoons (85 g) mayonnaise
1 large egg
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning (or J.O. seasoning)
1 ½ teaspoons finely minced fresh parsley (or 1 teaspoon dried)
¼ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon salted butter, cut into 8 pieces (plus extra for greasing pan)

Tartar Sauce recipe

Directions

Prep your stage.
Lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet with butter and set it aside.
Mix the magic.
In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, egg, mustard, lemon juice, Old Bay, parsley, salt, and pepper until smooth and combined. This is your flavor-packed sauce base!
Gently fold in the stars — the crab meat and panko.
Add the crab meat and panko crumbs to your bowl. Using a spatula, carefully fold them in—try not to break up those beautiful crab lumps. We want big, juicy bites.
Shape your crab cakes.
Using a heaping ⅓-cup scoop (I love using an ice cream scoop here), pack the mixture firmly and place each mound onto the buttered baking sheet. Don’t flatten them — keep them tall and proud! If any crumble, use your hands to gently press pieces back in. Space each cake at least 2 inches apart.
Butter them up.
Place a small piece of butter right on top of each crab cake. This will help create a gorgeous, golden crust.
Chill out.
Cover the baking sheet tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours if you want to prep ahead.
Bake to perfection.
Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C). When it’s ready, remove the crab cakes from the fridge and unwrap them. Place them on the center rack and bake for 8–10 minutes until cooked through.
Broil for the golden finish.
If you want that beautiful browned crust, switch your oven to broil for the last 2 minutes. Keep a close eye so they don’t burn!
Serve with tartar sauce or your favorite side, and get ready to impress. These crab cakes are the perfect mix of tender crab and crispy, buttery crust — and they’ll remind you why cooking is worth every challenge.