Crab Cakes have to be one of my favourite appetizers – if they are on a menu there’s about a 110% chance I’ll order them. The good news is that they are not complicated to make at home and the BEST way to impress your future round of guests!
We love entertaining, and normally do a lot of it. I can’t WAIT until we can start up again! And if there’s one thing I’ve learned about entertaining, it’s the importance of prepping ahead. Ugh, the countless times that I’ve scrambled in the past to pull something together before guests arrive (or worse, when they are already there) – have you been there?
These crab cakes are soooooo delicious and can (and should) be prepped ahead! I recommend below to refrigerate the crab cakes, once prepared (prior to cooking) for around 30 minutes. You can easily prep them earlier in the day and refrigerate them until just before guests arrive and you need to cook them. Same goes for the tartar sauce, you can prep it hours ahead (I don’t like making it the day before as the red onion can get too strong).
I would love to hear if you make these, and of course how you like them! Note that this recipe makes a lot of crab cakes: you can either halve the recipe or make them ahead, freeze them on a tray, and thaw before cooking as per the instructions below. Also pay attention to the fact that you need to divide the Panko as not all of it goes into the crab mixture (I’ve made this mistake before).
Use gluten free Panko to make these gluten free:)
Happy weekend my friends!
xo
Tori
Crab Cakes with Homemade Tartar Sauce
These crab cakes are packed with rich flavour, and make an amazing appetizer or a main if served with a light green salad. This makes a lot of crab cakes, so cut the recipe in half if you’re only serving a small crowd.
Ingredients
Crab Cake Ingredients:
- 2 lbs. rock crab drained in a sieve
- 2 tablespoons finely diced chives
- ¾ cup mayo
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- ½ cup finely diced red onion
- ½ cup loosely packed chopped fresh dill plus extra for garnish
- 3 tablespoons chopped capers
- 3 cups panko divided
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 eggs beaten
- neutral oil for frying ie: avocado or canola
Tartar Sauce Ingredients:
- ¾ cup good quality mayo
- ¼ cup finely chopped dill pickles
- ¼ cup finely chopped red onion
- juice of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup freshly chopped dill
- 1 teaspoon drained capers chopped
Instructions
-
In a large bowl combine the crab, chives, mayo, dry mustard, red onion, dill, capers and 1 cup of panko and mix thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste then mix in the eggs until combined.
-
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the 2 cups of panko on a large plate. Using a large (size 8 or ½ c.) ice cream scoop or your hands, form each crab cake and carefully place it onto the plate of panko, gently pressing some panko on the top of the cake.
-
Using a metal spatula, carefully lift the crab cake onto the prepared cookie sheet and repeat until all of the mixture is used up. Refrigerate the crab cakes for 30-60 minutes.
-
Meanwhile, prepare the tartar sauce by combining all of the ingredients together in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
-
Line a large plate with paper towel. Add oil to a large frying pan until it is ½” deep. Heat over medium-high heat and fry the crab cakes in batches, careful not to over crowd the pan (we used a large pan and cooked 4 at a time), until the crab cakes are golden on each side. Remove from the pan with a metal spatula and repeat with the remaining crab cakes. Serve immediately with the tartar sauce and fresh dill as a garnish if desired.
What if you don’t have capers on hand – is there a substitute or can it be left out?
Hi Lindsay,
You could leave them out or add dill pickles instead.
I’m definitely going to try these, and will order this crab as I’ve been looking for a good source. Love your recommendations on items like this. If I do halve the recipe, is the crab easy to separate or will I need to defrost the entire bag?
Hi Tori – do you think these can be made before guests arrive and the just popped in the oven to warm them up? Or would they not be quite as good? I’d rather not be working with the hot oil after a few glasses of wine😉
Thanks for the great recipe and promo code! Just placed my order, excited to try something new, and love the convenience of local food being delivered to our door. How great is that!
My pleasure Lori! Hope you love it as much as we do!
Can regular bread crumbs be used instead of Panko and can they be made ahead of time and left in the fridge longer than one hour before cooking?
Hi Julie,
Yes you sure can (just won’t be as crispy) and yes you can leave them in the fridge for up to a day, I would just refrain from coating them in the breadcrumbs until just before frying if you are making them that far ahead so it doesn’t get soggy.
Do you chop up the crab or leave it chunky?
Hi Tricia, you can do as you wish, I like to leave it a bit chunky!
If you make these ahead to freeze, would you coat them in the panko first or freeze after forming the patties? Do you think they’ll be soggy if frozen and thawed?
These are my go to appy too!! I’m also wondering about freezing. Would it be best to make the whole batch and just reheat from frozen. Or would you freeze before breading and then cook once thawed?
Hi Lee, I think you could but I would thaw them before reheating as they may not cook throughout!
Is snow crab ok to use if I can’t find rock crab meat?
Hi Kayli you bet!
Tori, these were delicious and the perfect special occasion treat. I made them for New Year’s Eve and they were a hit with the adults and the kids. The homemade tartar was especially yummy and added a nice fresh taste to the meal.
Thank you Liane so happy your crew liked them!! xx
What would substitute to make these gluten-free and egg-free?
Hi Shelley, I haven’t tried it before but I think I would use a gluten free panko and try using an egg susbtitutor!
Could you use canned crab meat?