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Loaded with a full pound of seafood, these homemade Crab Cakes with Remoulade are a step above those filler-loaded recipes. Try this baked crab cake recipe for a light dinner or as part of your Mardi Gras menu.
While the exact origins of crab cake recipes are often debated, many food historians believe they became a staple in the northeast (and specifically Baltimore, Maryland) in the 1800s. With Native American and African American roots, the process of making these seafood patties varies widely by the family and even the specific cook.
Many call for starchy fillers, others lean into oodles of fresh vegetables, while others are all about the fresh herbs. One thing unifies all crab cake recipes, though: the use of tender, slightly-sweet crab meat and the patty-like shape.
Today, Crab Cakes with Remoulade Sauce are a staple on many restaurant menus. Here, I explain how to make crab cakes just as good as (or maybe better!) than those right at home.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Bell pepper: I love the flavor and color variation with a mix of red and green bell peppers, but you can certainly use one full bell pepper of either color if you prefer.
- Crab meat: You might see “backfin” or “special” grade styles of crab meat available, but my top choice for crab cakes is “lump” meat. This is made with small, white pieces of sturdy crab meat and is idea for crab cakes, pasta recipes, and more.
Step-by-step instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Oil a rimmed baking sheet. Prepare the remoulade in a small bowl by whisking together mayonnaise, dill relish, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and Tabasco, if using. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper). Cover and place in refrigerator to blend flavors, at least 30 minutes.
- In a small skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add red and green bell peppers and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, egg, and mustard. Fold in crab, cooked bell peppers, and green onions.
- Divide crab mixture into four parts and using your hands, form each part into 1-inch thick patties. Place on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake crab cakes until golden, about 15 to 20 minutes. Allow patties to rest on baking sheet 5 minutes before serving.
- Serve with remoulade and lemon wedges, garnish with fresh parsley.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes four generous quarter-pound crab cakes plus just over ½ cup remoulade (enough for 2 ½ tablespoons per crab cake).
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: The patties can be assembled and stored covered in the refrigerator 1 day in advance. Mix the remoulade up to 3 days in advance, too. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use.
- Let them rest: The 5 minutes I suggest waiting after you bake (and before you devour) is key so the Crab Cakes don’t crumble and fall apart.
- Round out your menu: If you’re serving Crab Cakes with Remoulade as a main dish, consider adding a side dish or two like Citrus Salad, Homemade French Fries, Roasted Green Beans, or Roasted Root Vegetables.
Recipe FAQs
Maryland, right on the coast of the Atlantic, is famous for fresh blue crab. So, the only requirement for a Maryland-style crab cake is the use of blue crab. Beyond that, restaurant-style (or gourmet style) crab cakes are fried in a buttered pan or cooked over open flames, and they aren’t breaded. Boardwalk-style crab cakes are held together with bread crumbs and eggs and are deep-fried.
Louisiana crab cakes also rely on blue crab. However, the cakes are breaded with a traditional 3-step breading procedure: flour, egg wash, and breading. They are also flavored with Cajun seasonings and hot sauce and fried in oil instead of butter.
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Crab Cakes with Remoulade
Ingredients
For the remoulade:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons dill relish
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce plus more, to taste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce optional, to taste
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the crab cakes:
- vegetable oil for greasing
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 large red bell pepper cut into 1/4-inch pieces (2 ounces, see note 1)
- 1/2 large green bell pepper cut into 1/4-inch pieces (2 ounces, see note 1)
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 1 pound crab meat picked through to remove any shells (see note 2)
- 1 bunch green onions sliced (white and green parts)
- fresh parsley minced, for garnish
- lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Oil a rimmed baking sheet.
To make the remoulade:
- In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, dill relish, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, tabasco, and salt and pepper to taste (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper). Cover and place in refrigerator to blend flavors, at least 30 minutes.
To make the crab cakes:
- In a small skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add red and green bell peppers and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Cool slightly.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, egg, mustard, and salt and pepper to taste (I like ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper). Fold in crab, cooled bell peppers, and green onions.
- Divide crab mixture into four parts and using your hands. Form each part into 1-inch thick patties and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake crab cakes until golden, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Allow patties to rest on baking sheet 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with remoulade and lemon wedges.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Bell pepper: I love the flavor and color variation with a mix of red and green bell peppers, but you can use one full bell pepper of either color if you prefer.
- Crab meat: You might see “backfin” or “special” grade styles of crab meat available, but my top choice for crab cakes is “lump” meat. This is made with small, white pieces of sturdy crab meat and is idea for crab cakes, pasta recipes, and more.
- Yield: This recipe makes four generous quarter-pound crab cakes plus just over ½ cup remoulade (enough for 2 ½ tablespoons per crab cake).
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
Really delicious recipe.
Can canned crab be used?
Hi Dawn, I haven’t tested it but I don’t see why not! – Meggan