Best Crab Cakes with Homemade Tartar Sauce (video)
The best crab cakes recipe with easy homemade tartar sauce! This easy seafood appetizer is great for special occasions!
Ingredients
For Crab Cakes:
- 1 pound cooked, shelled crab
- 1/2 small red bell pepper, finely diced
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- zest from 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- dash hot sauce
- 1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
- 1 tbsp fresh chopped dill
- 1 tsp salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs, for coating
- 1/4 cup avocado oil, for cooking
For Homemade Tartar Sauce:
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup dill relish, or finely diced dill pickles
- 1 small shallot, finely diced; about 2 tablespoons
- 1 1/2 tbsp capers, chopped
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp fresh chopped dill
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- black pepper & salt, to taste
For Serving:
- sliced fresh lemon
Instructions
Making the Crab Cakes:
- Start by preparing the fresh ingredients: dice the pepper and chop the fresh herbs. Combine all the crab cake ingredients, except for the oil and bread crumbs, in one large bowl: the crab, pepper, fresh herbs, salt, pepper, mustard, eggs, lemon zest and juice, and all the seasonings.
- Using a spoon, gently mix everything together until you have a uniform mixture.
- Line a large cutting board with paper towels; these will absorb the extra liquids from the cakes. Using a ¼-cup scoop, measure out the mixture for each crab cakes and place onto the paper towels.
- Place the panko bread crumbs into a large bowl. Using your hands, gently shape the crab mixture into a loose cake; don’t compress it too much. Sprinkle the panko crumbs all over, then place the shaped cakes onto a large tray.
- Refrigerate the cakes for at least 1 hour. This will make it easier to cook the crab cakes and they’ll fall apart less.
Cooking the Crab Cakes:
- Preheat a large frying pan with about ¼ cup of avocado or canola oil over medium heat. Wait until the oil is hot before adding the crab cakes, otherwise they will absorb too much oil.
- Add the crab cakes to the pan, spacing them out. I recommend doing two separate batches. Fry the cakes for 2 to 4 minutes, per side. Use a small spatula to turn the crab cakes when they become golden brown.
- Once cooked, remove the cakes onto a tray lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.
Serving the Cakes:
- This seafood appetizer is best enjoyed right away, while the cakes are still hot! I like to garnish the cakes with a bit of fresh parsley and dill and serve them with wedges of lemon. Spoon the tartar sauce into a small ramekin on the side. Squeeze a bit of fresh lemon juice over the cakes, then enjoy them with the sauce!
Making the Tartar Sauce:
- Start by preparing the ingredients first: chop the shallot, the capers, and the fresh herbs. If desired, finely diced dill pickles to use in place of the relish.
- Combine all the ingredients for the sauce in one large bowl: mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, dill, relish, shallots, capers, and seasonings. Stir until a uniform sauce forms. Keep the sauce refrigerated.
Make-Ahead Instructions:
- Need to make these ahead of time? My crab cakes are great for preparing early. Simply shape and refrigerate the crab cakes until you’re ready to cook them. You don’t need to cover them with plastic unless you need to keep them for overnight, for 24 hours. You can also make the tartar sauce ahead of time and keep it stored in the refrigerator, too.
- NOTE: Nutritional facts calculated with tartar sauce.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cake with sauce | Calories: 225kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 770mg | Potassium: 138mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 247IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1mg