Amaze your guests with homemade appetizer crab cakes. Easy to make, delicious to eat, and adorable! A sure hit at your next party.
When you want to impress your friends, reach for this easy mini crab cake appetizer recipe. We've made thousands of these crab cakes for our clients and guests and they're always the hit of the party!
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LET'S TALK CRAB!
The star of this appetizer is the crab! There are over 4,500 species of crab worldwide. In the United States we mostly find 2 types of crab; Dungeness crab (from the West Coast) and blue crab (from the East Coast and Gulf Coast). We also find types of crab meat; lump meat (mostly from the body of the crab) and claw meat (from the claws of the crab).
Lump crab meat can be from any type of crab, is fairly easy to find, and is usually less expensive than one specific type of crab; like Dungeness or blue. It is an excellent choice for crab cakes due to it's price and the way it holds up when mixed with other ingredients. Claw meat is not as easily found and can be smaller pieces or crab meat, but if you find fresh claw meat, it will definitely work in these crab cakes. Since claw meat sometimes comes in small pieces, mix it in after combining all the other ingredients.
Being in the Pacific Northwest, we used Dungeness crab for this recipe, but we've made this with blue crab and lump crab meat and it is equally delicious! Since we shelled our own crab, we used the meat from the entire crab.
YIELD WHEN SHELLING CRAB: If you have never shelled a crab, you should experience the fun at least once - just be prepared to work for that delicious crab meat! We've had a bit of experience shelling crab and can yield about 26% by weight (crab meat to the whole crab). If it's your first time pulling the meat, expect to get between 18% and 22%. (You'll need about 5 pounds crab in the shell to get about one pound of fresh crab meat.) Shelling your own crab doesn't always save you money, definitely doesn't save you time, and creates a mess, but it's kind of fun to do with friends or family!
While it's not always possible to shell your own crabs, it is possible to get fresh crab meat. Look for pasteurized crab meat in the refrigerated seafood section of your store (ask at your meat counter if you need help). It should always be refrigerated and labeled as fresh. Avoid canned, non-refrigerated, processed crab and imitation crab (which is not true crab, but processed fish meat).
Love seafood? Try our Spicy Prawns on a Grilled Polenta Cake!
Want more crab? Our Hot Crab Artichoke Dip is mouthwatering!
INGREDIENTS
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
- Crab. Being in the Pacific Northwest, we used Dungeness crab, but blue crab or lump crab meat also works great.
- Bread crumbs. We keep a container of homemade bread crumbs (from leftover bread) in the freezer and thaw when needed for recipes, purchased bread crumbs work just as good. We like the softer texture of basic bread crumbs versus panko bread crumbs in this recipe, but panko will work in a pinch.
- Greek yogurt. The tang from the Greek yogurt adds another layer to this appetizer, but you can also use mayonnaise.
- Spices. Old Bay, dry mustard, and Worcestershire sauce round out the flavor in these appetizer crab cakes.
HOW TO MAKE CRAB CAKE APPETIZERS
Make crab cake mixture
Start by mixing all your ingredients in a large mixing bowl. (image 1) NOTE: you can mix the binders and spices (everything except the crab meat) together first and add the crab meat in last to ensure everything is mixed well.
You may be asking, why is there a photo of the egg being added after all the other ingredients? (image 2) ANSWER: Because I forgot to add the egg! Mistakes happen when cooking, but thankfully, it was easy to mix the egg into the mixture after combining everything else. MAKE SURE you completely combine everything.
Form mini crab cakes
Now that everything (including the egg!) is well mixed (image 3) we portion out our individual crab cakes in a small appetizer size. (image 4) You can do this with a spoon, by hand, or with a cookie scoop, like this 1 Tablespoon scoop we used.
Once all the crab mixture is portioned out, it's time to form them into 'cakes'. This is done by pressing each portioned piece into a small disc. You still want each cake to be about ½ - ¾" thick. If the crab mixture is sticking to your hands, dip them in some cold water.
TIPS WHEN MAKING MINI CRAB CAKE APPETIZERS
While homemade crab cakes can seem intimidating, they are actually quite easy to make. Keep in mind a few simple tips and you'll have a great crab cake bite.
- Mix all the ingredients well. We frequently mix all the binders and spices (everything except the crab) together before adding the crab meat. We got lazy in this recipe and did it all together - don't forget the egg like I did! We like using our hands to make sure the binders are well mixed with the crab meat. Be careful not to shred the crab (break it into very tiny pieces), as it's much better to have small, intact pieces of crab meat.
- Use a cookie scoop to help ensure each crab cake appetizer is the same size. This makes a much more visually appealing platter for your event.
- Dip your hands in water if the crab cakes are sticking when flattening the portioned crab cake balls. This will help the crab mixture not stick to your hands.
Cook the crab cake appetizers
Once all of your crab mixture is portioned and formed into bite-sized appetizers (image 5), it's time to start cooking them. We are going to fry them on the stovetop in a little oil to get a nice crispy crust on each crab cake. NOTE: They can also be baked in the oven, see notes below. Melt some butter (ghee or canola oil) in a heavy duty skillet over medium high heat. (image 6) Place a single layer of crab cakes in the skillet (image 7) leaving enough room to turn them over as they cook. Allow 2-4 minutes per side, turn the crab cakes over (image 8) and cook the other side.
FAVORITE RIFFS
More crab cakes for your money! With the price of crab we often want to stretch the number of appetizers we get out of one pound of crab. You can easily use 1 ½ to 2 times the amount of binder and spices (non-crab ingredients) in this recipe without sacrificing flavor, though there will be slightly less crab per crab cake. If increasing the non-crab ingredients, we strongly recommend mixing them together until well combined before adding the crab meat. Follow the rest of the recipe as directed.
Bake instead of fry. While we like the crispy texture we get from frying these crab cake bites, they are equally good baked in a hot oven. Place a baking sheet in the oven while preheating to 400°F. Spray one side of the crab cakes with cooking spray. Once the oven is heated, carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven and place the crab cakes, sprayed side down, on the baking sheet. Spray the tops of the crab cakes and return the baking sheet to the oven. Bake crab cakes for about 15 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown and crisp. Turn the crab cakes over and bake another 5-10 minutes to crisp up the other side.
Make the crab cakes any size you like. We're focusing on bite-sized appetizers with these crab cakes, but you can make them any size; medium size is great served on top of a salad and large crab cakes make a delicious entrée.
Substitute stone-ground (or Dijon) mustard for the dry mustard. Use mayonnaise instead of Greek yogurt. Add some small-diced red bell pepper to the crab cake mixture.
HOW TO SERVE APPETIZER CRAB CAKES
We recommend serving the crab cakes warm, but they can also be served cold with a salad. If on a buffet, heat and serve in small batches as needed or use a chafing dish to keep them warm. If using a chafing dish, line the food pan with a linen napkin to keep the crab cakes from getting soggy.
Serve with a side of dipping sauce. We like all of the following sauces with these crab cakes.
- Red pepper aioli - easy version: blend roasted red peppers with a little lemon and mayonnaise (or Greek yogurt)
- Tartar sauce - mayonnaise, lemon, relish or chopped pickles and some herbs (dill or tarragon)
- Lemon wedges - cut a lemon into wedges
- Lemon and dill Greek yogurt sauce - Greek yogurt, dill, lemon
- Dijon aioli - mayo, Dijon mustard, dash of lemon
MAKE AHEAD TIPS AND STORING CRAB CAKES
This is a great make ahead appetizer! Cook as needed or cook ahead of time and reheat as needed.
- Uncooked. Form the crab cakes, place in single layers between parchment paper, and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator, up to 3 days, or freeze, up to 2 months. When ready to cook follow the directions in the recipe. If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator before cooking.
- Cooked. Cook the crab cakes and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze up to 2 months. Lay appetizer crab cakes in a single layer on a baking sheet and reheat in a preheated 350°F oven until warmed through, about 5-10 minutes. You can place a wet (not dripping wet) paper towel over the crab cakes when reheating to help prevent them from drying out. NOTE: we freeze these cooked crab cakes all the time and while they can tend to dry out in the freezer, they are just fine if in an airtight container, especially when served with an aioli. If frozen, thaw them in the fridge before reheating.
SAVING LEFTOVERS
The FDA recommends discarding any perishable food that has been out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
If you are within the FDA recommendations, these mini crab cakes will last in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven until warmed through.
SOME OTHER FAVORITE BITES
SOME COMMON FAQ'S
Any fresh, not processed, crab is great. Use blue crab (from East Coast) or Dungeness crab (from West Coast), lump or claw meat.
YES! Heat a baking sheet in a 400°F oven. Once hot, spray one side of crab cakes and place (sprayed side down) on the hot sheet pan. Spray tops of crab cakes and place in oven for about 15 minutes. Turn and cook for another 5-10 minutes or until both sides are golden brown.
Crab is very expensive and, since we love crab, we are always finding ways to stretch how far it will go. To 'stretch' this recipe, increase the binders and seasoning anywhere from 1 ½ to 2 times the amount listed in the recipe - we do this frequently. The resulting crab cakes are still delicious, just more of them!
📖 Recipe
Appetizer Crab Cakes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 24-30 bites
Description
Amaze your guests with this homemade mini crab cakes appetizer recipe. Easy to make, delicious to eat, and adorable! A sure hit at your next party.
Ingredients
FOR THE CRAB CAKES
- 1 pound crab meat (lump or claw, Dungeness or blue)
- ¼ cup chopped green onion
- ⅔ cup bread crumbs (96 grams)
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup Greek yogurt or mayonnaise (52 grams)
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dry ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning (or a similar seafood seasoning)
- salt and pepper to taste
FOR FRYING
- 3-4 Tablespoons butter, ghee (clarified butter), canola oil, or cooking spray
Instructions
MAKE & FORM THE CRAB CAKES
- In a large bowl, combine crab meat, green onion, bread crumbs, egg, Greek yogurt, Worcestershire, dry mustard, Old Bay, salt, and pepper. Use your hands to gently fold the mixture together until well incorporated.
- Use a small cookie scoop (about a Tablespoon in volume) to portion your crab mixture. Press crab cake mixture into the scoop, then place each scoop about 2 inches apart on a lined baking sheet. Continue until all the crab mixture is portioned.
- Pick up a portioned scoop of crab mixture and press with your hands to form it into a 1 - 1 ½ inch patty between ½ - ¾ inch thick. Place back on the baking sheet until ready to cook. NOTE: If the crab mixture sticks to your hands, dip your hands in cold water and continue forming the crab cakes.
If you're making the crab cakes in advance and cooking them later, store formed crab cakes between layers of parchment paper or wax paper in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw, if frozen, in the refrigerator before frying.
FRY THE CRAB CAKES & SERVE
- Heat a large flat skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add 1 Tablespoon butter, ghee, or oil to the pan and immediately place crab cake patties onto the pan. You may need to work in batches here if your pan is not large enough.
- Cook crab cakes for 2-4 minutes turn over and continue cooking until both sides are golden brown. Add additional butter to pan as necessary.
- Serve immediately with your favorite sauce (see notes in post).
Notes
What type of crab is best? Blue crab (from East Coast), Dungeness crab (from West Coast), lump or claw meat all work great for this appetizer. Make sure it is fresh crab meat, not processed. It should be stored in the refrigerated section at your store, usually in the meat department.
Mix all the ingredients well, but don't shred the crab meat. You can also mix all the binder ingredients (everything except crab meat) together first and then add crab meat. If this is your first time making crab cakes, this might help prevent breaking up the crab meat into shreds.
Bake instead of fry. Heat a baking sheet in a 400°F oven until hot. Spray one side of crab cakes and place (spray side down) on hot sheet pan. Spray tops of crab cakes and place in oven for about 15 minutes. Turn and cook for another 5-10 minutes or until both sides are golden brown.
Stretch the crab and get more crab cakes by increasing the binders and seasoning anywhere from 1 ½ to 2 times the amount listed in the recipe. Still a delicious crab cake, just more of them!
Favorite Riffs. Use mayo instead of Greek yogurt. Substitute stone-ground or Dijon mustard for the dry ground mustard. We love these bite-sized appetizers, but you can also make these a medium size to top a salad or larger to serve as an entrée.
Make ahead of time. Form the appetizer crab cakes and store, uncooked, between parchment paper in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw, if frozen, and cook according to directions. Cook crab cakes and store in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze up to 2 months. Thaw, if frozen, and reheat in a 350°F oven 5-10 minutes or until warm. You can place a damp paper towel over the crab cakes when reheating to help prevent them from drying out.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 crab cake
- Calories: 46
- Sugar: 0.4 g
- Sodium: 215.9 mg
- Fat: 2.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 2.3 g
- Protein: 4.2 g
- Cholesterol: 20.7 mg
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