Crab Cakes

These succulent crab cakes are spiced just right for kids and adults alike! My husband was completely surprised that I made these myself, and they were super-easy! Serve straight from the stove or place on a bun.

Originally this post was published (in 2013) as a crab cake burger recipe. But, after serving it many times, it turned out that the family prefers these without all that bread! So I am updating it as a recipe for crab cakes, but of course you can still serve them on buns if you prefer. (updated September 2018)

Why would you serve these on a bun? Well, sometimes kids will have more of an open mind to try things if they are served on a bun. At least that was the case with my kids when they were younger.

I am not sure if it is because they get to eat with their hands, or because they love the bread (which I am sure was Thing 2’s main motivation, haha!), but if I put a new food on a bun, I was usually able to get the kids to try it without much cajoling.

I remember that I held off for a bit with this recipe, though.  After successfully introducing shrimp to them a few weeks earlier, I was hesitant to give them any additional seafood.  I learned my lesson the hard way because, once they realized that they liked shrimp, I had to start making enough for everyone, LOL!  And seafood is not the cheapest main ingredient out there.

But, knowing that there is so much good nutrition in crab meat, including those wonderful omega-3 fatty acids as well as vitamin A, vitamin C, and a bunch of B vitamins, I couldn’t hold off for long.  Crab is also low in fat, high in protein, and is considered a low-risk seafood for mercury.

My recipe was adapted from this Crab Cake Burger recipe that I found a few years ago.  I made the recipe several times and tweaked it more and more each time to better suit my family’s tastes and also to streamline the preparation as much as I could (without sacrificing flavor!) in order to make it as easy as possible for weeknight dinner prep.

The result is a meal that is quick and easy to shop for as well as to assemble and cook. Since crab is a bit on the pricey side, you may want to wait until there is a sale on crab meat.

Alternatively, you can try making this with much cheaper imitation crab. Just run the imitation cran through the food processor briefly before mixing with the rest of the ingredients.  The result is not too bad, although I definitely think that real crab meat is better, if you can swing it.

Crab Cake on a Bun

Succulent crab cakes spiced just right for kids and adults alike! Serve straight from the stove or place on a bun. 

Print

Course Entree

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 6

Calories 150 kcal

Author Kristin

Ingredients

• 16 ounces lump crab meat (1 can)
• 1 egg (lightly beaten)
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup light mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons Old Bay spice (or more - season to taste)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons butter (or substitute)
• 6 hamburger buns (optional)

Instructions

1. Combine crab, egg, bread crumbs, mayonnaise, Old Bay spice, lemon juice, onion powder and pepper.

2. Form mixture into 6 patties.
3. Heat oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the patties until they are browned on each side, about 5 minutes per side.

4. Serve straight from the stove, or place on hamburger buns for crab cake sandwiches.

Nutrition Facts

Crab Cake on a Bun

Amount Per Serving

Calories 150 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 7g 11%

Saturated Fat 1g 5%

Cholesterol 64mg 21%

Sodium 760mg 32%

Potassium 174mg 5%

Total Carbohydrates 5g 2%

Protein 15g 30%

Vitamin A 2%

Vitamin C 7.6%

Calcium 4.8%

Iron 4.5%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Some people are allergic to shellfish, so you need to be watchful if this is the first time you are introducing crab to your kids.  And of course, you only want to try this if you are willing to share your seafood from now on!  🙂

Interested in some of my other seafood recipes?

Check out my Creamy Avocado Zoodles with Chipotle Lime Shrimp recipe, and you definitely don’t want to miss the totally yummy Shrimp Fettucine Alfredo recipe.

For something a little different, check out my Oven Baked Calamari Recipe and watch your kids gobble up squid like it’s going out of style!

Enjoy!

 

 

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