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These Alaskan King crab cakes are filled with meaty chunks of sweet King crab and just enough filling to hold them together. The crab is definitely the star of the show in this crab cake recipe. Serve them as an appetizer or as a main meal or use them in sandwiches.
These crab cakes are pan-fried until golden brown and they are so easy to make. This recipe makes 10 large patties as a main meal or you can shape them into 20 small patties and serve them as an appetizer.
Serve them with garlic butter sauce or lemon dill aioli sauce for a spectacular meal.
Ingredients for Alaska Crab Meat Patties
Here is a quick shopping list of the ingredients you will need for these crab cakes.
- Mayonnaise. Helps bind everything together.
- Egg yolk. Another binder that also adds richness.
- Dijon mustard. Dijon has a complex flavor and a little bit goes a long way.
- Lemon Juice. Just enough acid and tang to balance the flavors.
- Worcestershire sauce. Another ingredient that adds complexity and an umami flavor the these
- Tabasco sauce. Just a small dash adds a bit of a kick but doesn’t create too much heat.
- Old Bay Seasoning. This seasoning blend has a melody of flavors that enhances the sweet and savory flavors of the King crab.
- King crab meat. The sweet taste of Alaska King crab is unbeatable.
- Saltine crackers. This is the filler and they add a great flavor without overwhelming the crab.
- Chives. Finely chopped chives add a hint of oniony, garlicky flavor and compliment the crab.
Tips for Success
- Process the cracker crumbs very finely. The finer the crumbs are, the better the crab cakes will hold together. We used a food processor. You can also use a blender.
- Fold in the crab meat gently so you don’t break up the large lumps.
- Refrigerate the raw patties before you pan fry them. If you skip this step the crab cakes will fall apart easily. Cold crab cakes will hold together better while they cook.
- Use an ice cream scooper to measure out the crab mixture. We heaped a rounded scoop into a ball then patted it into a round cake.
- Don’t smash the crab cakes down when you cook them. Leave them nice and thick so the crab meat stays juicy and sweet. Smashing them as they cook will squeeze the crab juices out.
Variations
Cajun Spin: Mix in a teaspoon of smoked paprika and pinch of cayenne pepper with the mixture of crab legs. Swap out the chives for chopped green onions.
Lemon Herb Mashup: Add 1 tablespoon of fresh dill and 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley for a bright, herbaceous flavor, and squeeze extra lemon juice over the crab cakes before serving.
Garlic Parmesan Crab Cake Variation: Stir in ¼ cup of grated Parmesan cheese and 2 minced garlic cloves for a rich, savory twist, and top each crab cake with a sprinkle of extra Parmesan before serving.
Southwest Variation: Mix in ½ cup of roasted corn and ¼ cup of chopped cilantro or parsley for a Southwestern flair, and serve with a side of spicy chipotle mayo instead of tartar sauce.
More Crab Recipes
Living in Washington, we frequently have an abundance of crab meat from the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. Sometimes we just like to eat the crab legs with nothing more than a drizzle of butter. Other times we like to mix things up.
We have classic dishes like Dungeness crab cakes to a simple crab melt sandwich, we have many more selections for you. Here are a few seafood recipes:
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Dukkah roasted duck legs are tender and succulent. They have a nutty crust from the dukkah seasoning and get served with a sweet fig reduction. So good!
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Alaskan King Crab Cakes
If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating and comment.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 1 egg yolk
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
- ½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1-½ pounds Alaskan King crabmeat
- 20 Saltine crackers, ground very finely
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
Instructions
- Combine mayonnaise, egg yolk, lemon juice, Dijon, Worcestershire, Tabasco sauce, and Old Bay in a mixing bowl.
- Fold in the crabmeat, saltines, and scallions.
- Form 10 patties. Cover with plastic wrap and let the patties sit in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 to 4 crabs cakes and cook until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minus per side.
- Transfer to a plate and repeat with the other crab cakes.
Notes
- Grind the saltine crackers very finely. A food processor or blender will do the best job.
- We used an ice cream scooper to measure out the crab mixture.
- There should be enough salt in the Old Bay but feel free to add additional salt if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Seems like a great recipe. But I didn’t have a pound and a half of crab, and trying to adjust for what I have, I ended up with a loose mixture. Do you think I could bake the crab cakes? I don’t think mine will hold together enough to even get into the frying pan!
Yes, you can bake these. They will do fine in the oven at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes. You could also add a little extra egg or mayonnaise to bind them together better.
These look so wonderful – just the kind of crab cakes I love. I wish I could get real crab here, not Krab!
Ha ha, yes the real stuff is so much better isnt’ it
@ChefMimi, Where on earth do you live? Crab is available all over the planet, and you can always have it delivered. That said, I would not use king crab for crab cakes, because it is extraordinarily expensive. For top quality king crab, those with legs around one-pound each, you can expect to pay around $40/lb, or much more if you are a bad shopper:) You lose around 1/3 of that to shell, so the net price for the meat is roughly $60/lb. Most supermarkets will sell much smaller legs for $25/lb, but they are not as good, and your after-shell yield is lower. Crab cakes are traditionally made with blue crab, which will run you $30/lb for jumbo lump, or closer to $20 if you settle for backfin or lump meat (same taste, smaller pieces). King crab is so delicious and succulent straight out of the shell that I could not imagine mixing it with any other fillers.
Thanks for your comment Rocco. We like king crab straight out of the shell too but we also like the flavor of it in recipes that extend it to more servings like crab cakes and chowders.
@Dahn Boquist, I only make crab cakes or deviled crab when we buy snow crab clusters. We usually get 10 pounds or more and usually go to town on the legs with hot butter and lemon. Sometimes a little garlic in there too! We never get around to the legs with the claws, so I take the “body” attached to them and put them in a ziploc in the freezer. Couple days or weeks later, (as long as I can wait;) I thaw them in the refrigerator and then get my counter and a stool set up to crack and pick the meat from them. The sweet from the leg and claw along with the salty from the body meat is the perfect combo for crab cakes. Absolutely Delicious!!!
that sounds delicious!
These look like the best crab cakes ever! And the recipe is perfect — just enough other stuff to add flavor and hold tings together, yet let the crab’s flavor shine through. Really nice — thanks.
Thanks John, that crab flavor definitely shines 😉
I wish I could get some king crab here with reasonable price…don’t even see them in our market. These crab cakes are to die for, Dahn.
Thanks Angie