Baked Crab Cakes Minimal Filler (Printer-Friendly)

Lump crab cakes baked until crisp, featuring fresh herbs, lemon, and minimal binder for pure crab flavor.

# What You’ll Need to Cook:

→ Seafood

01 - 450 grams lump crab meat, hand-picked for shells

→ Binders and Fillers

02 - 1 large egg
03 - 60 milliliters mayonnaise
04 - 60 grams finely crushed saltine crackers

→ Seasonings and Herbs

05 - 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
06 - 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
07 - 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
08 - 0.5 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
09 - 0.5 teaspoon sea salt
10 - 0.25 teaspoon black pepper
11 - 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

→ Finishing and Baking

12 - 60 grams unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing and topping
13 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus extra lemon wedges for serving

# Steps to Prepare:

01 - In a bowl, whisk together the egg, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, chopped parsley, lemon juice, Old Bay seasoning, Cajun seasoning, salt, and black pepper until uniform.
02 - Place the lump crab meat in a large bowl. Pour the prepared egg mixture gently over the crab. Sprinkle with the crushed crackers. Using a spatula, carefully fold the ingredients together to avoid breaking the crab chunks.
03 - Cover the bowl and refrigerate the crab mixture for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours for optimal cohesion.
04 - Preheat oven to 232°C. Generously grease a baking sheet with butter. Using hands, gently shape the chilled mixture into 6 equal mounds (about 100 grams each), taking care not to compress into flat patties. Space mounds several centimeters apart on the baking sheet.
05 - Brush each mound with melted butter, letting it drizzle into the crevices. Bake for 13–15 minutes or until the exterior is golden and crisp.
06 - Remove from oven. Immediately brush the tops with additional warm butter and finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Serve hot with lemon wedges.

# Extra Cooking Tips:

01 - Handle the crab meat minimally to maintain large, tender chunks in each cake.
02 - Do not substitute other mustards; Dijon is essential for authentic flavor.
03 - Saltine crackers provide subtle crunch and cohesion without obscuring the delicate crab taste.
04 - For superior quality, opt for Dungeness or blue lump crab meat, thoroughly checked for shell fragments.

Go Back