This Maryland Lump Crab Cakes Sandwich will instantly transport you to the Chesapeake Bay. With lump crab, old bay, and little filler, this will be your go-to simple crab cake recipe.
Craving a taste of the Eastern Shore? I’m telling you, our epic sandwich with Lump Crab Cakes will cure those cravings in a jif!
I am flatout OBSESSED with crab cakes. They are one of my favorite seafood dishes to order out.
But, I have to tell you I’m highly disappointed every time I get served a subpar crab cake. It is really easy to mess them up, but I have perfected the best Maryland crab cakes recipe, IMO.
Not only are they extremely flavorful, but the crab is also the star and shines through in every bite.
And, paired with our homemade sriracha mayo sauce takes them over the top, but of course, serve whatever crab cake sauce you prefer with yours!
With very little filler, and an easy straightforward recipe, you will be making this recipe all summer long. Seriously easy too, you just mix the crab meat mixture, form into patties, place on a sheet tray with a little butter on top and bake them, that’s it!
Assemble your sandwich and you instantly have your new favorite Maryland Lump Crab Cakes Sandwich – a total crowd-pleaser. Get ready for rave reviews!
Our other favorite seafood recipes on our site include: Salmon Burgers, Copycat Captain D’s Crunchy Battered Fish Recipe, and Chipotle Bang Bang Shrimp.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- Makes 4 large sandwiches, but easily double or halve the recipe as needed.
- Simple ingredients with minimal filler make them come together quickly.
- Baking the crab cakes makes this recipe super easy and foolproof.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST FOR THE FULL RECIPE CARD):
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Mayonnaise
- Clove garlic, minced
- Dijon mustard
- Worcestershire sauce
- Dried parsley
- Old bay seasoning
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Onion powder
- Lump crab meat, blue crab meat checked for shells
- Salted butter
- Brioche buns
- Mixed greens
- Tomato slices
- Red onion slices
- Sriracha mayo
HOW TO MAKE LUMP CRAB CAKES:
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together the panko bread crumbs, mayonnaise, garlic, dijon, Worcestershire, dried parsley, old day, salt, pepper, and onion powder.
- Add the fresh lump crabmeat and fold it in, try not to break it up too much.
- Divide the crab mixture into 4 portions on the prepared sheet tray and gently pat it together to form a patty. Press down the top slightly.
- Add ½ tablespoon of the butter to the top of each crab cake.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 13-15 minutes until golden brown along the edges, you do not want to overcook them, or they may dry out.
- Add some sriracha mayo (or other preferred sauce) to the bottom of a brioche bun.
- Top with mixed greens and a tomato slice.
- Add a crab cake on top with more sauce and red onion. Place the top of the bun on top and serve immediately.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS RECIPE:
WHAT TO SERVE THIS WITH?
I love to serve these Maryland-style crab cakes with simple sides. Some of my favorite options are:
- Lemon wedges
- Tartar sauce or cocktail sauce if you don’t want to use spicy mayo or some hot sauce!
- French fries
- Potato Chips
- Mac and cheese
- Sweet Potato Fries
- Pasta Salad
- Mac Salad
- Potato Salad
DO I HAVE TO USE LUMP CRAB MEAT?
If you can’t find lump crab meat, then I suggest purchasing jumbo lump crab meat, or crab claw meat. Fresh crab meat from blue crabs is what you will typically find in high-quality authentic Maryland crab cakes.
I do not suggest purchasing any other style of crab, you really want to use a premium crab for classic Maryland crab cakes.
Backfin crab meat or imitation crab meat just won’t do. We really want that sweet, fresh crab taste to shine through the entire sandwich.
For best results, jumbo lump crabmeat and lump crab meat are your best options. They might be more expensive but so worth it for the best crab cakes.
WHERE CAN I FIND CRAB MEAT?
Your local seafood market and grocery stores will have crab meat in either cans or plastic containers.
I normally find it near the fresh seafood in a refrigerated case.
DO THESE CRAB CAKES HAVE LITTLE FILLER?
Yes! Very little filler lets the delicious crab meat shine.
If you don’t have panko bread crumbs on hand or want to use something else in place of them, I suggest crushing up saltine crackers or using other cracker crumbs in their place.
If using crackers in place of breadcrumbs, taste the crab cake mixture before adding additional salt as the crackers are already salted.
DO I HAVE TO BAKE THEM?
Since there is just enough filler to keep these Maryland style crab cakes together, I think baking is the best option.
Baking allows you to cook them gently with no chance of them falling apart with the large chunks of crab.
Other recipes may call for you to pan fry or even deep fry their crab cakes, generally, those types of crab cakes will have more filler than this recipe so they stick together easier. We don’t even add eggs or egg yolks as a binder.
DOES LUMP CRAB MEAT HAVE SHELLS?
Yes, there will almost always be some shells in the container of crab meat.
So, I will normally place the crab meat in a bowl and gently go through it by hand, trying my best not to break up any of the lumps.
HOW TO STORE:
Store leftover crab cakes in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave until warm.
Freeze for up to 3 months.
Place leftovers in the freezer in a freezer-safe container. To thaw, place the dish in the fridge overnight.
DANA’S TIPS AND TRICKS:
- This makes 4 large sandwiches, but you can easily double it to feed more or halve the recipe.
- If you can’t find lump crab meat, use jumbo lump or claw meat.
- This freezes well, see my tips above on how to store.
- Baking the crab cakes will ensure they do not fall apart during the cooking process.
Step up your game and try making your own crab cakes with our Maryland Lump Crab Cakes Sandwich – perfect all year round!
If you like this recipe, you might also like:
If you’ve tried these LUMP CRAB CAKES, let me know how it turned out in the comments! You can follow me over on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK to find some more of our mouthwatering recipes!
Maryland Lump Crab Cakes Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon old bay seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 12 ounces lump crab meat checked for shells
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 4 brioche buns
- mixed greens
- tomato slices
- red onion slices
- 1 recipe sriracha mayo
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together the panko bread crumbs, mayonnaise, garlic, dijon, Worcestershire, dried parsley, old day, salt, pepper, and onion powder.
- Add the fresh lump crabmeat and fold it in, try not to break it up too much.
- Divide the crab mixture into 4 portions on the prepared sheet tray and gently pat it together to form a patty. Press down the top slightly.
- Add ½ tablespoon of the butter to the top of each crab cake.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 13-15 minutes until golden brown along the edges, you do not want to overcook them, or they may dry out.
- Add some sriracha mayo (or other preferred sauce) to the bottom of a brioche bun.
- Top with mixed greens and a tomato slice.
- Add a crab cake on top with more sauce and red onion. Place the top of the bun on top and serve immediately.
Notes
- This makes 4 large sandwiches, but you can easily double it to feed more or halve the recipe.
- If you can’t find lump crab meat, use jumbo lump or claw meat.
- This freezes well, see my tips above on how to store.
- Baking the crab cakes will ensure they do not fall apart during the cooking process.
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