Maryland Style Crab Cakes
Lump crab cakes with finely crushed saltines, yellow mustard, and Old Bay seasoning. A family favorite for our New Year’s Eve steak and seafood dinner.
Servings 6 crab cakes
Equipment
- 1 broiler pan lightly greased
- 1 mixing bowl
- 1 small bowl for beating egg
- measuring spoons
- fork or whisk
- silicone spatula or large spoon
Ingredients
- 1 pound lump crab meat carefully checked for shells and cartilage
- 8 saltine crackers finely crushed
- 1 large egg beaten
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Carefully sort through the crab meat, removing any shell fragments or cartilage that may have been missed during processing. Handle gently to keep the lumps intact. Set aside.
- Crush the saltine crackers very fine. In a mixing bowl, combine the crushed crackers, beaten egg, mayonnaise, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay seasoning, and salt to taste.
- Gently fold the crab meat into the cracker mixture. Mix only until combined, taking care not to break the crab into fine shreds.
- Shape the mixture into 6 crab cakes. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a broiler pan.
- Place the chilled crab cakes on the prepared broiler pan. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until cooked through.
- For browned tops, finish under the broiler for up to 5 minutes, watching closely to prevent burning.
Notes
Crab meat: Check carefully for shell fragments and cartilage, even if the crab meat has already been picked over. Fold gently to preserve the lumps.
Crackers: Crush the saltines very fine so they help bind the crab cakes without creating a noticeable bready texture.
Chilling: Refrigerate the shaped crab cakes for at least 1 hour to help them hold together.
Baking pan: I use a lightly greased broiler pan to keep the bottoms from getting soggy.
Optional browning: Broiling adds up to 5 minutes to the cooking time. Watch closely, as the tops can brown quickly.
Serving: We enjoy these with our New Year’s Eve steak and seafood dinner. Extras also make delicious crab cake sandwiches on dinner rolls.
