My 3 Ingredient Crab Cake Sauce is the easiest way to dress your crab cakes! It’s zesty, flavorful, and so simple to make.

Jar of Crab Cake Sauce with Lemon

Even though I’ve been in LA for years, at heart I’m a Maryland girl! My family visits Rehoboth Beach every summer, which gives me the chance to confirm that my Best Baked Crab Cakes really do hold up against the most authentic, fresh ones! Whenever I start getting homesick for the east Coast, I make oven-baked crab cakes with all of my favorite sides: Comfort Corn Bread, the best local pickles, and this 3 Ingredient Crab Cake Sauce. Every once in a while I’ll even make my 10-Minute Cold Crab Dip that people go crazy for!

This sauce keeps the crab cakes as the star of the show while adding satisfying, tangy flavor!

Bowl of Mayonnaise, Fresh Lemon, and Salt for Crab Cake Sauce

Crab Cake Sauce Ingredients

This recipe really is just three ingredients, and you probably have all of them in your kitchen right now!

  • Mayonnaise – The perfect base. You can’t go wrong with mayo!
  • Lemon juice – Fresh is always best! Plan on using 1-2 big, juicy lemons in this sauce.
  • Salt – It just brings everything together. Start slow, then add it to your preference!

Since there are so few ingredients, it’s important to use the highest quality you can find. Salt is always such a game changer in recipes I always make sure I use the best.

3 small bowls filled with kosher salt

The Home Cook’s Guide to Salt

Learn about the basics of salt, plus the best salt for cooking (hint: it’s Kosher salt!) with this easy-to-understand guide to salt for home cooks.

Whisk in Bowl with Lemons and Mayonnaise Making Crab Cake Dip

How to Make Crab Cake Sauce

This sauce is as simple as it gets…measure and stir! I like to add the lemon juice a little bit at a time so I can stop as soon as my sauce reaches the consistency I like, then I finish with salt to taste.

Spoon with Creamy Lemon Mayo Crab Cake Dipping Sauce in a Jar

Crab Cake Sauce Variations

There are many variations on sauce for crab cakes, and you can totally experiment with adding smoky spices, Old Bay, or even Worcestershire. In my opinion, though, the simpler the better. I buy the highest-quality lump crab meat I can find, and I want to let that ingredient shine!

Platter of Crab Cakes with Fresh Lemon, Pickles, and Mayo Sauce
Print
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Jar of Crab Cake Dipping Sauce with Lemon

3 Ingredient Crab Cake Sauce

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 3.7 from 3 reviews
  • Author: Laney Schwartz
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Category: Sauce
  • Cuisine: American

Description

My 3 Ingredient Crab Cake Sauce is the easiest way to dress your crab cakes! It’s zesty, flavorful, and so simple to make.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise
  • Juice from 1–2 lemons

Instructions

  1. Scoop mayonnaise into small bowl. Mix in freshly squeezed lemon juice until you reach the consistency that you like. Add salt to taste.

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