The BEST Baked Crab Cakes

The recipe for the best baked crab cakes is packed with fresh crab and pairs perfectly with a homemade lemon mayo sauce! Use fresh lump crab and skip the time over a frying basket.

As someone who grew up in Maryland, I take crab cakes very seriously! Trust me when I say that these are truly the best baked crab cakes you will ever make. They require just a few simple ingredients and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes at 375 degrees until they’re perfectly tender and golden brown. Serve these crab cakes alongside homemade lemon mayo sauce and an arugula salad for a light, flavorful, and delicious meal.

If you’re looking for fresh seafood recipes, you’ve come to the right place. And if you love fresh crab like I do you gotta try my 10-Minute Crab Dip! I’m a crab snob and these homemade crab cakes my friends, these are the real deal. These are in fact, The Best Baked Crab Cakes ever!

I grew up about 1 hour from Annapolis, Maryland, where I spent the summers going on my Papa’s boat for the day.  We would head out in the early morning and always stop for crabs for lunch.

We would sit for hours stuffing our faces with fresh crabs, (literally pulled directly out from the bay in front of us) and all the best sides including corn bread, thick cut sliced tomatoes, the crunchiest pickles, and so much more.  Then we would walk to get ice cream.  Obviously.

I’ve been doing this with my family for as long as I can remember.  Point being, I know good crab.

How long does it take to bake crab cakes?

No need to stand over a hot stove, splattering oil everywhere. These baked crab cakes only take 10-15 minutes to prep and bake in 30 minutes or less.

You will never catch me eating artificial crab meat, ICK,  and I rarely ever order crab cakes from a restaurant if I’m not in Maryland.

I hate when crab cakes are full of other stuff.  It’s called a crab cake for a reason.  It should be mainly crab!  I also hate when they are all mayonnaise-y, or when they are like one big fried patty of who knows what?  I want to be able to see the crab chunks.  Yes, chunks.  Not bits, not puree, but big hunk-a hunk-a chunks.

Basically, there should only be enough “other stuff” to hold the crab meat together and simply enhance the flavor.  Because good crab doesn’t need much (if any) doctoring up.

Ingredients for BEST Baked Crab Cakes

• Shallot
• Garlic
• Fresh lump crab meat
• Mayonnaise
• Salt
• Egg white
• Corn flake crumbs
• Lemon

Yep, that’s it! I’m telling you, it’s that simple.

Sooo, remember that lady I told you about? Cheri Chicago? My mom’s bestie and one of my favorite people to steal recipes from?  Well this is a slightly adapted version of her crab cakes. So you know they must be good.

To a lot people crab cakes feel like a summer dish.  To me, crab cakes are an anytime dish.  In the summer they are light and refreshing, but in the fall and winter they can be equally warm and comforting.  They are perfect for a casual at home dinner, and even better served as mini appetizers at the fanciest black tie event.  Love em!

What goes with Crab Cakes?

I like the cakes to be star of the show, so serving them with some potatoes and a simple veggie or salad is perfection. Below are a few of my faves.

• Crispy Smashed Potatoes
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts
• Simple Caesar Salad

What kind of sauce to serve with crab cakes?

These crab cakes are topped with a dollop of my 3-ingredient crab cake sauce which makes me a very happy girl.  It’s so easy, so good, and in my opinion totally necessary.

If you feel like impressing your husband, your wife, or your friends, then please try this recipe.

HOT TIP: Spend the extra buck to get really good quality lump crab meat. It makes all the difference!

It’s a once in a while, special occasion recipe that people won’t forget. Maryland Crab Cakes, coming right up!

Watch how easy they are to make

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