Best Authentic Maryland Crab Cake Recipe

close up view of Maryland crab cakes with aioli sauce in a small saucer

Best Authentic Maryland Crab Cake Recipe

This Maryland crab cake recipe is THE recipe for crab cake purists; baked with simple ingredients like fresh lump crab meat, Old Bay seasoning, and very little filler. Whether you are a proud Baltimore native like me or a visitor who appreciates the taste of coastal cuisine, this is hands-down the best Maryland crab cake recipe! (This recipe is gluten-free.)

4.88 from 32 votes

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Course: Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 14

Total Time: 24

Servings:

Calories: 205kcal

Author: Capri Lilly

Ingredients

Maryland crab cake

1 pound crab meat fresh – jumbo lump or lump I use a mix of both
1 large egg
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, plus more for serving
2.5 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
3 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs (I use gluten-free breadcrumbs)
Salt to taste (keep in mind that old bay is salty so not much additional salt is needed)

Old Bay Lemon Aioli

½ cup mayonnaise
1 lemon zested
2 tablespoons Fresh squeezed lemon juice plus more as desired
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1 tbsp fresh chives chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
½ teaspoon old bay seasoning
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

TO MAKE THE CRAB CAKES

Whisk together the egg, mayonnaise, dijon mustard, worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, parsley, and old bay seasoning.
Add in the crab meat and gently mix with a rubber spatula until all the crab meat is coated. Then, gently fold in the breadcrumbs, making sure not to break up the crab meat while mixing. If it isn't sticking together, add more breadcrumbs slowly until it binds (about 1-2 tablespoons more).
Form the crab mixture into 4-5 jumbo, even-sized balls (or 8-10 small/medium crab cakes). Then, cover the crab cakes and refrigerate for 1 hour (up to 1 day). This helps set the crab cakes and marry the flavors.
When ready to cook the crab cakes, preheat the oven to 425°F.
Place on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes. Then, remove the crab cakes and preheat the broiler to high, broil for 1-2 minutes until golden.
Serve warm with the old bay lemon aioli and lemon wedges. Enjoy!

TO MAKE THE OLD BAY LEMON AIOLI

Whisk the ingredients together. Cover and place in the fridge for 30 minutes for the flavors to blend. Serve with the crab cakes.

Notes

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