Crab cakes for two are easy to make, incredibly meaty with very little filler, cooked to perfection and served with a scrumptious mustard remoulade.
Whether as an appetizer or for date night, these crab cakes are sure to impress!
Today I'm sharing a recipe I have somehow been sitting on for over a decade.
Crab cakes for two is a recipe that comes from my mom, who grew up in eastern North Carolina eating seafood on the regular. We are not from Maryland, but I guarantee you we are every bit as picky about our crab cakes as they are.
And as such, we are making the really good meaty kind of crab cakes with jumbo lump crab.
These don't have a lot of filler, just enough to hold them together and flavor them perfectly. So you get delectable chunks of crab meat in a flavorful patty that's cooked up to perfection.
And oh, that sauce! The mustard remoulade that goes with this is easy to make but adds some major pizzazz. You will feel like you're at a restaurant!
Also, I appreciate that this recipe is for a small batch. Cause y'all, crab meat is expensive!
Granted, it's because it takes a LOT of crabs to get enough meat. I found that out the hard way one year at the beach when we caught crabs in crab pots and tried to make crab cakes. It was a process and we all maybe got one bite at the end of it. 😂
Luckily, buying crab meat is a lot easier than catching and boiling and prepping crabs. So I can make crab cakes anytime I like!
These are great for a date night or a special occasion or just a fancy appetizer to share before dinner. They only take 15 minutes to make after all!
OK, let's get cooking.
Recipe Notes:
Crab: Be sure to drain the crab meat very well. You don't want excess moisture making the cakes too wet. Also, be sure to pick over the crab meat and remove any shells that may be in there. Finally, yes, using the "jumbo" crab is important here, it's the best size and consistency and quality for crab cakes.
Amounts: Since this makes just two crab cakes, some of the amounts are very small. I'm looking at you, ¼ teaspoon of lemon juice. Feel free to eyeball it and just add a little dash.
Chives: I've skipped this before when I didn't have any on hand. I did sprinkle a little dried parsley into the mixture to give it a hint of green and herb.
Sauce: The mustard remoulade sauce really takes these over the top! Yes, crab cakes are pretty special on their own, but this sauce elevates them even more.
The crab cakes should form together well and pack into shape. They might seem like they will fall apart at times - I always get nervous when flipping them - but they hold together well for me every time.
(Similar to flipping a burger, be sure to do it confidently. And if a little edge breaks away, just use your spatula to nudge it back into the cake patty.)
And of course, if you want to double or triple the recipe to make more crab cakes, that works well too. (You can even use the buttons in the recipe card to auto-adjust the ingredient amounts.)
As for rounding out your meal, here's a few quick ideas.
Best Sides for Crab Cakes:
- Creamy spinach orzo. Recipe coming soon but I love these two together.
- Roasted potatoes, creamy polenta or creamy grits are other good pairings.
- As for a vegetable, asparagus goes great. This lemon butter asparagus would be an especially good pairing. Green beans would be good, too.
- Crab cakes also make a great protein for a salad as well! (It's my favorite lunch order at a little bistro near me.)
I hope you give these a try for an easy, delicious homemade version of crab cakes that will impress!
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
Crab Cakes
Ingredients
For the crab cakes:
- 6 oz. jumbo lump crab meat
- 1 large egg
- 1 slice sandwich bread, crust removed, diced small
- 1 teaspoon finely diced shallots
- ¼ teaspoon finely diced chives
- 1 teaspoon mayonnaise
- ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon lemon juice
- Salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
For the mustard remoulade:
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 1 teaspoon mayonnaise
- ¼ teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Dash of hot sauce
- Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the egg. Then add the bread, shallots, chives, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
- Drain the crab meat very, very well. Pick through the crab meat to make sure there aren't any shells. Add the crab to the bowl and mix everything together well.
- Shape the mixture into two evenly sized small crab cake patties, about 2 to 2 ½ inches in diameter.
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a medium skillet.
- Add the crab cakes and lightly brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Flip carefully and if the crab cake falls apart a little, just use your spatula to shape it back together.
- Transfer the crab cakes to a baking sheet. (Line with parchment paper, if desired, for easy clean up.) Bake at 375 for 5 minutes or until done.
- Meanwhile, make the remoulade. Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl until well mixed.
- Serve the crab cakes hot with the remoulade dolloped on top.
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Notes
Nutrition
Love crab like I do?
Try these crab melts for another delicious, sophisticated appetizer! Or make this quickie crab dip that's just 3 ingredients and perfect for last minute entertaining. Both are recipes from my aunt!
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