The Best Classic Crab Cakes Recipe (Old Bay Seasoning) - Home & Plate (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients in Old Bay crab cake mix? ›

BREAD CRUMBS (BLEACHED WHEAT FLOUR, DEXTROSE, SALT, AND YEAST), WHOLE EGG SOLIDS, SALT, SPICES (INCLUDING RED PEPPER AND PARSLEY), AND PAPRIKA.

Sauté the onion, bell pepper and 1 clove garlic until the pepper is limp, approximately 3 minutes. Add the cream, mustard, 1 egg, 1/2 teaspoon parsley, cayenne pepper and 1/2 cup bread crumbs, to taste, and mix well. Gently fold in the crabmeat. Form the mixture into 8 patties, about 1/2-inch thick.

This method will give your crab cakes some buttery flavor without potentially becoming overwhelming. Ultimately, it is your decision how you choose to fry your crab cakes, as both oil and butter will work equally well depending on your taste and cooking preferences.

Old Bay seasoning is an aromatic and savory blend of 18 spices that's used to season seafood including crab cakes, shrimp dishes and more. Old Bay can also be used on proteins such as poultry, beef and tofu, as well as vegetable-based dishes like these Maryland Boardwalk Fries or Old Bay Butternut Squash.

The Differences In Maryland Crab Cakes

For starters, they typically use more meat and less other filling compared to regular crab cakes. Of course, every recipe is different, but Maryland's versions really allow the crab meat to shine and only use enough fillers to hold the cakes together.

INGREDIENTS: CRAB MEAT, MAYONNAISE (SOYBEAN OIL, EGG AND EGG YOLK, WATER, SUGAR, VINEGAR, SALT, MUSTARD POWDER, ACETIC ACID, XANTHAN GUM), BREAD CRUMBS (UNBLEACHED WHEAT FLOUR, SALT, YEAST), EGGS, MUSTARD (DISTILLED VINEGAR, WATER, NO.

There's actually a pretty easy fix for this common problem. Simply stick your crab cakes in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. The time they spend there will allow the crab cakes to solidify their shape. It also helps to bring out their flavors more, so there's more benefits to be reaped here!

Maryland Crab Cakes

Restaurant style cakes are more gourmet and are made with large chunks of crab meat so it the crab is the main focus. Boardwalk style cakes are filled with smaller chunks of crab, egg, breadcrumbs, and seasoning- Old Bay, of course.

Use too little filler and the crab cakes will fall apart. Too much, however, leaves them mushy and tasting like filler. Crab is something that should be treated simply. Don't over-season or add too many ingredients.

Are crab cakes better baked or fried? You can either bake or fry these crab cakes. My personal preference is to bake them because it's easier (no risk of them falling apart when you flip them) and they are less prone to drying out (it's easy to overcook the crab cakes when frying them in a pan).

What makes a cake more moist oil or butter? ›

Replacing the water from the butter with oil means there's more fat left in the cakes to ensure tenderness. It also coats the flour uniformly, which keeps the layers from being tough even if the batter is overbeaten.

When you use too much it can make your food salty and/or spicy.

OLD BAY Seasoning features a premium blend of 18 herbs and spices including celery salt, red and black pepper and paprika to add beloved, unmatched taste that enhances any chef-inspired recipe.

Cajun seasoning – this seasoning is a good substitute for Old Bay. It's generally a blend of spicy peppers, paprika, garlic powder, oregano, and black pepper. You can add a little celery salt for a closer version of the real thing.

Mix crabmeat, bread crumbs, parsley, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl. Mix egg, mayonnaise, mustard, and hot sauce together in a small bowl; stir into crab mixture until well combined.

The bottom line

Imitation crab is a highly processed food made by combining minced fish with starch, egg whites, sugar, salt, and additives to mimic the flavor, color, and texture of real crab meat. While it's significantly less expensive than real crab, it's also less nutritious.

Ingredients: Enriched Flour Bleached (wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), Sugar, Corn Syrup, Leavening (baking soda, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate).