Spicy Crab Cakes
Heat up your next Summer cookout with these spicy crab cakes. Perfect as an appetizer or as your main meal, these spicy crab cakes are so tasty and easy to make. The touch of heat from the sriracha and jalapeno adds a flavorful twist to this classic crab cake recipe. The subtle spice helps wake up the mild yet juicy crab meat. It really is such a tasty and fun combination.
Nothing screams Summer to me like warm crab cakes and a chilled glass of white wine. I suggest an off-dry Riesling or a sauvignon blanc for this recipe. You could also sip on a pinot noir which pairs really well with spicy food.
About This Spicy Crab Cake Recipe
For this spicy crab cake recipe, I used jumbo lump crab meat. I really love the jumbo lump because you get a juicy piece of crab meat in each bite. If you cannot find the jumbo lump crab meat, then regular lump, backfin or claw meat will work.
Just know, that the texture and taste may slightly vary with claw meat or backfin. Claw meat is darker in color and more flavorful than jumbo lump. While backfin is made from smaller pieces than jumbo lump. You can also use fresh crab meat, but I find the canned crab meat a lot easier to work with. Just be sure to drain off any excess liquid and pick out any shells before mixing your crab cakes.
Pro Tip
After you prepare the cake crab mixture it is very important to form the patties and refrigerate them for 20-30 minutes before pan frying them. This allows the crab meat to setup and helps prevent the crab cakes from falling apart when cooking. You can even prepare the crab cake mixture 24 hours in advance as long as you keep it covered and refrigerated.
Cooking Methods
Pan frying is one way you can cook your crab cakes. I prefer pan frying because you get a golden brown crispy outside that tastes so good. When pan frying, you will need to slightly flatten the patties so that the crab cake cooks evenly and the center heats through. I also like to pan fry my crab cakes in butter, but a neutral oil will work great too.
As an alternative to pan frying the crab cakes, you can bake them. Spray a baking tray with non-stick spray and add the patties. Bake the crab cakes for approximately 13-15 minutes at 400 degrees. Be sure to keep an eye on the bottom of the cakes so they do not get too crispy. Option to flip them halfway through. You will want the internal temperature to hit 160 to ensure doneness. Larger crab cakes may need more cooking time.
This spicy crab cake recipe makes 6 large or 8 medium sized crab cakes. A good rule of thumb, is serving 2 crab cakes per person as a main meal and 1 crab cake per person as an appetizer. Larger crab cakes may require more cooking time.
Storage
Store sealed in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. You can also freeze the uncooked or cooked crab cake mixture. However, it is best to freeze them uncooked if possible. Simply thaw them out in the refrigerator and cook accordingly.
Spicy Crab Cakes
Ingredients
- 16 ounces jumbo lump crab meat, drain liquid, pick out any shells
- ¼ – ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon sriracha hot sauce
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Few turns fresh cracked black pepper
- ¼ cup jalapeno, finely diced, remove seeds and veins
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice , fresh squeezed
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons butter, for pan frying
Equipment
- 1 11-inch non-stick skillet
- 1 small skillet for jalapenos
Instructions
Prepare the jalapeno:
- Grab a small non-stick skillet and gently spray it with cooking spray.
- Add the diced jalapeno and simmer until it begins to soften but not brown. Set it aside to cool for 5-6 minutes.
Prepare the crab cake mix:
- In a mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, egg, Worcestershire, sriracha, paprika, garlic powder, salt, onion powder and a few turns of cracked black pepper. Whisk well.
- Next, add the cooled jalapeno and lemon juice. Stir everything together.
- Then, you’ll add the jumbo lump crab meat.
- Gently fold the crab meat and mayonnaise mixture together. Try to keep the jumbo lump crab intact.
- Next, you’ll add the panko breadcrumbs. Gently, fold everything together until well combined.
- Cover and refrigerate the crab cake mixture for 20-30 minutes.
Prepare the crab cakes:
- Once the crab mixture has a chance to setup in the refrigerator, form the patties. I was able to get eight medium crab cakes from my mixture.
- Heat an 11-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat.
- Add the butter to the skillet and cook the patties for 3-5 minutes per side until they’re golden brown and warm throughout. Larger patties may require more cooking time. If they begin to get too brown, reduce the heat.
- Once cooked through, serve the crab cakes warm with your favorite remoulade sauce. The internal temperature should reach 160 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure doneness.
7 Comments on “Spicy Crab Cakes”
Could you make these ahead and then heat in a crockpot for a party appetizer?
You can definitely make them ahead, and the crock pot should work as long as it doesn’t get too hot and burn the bottoms.
What sauce did you put on these?
I used a store-bought remoulade. However, a touch of spicy mayo would work too.
These were delicious! They were so easy to make & I baked them instead of frying them.
Can you please share the baking temp and duration? I’m interested in trying that.
Upgraded this from an app to a whole meal, and my guests were so impressed and said it was better than what they’ve had at restaurants. The crab cakes were seriously so good and flavorful and I can’t wait to make them again!