This recipe for Maryland crab cakes uses no filler, so all you get is the creamy flavor of the crab meat with a hint of Old Bay seasoning. I like to use lump crab meat, but you could just as easily use smaller pieces with some lump mixed in for a less expensive alternative that will actually stick together a little bit better than just the lump crab on its own.
Since my bariatric surgery, I have fallen in love with seafood. There’s no better food for a high protein, low carb, low calorie diet. Crab, scallops, and shrimp have incredibly high amounts of protein and less than half the calories of other types of meat, including chicken. Seafood is amazing.
I really like crab cakes especially, but unfortunately, most crab cakes have a lot of bread in them and that is not bariatric friendly. This particular recipe has no filler at all which makes it perfect for me and for anyone on a low carb or low calorie diet. The mayonnaise does add calories, but you need it to make the crab stick together in a patty. If you totally omit both the mayo and the bread crumbs, you will just have lump crab meat on a plate and it will not form any kind of cakes or patties.
The lack of breadcrumbs does not impair these crab cakes at all. In fact, they are pretty amazing if I do say so. You will love them! Even my 9-year-old eats and loves them. In fact, we are having them for Christmas Eve dinner because we enjoy them so much.
What are Maryland crab cakes?
Traditional Maryland crab cakes are patties made from the best jumbo lump crab meat, mixed with breadcrumbs or cracker crumbs, mayonnaise, mustard, Old Bay seasoning, eggs, and sometimes Worcestershire sauce. They are typically pan-fried, but not breaded or coated in flour. We like ours baked or broiled to give them a crispy shell without a lot of added oil.
Crab cakes get a bad reputation because crab meat is so expensive, but when you compare the cost of making your own at home to buying them out in a restaurant, $15 a pound doesn’t seem nearly so bad. (That’s what we paid today at a locally owned grocery store.) We get 4 really generous crab cakes from a one-pound can, so we bought two cans to prepare for Christmas Eve.
Making these authentic Maryland crab cakes is super easy. Basically, you just mix everything except the crab until it’s well blended, then you fold in the crab gently as to not break up the lumps, form it into patties, and bake. It couldn’t be easier.
You might also like these other seafood recipes:
- Shrimp and Asparagus Stir Fry with Lemon Sauce
- Spicy Sriracha Shrimp with Peanut Zucchini Noodles
- Spicy Cajun Shrimp
- Garlic Buffalo Shrimp
Maryland Crab Cakes – No Filler – Low Carb and Bariatric Friendly
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup light mayonnaise Not salad dressing
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard We use horseradish mustard which gives them a little zip.
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 large egg yolk beaten with whole egg above
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley we use dried, but fresh would also be nice. Double amount if using fresh.
- 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay
- 1 pound jumbo lump crab meat
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
- fresh lemons cut into wedges
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400º.
- Blend mayonnaise, mustard, eggs, Parmesan, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, and Old Bay. Gently fold in crab, being careful not to break up the lumps.
- Divide crab mixture into 4 large or 6 small portions. Shape each into a ball and place on a baking sheet.
- Drizzle crab cakes with melted butter. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until lightly browned.
- Add a squeeze of lemon juice before serving.
Nutrition
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Linda says
This recipe rocks! It was easy and so tasty. This will definitely be my go-to recipe for crab cakes. Thank you.
Tara Ziegmont says
Thanks Linda! I’m so glad you liked them!
Kristen says
Can these be cooked on the grill ?
Tara Ziegmont says
We have never tried to. I think you’d have to be very careful though to make sure they don’t burn since the grill generally gets hotter than the oven. If you could keep the temperature close enough to 400º and wrapped them in foil so they don’t dry out or fall apart, it might be possible. Let me know how it goes if you try.
April says
how long should I chill these before they are ready to go into the oven?
Tara Ziegmont says
I used to chill them for an hour before putting them in the oven. But then we didn’t have time to do that once, and they came out just as well without the chilling time. So I say forget it and just bake them.