Maryland Style Crab Cakes Recipe with Ritz Crackers

Why You Should Make These!

Here are the top 5 reasons you should make this recipe - the best homemade crab cakes with Ritz crackers!

1. Restaurant-quality jumbo lump crab meat recipe that is perfect for the holidays or any season!
2. Serve this traditional Maryland crab cake as a main dish alongside mashed potatoes, oven baked potatoes, Brussels sprouts, or green beans, or make as a mini-sized appetizer.
3. Can be made ahead and frozen!
4. Simple and easy to make with canned crab.
5. Perfect texture with crispy outsides and tender and juicy insides.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here are the ingredients you need to make this recipe. Reference the recipe card at the bottom for exact measurements and the notes below for substitution ideas.

What Crab Meat Is Best for Crab Cakes?

Canned lump crabmeat (also labeled as jumbo lump crab) is easy to use and can be easily found in the seafood section of the grocery store. You can use fresh crab meat, but it is more work to prepare!

Generally using snow crabs versus blue crabs provides more meat and a sweeter flavor.

What Is the Binding Agent in Crab Cakes?

Keep them from falling apart by using a combination of Ritz crackers, mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, and eggs.

• Mayonnaise: Just a bit of mayo helps to lend a moist texture. Use Dijon mustard, sour cream, Miracle Whip, or Greek yogurt in place of mayonnaise.
• Greek yogurt: A bit of Greek yogurt gives a delicious and slightly tangy flavor. Use sour cream as a substitution.
• Ritz Crackers: Buttery Ritz crackers have a delicious flavor and a bit of salt that holds the crab cakes together with a little filler. Homemade breadcrumbs, saltine crackers, or gluten-free breadcrumbs will work also.

The mixture of eggs, Ritz crackers, Greek yogurt, and mayonnaise provides a binder that helps to keep them together.

Also, placing the uncooked crab cakes in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before frying or baking will help to keep the them together.

What Flavors Go Well With Crab Cakes?

Old Bay seasoning, lemon juice, and a bit of green onion provide a delicious fresh, and balanced flavor for crab cakes.

• Old Bay seasoning: Old Bay is a delicious seafood seasoning that is a little bit spicy with a salty flavor.
• Lemon juice: Lemon provides a little bit of freshness and tang that offsets the salty qualities of these crab cakes.
• Green onions: Green onions are optional, but provide a delicious onion flavor and add to the texture.

Is it better to cook crab cakes in butter or oil?

Butter is the best fat to pan-fry them. You can use coconut oil or avocado oil, however, butter works best with the flavors in the recipe.

Make Ahead, Storage, Freezer, Serving & Reheating

• Make-Ahead: Assemble and form crab cake patties and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap and store for up to 1 day before making them.
• Storage: Store cooked crab cakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
• Freezer: To freeze and pan-fry later, follow the recipe instructions until heating up the butter. Place the cakes on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and place them into the freezer for about 1 hour or until frozen. Store frozen ones in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
• Serving: Serve with mashed potatoes and a veggie side dish like zucchini or broccoli. May also be served as an appetizer mini crab cake with remoulade for dipping.
• Reheating: Reheat leftover crab cakes in the oven at 350F with a bit of butter on top until heated through, for about 10 minutes.

Other Expert Tips

• Allow crab cake patties to sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
• Do not over-mix the crab cake mixture as this will mince the crabmeat and remove large chunks of crab.
• A fish spatula makes flipping much easier.
• Top with fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon.
• Serve with lemon wedges, and cocktail sauce or a simple tartar sauce if desired.
• Sprinkle with a bit of hot sauce, or add in a bit of cayenne pepper for a spicy version.