Crab Cake Sandwiches

Lisa - NorthEast Nosh Recipes

2 years ago

What is a Maryland-Style Crab Cake?

There are lots of versions of crab cakes out there, but Maryland-style crab cakes will always reign supreme.

The beauty of a Maryland-style crab cake lies in its simplicity and emphasis on the most important ingredient: the crab! This style of crab cake has minimal fillers and just enough binders to hold the crab together so that the crab really shines.

They’re always made with jumbo lump crab so that the crab cakes showcase large pieces of crab so that the crab is truly the star of the show.

How to Make Crab Cake Sandwiches

You don’t need anything special to make these crab cakes, though I recommend pan frying them in a quality non-stick pan so that they don’t stick and fall apart.

Tools Needed

Non-stick Frying Pan
Mixing Bowl
Fish Spatula

Ingredients and Substitutions

Crab. Always look for quality crab! I buy jumbo lump crab from the refrigerated section near my local grocery’s seafood counter. Scroll down for all the information about buying the right kind of crab.
Ritz crackers. I find that the best and most flavorful binder for crab cake sandwiches are ritz crackers. All you need to do is crush them up finely in a ziplock bag with a rolling pin or in a food processor.
Mayonnaise. Mayo adds fat and also helps bind the crab cakes together. The best brands are Hellman’s/Best Foods or Duke’s.
Shallot. Finely minced shallot adds the perfect onion flavor without being overwhelming.
Herbs. I love chives and tarragon here, but you could swap in parsley which is much more classic.
Lemon. Lemon zest gives the crab cakes a nice zippy fresh flavor.
Hot sauce. I love the slight spice and tang that vinegar-based hot sauce gives the crab cakes. I use Crystal brand hot sauce.
Old bay seasoning. Is it even a crab cake without old bay?

The Process

Make the remoulade. The remoulade sauce only gets better as it sits, so I recommend making it in advance and letting it chill in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and stir well. Season to taste with salt and pepper and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Make the cracker crumbs. You can crush the crackers in a ziplock bag with a rolling pin or pulse in a food processor until the crumbs are fine. It’s okay if they aren’t all perfectly uniform.
Mix the crab cakes. In a mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, egg, shallot, tarragon, chives, hot sauce, lemon zest, and old bay and mix until smooth. Add the crab, cracker crumbs, salt, and pepper to the bowl and use a rubber spatula to gently fold everything together. Be careful not to bread up the crab too much. Refrigerate the mix for 15 minutes.
Form the patties. Divide the crab mixture into 4 portions and form them into 4 patties about 4″ in diameter. Place them on a parchment lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Fry the crab cakes. Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the oil and butter. Once the butter is melted and foamy, gently add 2-3 of the crab cakes to the pan. Try not to crowd the pan, unless it’s large enough to fit all 4. Fry for 2-4 minutes per side, until golden brown. Use a fish spatula to gently flip the crab cakes. Once they’re browned on both sides, transfer them to a plate and squeeze lemon wedges over the top.
Assemble. Layer the warm crab cakes on toasted brioche buns with the remoulade, butter lettuce, and sliced tomato.

Crush the Ritz crackers into crumbs.

Mix the crab cake mixture together gently.

Form into 4 even sized patties.

Pan fry them in a mixture of oil and butter.

Recipe Tips & Tricks

Use quality crab. This seems obvious, but it’s so important! Because the crab is the star of the recipe, you want to make sure to use really great quality. I opt for the fresh (refrigerated) jumbo lump crab that you can find at the seafood counter. I do not recommend using the canned room temperature crab.

Gently mix the crab cakes. The goal is to keep the large pieces of crab intact, so when you mix the crab with the cracker crumbs and binders, use a rubber spatula to very gently mix everything together.

Chill the mixture. While it might seem like a pain to wait, chilling the crab cakes before pan frying them is essential! It helps everything bind together as the cracker crumbs absorb moisture. It keeps them from falling apart in the pan as you fry them as well.

Fry, don’t bake. There are a lot of recipes that bake or broil crab cakes, but in my opinion there’s nothing better than the crispy golden brown texture you get from pan frying them! It also keeps them from ever feeling dry.

What is Remoulade?

Rémoulade is a cold French sauce. Although it’s similar to tartar sauce, it’s often more yellowish, thanks to the mustard in it, and usually contains chopped pickles. It also contains horseradish and various spices.

It’s creamy and tangy and goes so well with seafood. My version uses mayo, cornichons, shallots, whole grain mustard, horseradish, lemon, spices, and fresh herbs.

It’s a great sauce to serve with shrimp cocktail as an alternative to cocktail sauce!

Best Types of Crab for Crab Cake Sandwiches

When it comes to crab cake sandwiches, there are definitely the right and wrong types of crab to use. But let’s break down the types of crab that are readily available first. You can find these particular varieties refrigerated in the seafood section of your grocery store.

Jumbo lump. Jumbo lump crab meat comes from the crab’s swimmer fin muscles. Crabs only have 2 of these muscles, so you need a lot of crabs to make a serving of jumbo lump crab meat. This is why it’s the most expensive, but the best! It has the best flavor and texture.
Lump Crab. Lump crab meat is a bit smaller than jumbo lump. It’s still very tender and flavorful. It comes from the body of a crab and also works great in crab cakes.
Special. Special-mix crab is pretty versatile but it’s made of only small pieces of crab from all over the body. It’s more affordable, but won’t have the same texture as lump crab meat.
Claw meat. This meat comes from the crab claws and is darker in color with a much stronger flavor. I don’t typically like using claw meat in crab cakes, but it’s great in soups and dips.

Jumbo lump crab is my personal favorite for crab cake sandwiches. It has mild, sweet flavor and great texture. If you happen to live in an area with lots of fresh seafood, you can often get fresh (cooked) Dungeness or blue crab and either would work great.

Whatever variety you choose, make sure it’s hand-picked, meaning that it’s been picked over to remove any shell and cartilage. Always utilize your fish monger’s knowledge! Explain to them what you’re making and they’ll be able to point you in the right direction on what’s best and freshest.

I do not recommend using unrefrigerated canned crab meat–it simply does not have the flavor or texture to make a great crab cake.

What to Serve with Crab Cake Sandwiches

Since these crab cake sandwiches are perfect for a cookout, you’ll need all the yummy sides to serve alongside them!

I love serving up these sandwiches with potato salad, baked beans, or a creamy pesto pasta salad. Corn on the cob is another great option! You can also serve your favorite kettle-cooked potato chips on the side for an unfussy and delicious pairing.

Storage Instructions

If you have leftover crab cakes, let them cool to room temperature and store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. I think they are best reheated in the air fryer–it keeps them crispy without drying them out!

Store the remoulade in a separate airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

More Recipe Suggestions:

Chesapeake Bay Delight Crab Cakes

The Best Crab Bisque

Elegant Crab-Stuffed Phyllo Cups

Sun-Dried Tomato, Spinach, and Ricotta Grilled Cheese

Cheese Rangoon’s with Sweet Ginger Chili Sauce

Prepare to enjoy the best Crab Cake Sandwiches you’ve ever had! Let these sandwiches be your summer anthem–perfect for cookouts and dinner parties! If you do try this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @northeast.nosh on Instagram.