Crab Cakes are a funny dish because they are so delicious but you only find yourself eating them at very specific occasions. For me, I find that I typically eat them when I am traveling to the East coast and/ or happen to be at a great seafood restaurant somewhere which this makes no sense- Crab Cakes are easy to make! Using this recipe, I now have the confidence to make them for any occasion. I bet you’ll feel the same way too!
Crab Cakes seem pretty unhealthy so how can I make them healthier?
This recipe removes some of the more unhealthy ingredients like Mayonnaise and replaces them with their healthier counterpart- vegannaise. I also took down the amount of butter to half of what other recipes asked for and added some grapeseed oil to aid in crisping these cakes up in the pan.
How do I know if the crab meat I am buying is fully cooked?
One sure fire way to tell if crab meat is cooked is by it’s color- cooked crab meat is a nice color combo of orange and red, like in the above photo. If the crab meat you bought looks very white on the outside, is a bit translucent or rubbery, and has a slimy texture, you might want to boil it to make sure it is properly cooked.
Top tips for making the perfect Crab Cakes:
- Make sure you don’t skip the step where you put the Crab Cakes mixture in the refrigerator for an hour- this is a very important step because it allows the cakes to hold their shape once they hit the pan.
- Make sure you don’t make these Crab Cakes too low. I made the mistake of that when I cooked them. They should be about an inch tall so that you can achieve a nice crispy outside but not make them too chewy.
Recipe Video:
Gluten Free Crab Cakes
Ingredients
- 8 oz fresh lump crab meat
- 1 tbsp garlic minced
- 1/4 cup parsley chopped
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp veganaise can also you regular mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour (gluten free) any flour of your choice can be substituted
- 1 tbsp butter for cooking
- 1 tbsp grapeseed oil for cooking
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, lightly beat the egg with a fork then add in crab meat, garlic, parsley, egg, veganaise/mayo, mustard, salt, thyme, cayenne pepper and flour. Mix well.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Bring a large skillet to medium heat and add in butter and grapeseed oil.
- Spoon in crab mixture to make cakes approx 2-3 inches in diameter. The mixture will make approx. 5 crab cakes. Cook on each side for approx. 4 minutes, until golden brown and crispy on the outside.