These deliciously crisp cakes are loaded with sweet crab. Not overmixing and allowing the mixture to rest before cooking helped the crab cakes hold their shape better, as did cooking them in an air fryer. Serve these hearty morsels with creamy chipotle sauce and you’ll have a decadent dinner in no time.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 25 min |
| Active: | 10 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper (about 1 small bell pepper)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound fresh lump or jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- Nonstick cooking spray, for the air-fryer basket and crab cakes
- Lemon wedges, for serving
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, finely chopped, plus 2 teaspoons adobo sauce
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- For the crab cakes: Whisk together the egg, mayonnaise, bell pepper, chives, parsley, lemon zest and juice, mustard, seafood seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt and several grinds of black pepper in a large bowl. With a rubber spatula or large spoon, very gently fold the crab and panko into the mixture. Try to avoid breaking up lumps of crab as much as possible. Cover the crab mixture with plastic wrap and allow to rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day. This will allow the panko to absorb more liquid and help bind the crab cakes together better.
- For the chipotle sauce: While the crab mixture is resting, stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream, chipotles and adobo sauce, chives, parsley and lemon zest and juice in a small bowl until combined. Season with salt and black pepper and set aside. (The sauce can be refrigerated, covered with plastic wrap, up to 1 day.)
- Just before cooking, divide the crab-cake mixture into 4 portions. Lightly compact each portion to form a patty (about 3 1/2 inches in diameter) with your hands to ensure they hold their shape while cooking and place onto a large plate.
- Preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees F and spray the basket with cooking spray. Place the crab cakes into the basket and spray the tops with cooking spray. Cook until deep golden brown and crisp, flipping halfway through and spraying again with cooking spray, about 16 minutes. Serve warm with chipotle sauce and lemon wedges.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 861 |
| Total Fat | 75 g |
| Saturated Fat | 10 g |
| Carbohydrates | 22 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 3 g |
| Protein | 24 g |
| Cholesterol | 184 mg |
| Sodium | 1436 mg |
Reviews
This is one of our family favorites. I’ve made it many times and it is absolutely restaurant-quality delicious.
I have a question… Can you make the crab cakes and freeze before cooking so you can cook later??
Made the crab cakes and the sauce and both were quite delicious! Added 2 teaspoons Worcester sauce and 1 teaspoon crushed Asian peppers to crab meat mix.
I didn’t make the sauce but the crab cakes were excellent. I subtracted one point because they were a tad overcooked. I will subtract one minute next time.
Very delicious I’m a nubby with a air fryer and honestly I love it. The crab cakes are very good.
Delicious! Made with cod instead of crab and it was excellent. Will definitely make again!
Very good recipe. Easy to make and delicious!
Great!!
The whole family loved this. The sauce is really good, I used equal parts Mayo and sour cream.
Great recipe! I’ve made this several times & it always turns out well.