Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: These mini crab cakes are perfectly golden and crisp, and a dollop of garlicky lemon aioli is the perfect finishing touch. Serve crab cakes up as an appetizer, light lunch, or party snack!
How long it takes: 35 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: bowls for mixing, large nonstick skillet
Yield: 12 to 14 servings (1 crab cake each)
No One Is Crabby When They’re Eating Crab Cakes
You put these out at a party and people (who don’t have a shellfish allergy) are happy—and heading back for another pretty quickly.
I keep these simple on purpose. Dijon, Old Bay seasoning, fresh parsley, and lemon give this recipe classic crab cake flavor without overpowering the delicate crab.
Making them mini makes life easier, too. They cook quickly, flip without falling apart, and are way easier to serve than full-size crab cakes.
What makes them special:
- Crispy outside, tender inside: Golden edges, soft center—exactly what you want.
- Easy to cook: Smaller size = less fussing, more consistency.
- Lemon aioli (don’t skip it): Creamy, bright, and the thing that pulls it all together.
Ingredient Notes
You’ll find the full ingredient list in the recipe card but here’s a quick overview.
- Lump crab meat: Lump meat gives you nice texture and visible pieces of crab. You’ll want to pick it over carefully for shells. I don’t recommend using imitation crab meat for this recipe.
- Binders: A combination of panko, egg, and mayo holds the mini crab cakes together and helps lock in moisture.
- Flavor builders: The crab cakes have classic flavor with Dijon mustard, lemon juice, parsley, Old Bay seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Be sure to zest the lemon before you juice it because you’ll use the zest for the aioli.
- Lemon aioli: Serve the crab cakes topped with a dab of this lemon aioli made with mayonnaise, garlic, lemon (you’ll need the juice and zest), and kosher salt. The aioli is so good you’ll want to put it on everything!
How to Make Mini Crab Cakes
Make the lemon aioli. I like to make the aioli first and refrigerate it until I’m ready to serve the crab cakes, because the flavor improves as it sits for a bit. In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, minced garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt.
Combine crab cake ingredients. In another bowl, gently combine the crab meat, panko, egg, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, parsley, Old Bay seasoning, salt, and pepper. You don’t want to overmix the ingredients. Mix just enough so that the ingredients are well-combined and the mixture holds together.
Make the patties. Form the crab mixture into small patties about 1½ inches wide, using roughly 1½ tablespoons per cake. I usually get 12 to 14 patties.
Cook until golden. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook half of the crab cakes in a single layer for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden brown and crisp. I find that it’s best to cook them over medium heat. If the heat is too high, the crab cakes tend to brown too quickly and not get done in the center. Transfer to a plate, and fry the remaining crab cakes, adding more oil to the pan if necessary.
Serve. Serve warm, topped with a dab of lemon aioli and a sprinkle of fresh parsley.
Serving Tips
- Make enough for everyone. Plan on one mini crab cake per serving if you’re serving these as part of a larger spread, or 2 to 3 per person if they’re the main event.
- Serve them up fresh. The mini crab cakes are best served warm, shortly after cooking, when the outside is crisp and the inside is tender.
- Get a head start. If you’re entertaining, you can shape the crab cakes ahead of time and refrigerate the uncooked patties until you’re ready to fry them up.
Serving Ideas
As an appetizer: If you’re serving these mini crab cakes as part of an appetizer spread, pair them with air fryer breaded shrimp or air fryer salmon bites for a seafood theme. Boursin cheese stuffed zucchini and slow cooker spinach artichoke dip would pair well along with fresh crisp veggies and blue cheese dip.
As a main course: I also love these crab cakes as a protein for serving over a simple green salad dressed with lemon basil vinaigrette. They are excellent in meal bowls, too, with your favorite grain, tender greens, cubed avocado, and your choice of fresh vegetables.
In a sandwich: Another option is to make the crab cakes larger, and serve them on a toasted brioche bun with lemon aioli or homemade tartar sauce, lettuce leaves, and thinly sliced tomato.
Refrigerate: Store leftover mini crab cakes in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Reheat: To reheat leftover crab cakes, using a dry skillet is the best method. Warm the mini crab cakes in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat until heated through and crisp again. This method worked especially well in our recipe testing. A faster option is to use your air fryer. Reheat the mini crab cakes at 350°F for a few minutes until warmed and crispy.
More Appetizer Recipes
Mini Crab Cakes with Lemon Aioli
Ingredients
For Lemon Aioli
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 small garlic clove (finely minced)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice (zest the lemon first)
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
For Crab Cakes
- 8 ounces lump crab meat (picked over for shells)
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 large egg (lightly beaten)
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Instructions
- Make lemon aioli. In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt for the aioli. Refrigerate until ready to use.¼ cup mayonnaise, 1 small garlic clove, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- For the crab cakes, in a medium bowl, combine crab meat, breadcrumbs, lightly beaten egg, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, parsley, Old Bay seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir gently to combine.8 ounces lump crab meat, ½ cup panko bread crumbs, 1 large egg, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- Form the mixture into small 1 ½-inch patties, about 1 ½ tablespoons each. You should have about 12 to 14 mini crab cakes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat (see note). Cook crab cakes in batches, half at a time in a single layer. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden brown and crisp. Repeat with remaining oil and crab cakes.
- Serve the crab cakes warm, topped with a half teaspoon of lemon aioli and a sprinkle of finely chopped parsley.
Notes
- Cooking tip: I find that it’s best to cook the crab cakes over medium heat. If the heat is too high, the crab cakes tend to brown too quickly and not get done in the center.
- Make ahead: If you’re entertaining, you can shape the crab cakes ahead of time and refrigerate the uncooked patties until you’re ready to fry them up. The lemon aioli can be made ahead, too.
- Crab cake sandwich: Divide the crab mixture into four portions to make larger crab cakes. Fry as directed (they’ll take a little longer) and serve each crab cake on a toasted brioche bun with lemon aioli or homemade tartar sauce, lettuce leaves, and thinly sliced tomato.
- Storage & reheating: Refrigerate leftover mini crab cakes in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat, use a dry skillet over medium low heat to warm them up, or air fry them at 350°F for a few minutes until warmed and crispy.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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