Crab Cake Sandwich

Take a Maryland staple to the next level and simultaneously upgrade lunch or dinnertime with this delightful summertime sandwich! Crab Cake Sandwiches are just the right amount of filling, delicious, and surprisingly easy to make.

In all of my fine dining experience, I've indulged in some seriously next-level crab cakes, and because of this, the "crab cake standard" has been set rather high. In this recipe, the crab cake is the star of the show and easily holds a candle to the best of the best.

The fact that it's served on a toasty brioche bun with the perfect assortment of toppings is bonus!

Why This Recipe Works

This crab cake sandwich recipe is faster, easier, and more foolproof than other recipes. The biggest issue we have with the other guys is that they use too many unnecessary ingredients, which ultimately adds to your prep time. No, thanks.

For our recipe, we picked only a handful of the best ingredients. These ingredients are easy to work with, add tons of flavor, and don't require that extra prep time.

Cooking the crab cakes on the stovetop can also be difficult. If you don't get the flip just right, your filling will not stay together, and everything will crumble. And we are not shooting for a deconstructed crab cake here. A foolproof crab cake mix and more instruction are required for a novice cook -- we've got you.

Our chill time, crab cake mix, and flipping hack, which we discuss below, ensure your cakes turn out perfectly cooked!

Ingredients

Like a Maryland-style crab cake, these sandwiches are heavy-loaded with jumbo lump crab meat, spruced up with more flavor thanks to Old Bay Seasoning, fresh pimientos, grated Parmesan, and the citrus burst of a lemon, just to name a few.

Here's What You'll Need:

• Crab meat
• Parmesan
• Breadcrumbs
• Mayonnaise
• Green onions
• Egg
• Pimientos
• Parsley
• Old Bay Seasoning
• Salt
• Pepper
• Lemon juice and zest
• Avocado or canola oil
• Brioche buns

Jumbo Lump is by far the best for crab cakes but can be quite pricey, so if you have a budget, lump crab meat is also a fair choice. Pass on minced-style crab products, such as "backfin," "special," and "claw meat" that are often found in aluminum cans. They do have their time to shine, like in our crab dip, but that's not today.

How to Make Crab Cakes Sandwiches

Prep Crab Cake Filling | Combine all of the crab cake ingredients in a large bowl. Gently fold the mix together, especially if you're using jumbo lump crab for your crab cake sandwiches. You don't want to break up the crab too much! 

Assemble Crab Cake Filling | Divide the crab mix into quarters and form into ½" thick patties.

Chill | Transfer to a plate or flat surface and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour. This allows the cakes time to firm, so they hold up when it comes to flipping time later.

Sear | Once the crab patties are chilled, add the oil to a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Taking care not to overcrowd or jostle the crab cakes once they've hit the pan, add cakes to the skillet and sear in batches as necessary. Cook for three to four minutes on each side. They are safe to eat when the internal temperature reaches 145°F.

• Flipping Hack | Position the backside of fork tongs against the edge of the crab cake to keep it in place. Then, slide your thinnest, widest, and bendiest spatula underneath the cake. Once the whole thing rests on the spatula, flip it!

• Cooling Hack | As you work in batches, place your cooked crab cakes on a cooling rack, not a plate. A rack works better than a plate lined with paper towels because it allows air to flow underneath the crab cakes, keeping them from steaming up and getting soggy. 

Serve | Serve on a buttery, toasted Brioche bun topped with crisp lettuce and juicy tomato slices and a rich slather of mayonnaise or tartar sauce. 

Love the feeling of making fancy seafood dinners at home? Easy crab-stuffed salmon is our pick for that next date night at home. Like this recipe, it also uses jumbo lump crab meat.

Make-Ahead and Storage Info

Make-Ahead | You can absolutely prep your crab cake filling in advance. Simply assemble your crab cake mix and refrigerate covered for up to one day. Then, follow cooking directions when you're ready to serve.

If you want to try another approach to cooking your crab cakes, we also have a recipe for easy air fryer crab cakes.

Store | Allowing the cakes to cool to room temperature, transfer them to an airtight container. Be sure to layer the cakes between parchment paper or a paper towel so they do not stick together. Store in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Freeze | Allow the crab cakes to cool completely before transferring them to an airtight container or zip-top bag. Once cool, transfer them to your storage container and freeze them for up to three months.

More Seafood Recipes to Love

• Cajun Shrimp Pasta
• Crawfish Pie
• Crawfish Etouffee