🦀 Restaurant-Quality Lump Crab Cakes
Wellness Note
These crab cakes use simple, whole-food ingredients that let the crab truly shine and create a tender, flavorful texture. I use fresh herbs, lemon, and a high-quality mayo to keep everything light and bright. Any breadcrumb option works; I like homemade because it’s simple and doesn’t include unnecessary ingredients.
Recipe Snapshot
Melt-in-your-mouth tender, these restaurant-quality lump crab cakes are mostly crab with minimal filler. Each batch uses a full pound of lump crab, giving you 6–8 cakes with around 12–16g of lean protein each — perfect as a meal or a shareable appetizer.
Prep Work
- Check crab for shells
- Finely chop 2 green onions
- Mince 1 garlic clove
- Juice ½ lemon
- Chop 1 tbsp parsley
Ingredients
- 1 lb lump crab meat
- 1 large egg, beaten
- ¼ cup homemade bread crumbs (or alternative)
- 2 tbsp avocado oil–based mayonnaise (Chosen Foods is my go-to)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 tbsp parsley, chopped
- ½ tsp Old Bay or seafood seasoning
- Salt + pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp ghee or avocado oil, for frying
Instructions
- In a large bowl, gently mix crab meat with egg, bread crumbs, mayo, mustard, onions, garlic, lemon juice, parsley, and seasoning until just combined.
- Shape into 6–8 patties, pressing lightly so they hold together.
- Heat ghee or avocado oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook patties 3–4 minutes per side, until golden brown.
- Serve hot with lemon wedges or a clean dipping sauce.
⭐ Science Bite
Crab delivers high-quality protein, vitamin B12, and essential minerals such as zinc and selenium, which support immune function, thyroid health, and energy production. Its natural omega-3s also play a role in inflammation balance and overall metabolic support.
Evidence
Research from the Journal of Food Composition & Analysis (2002), Journal of Nutrition (2000), Nutrients (2014), and Advanced Nutrition & Human Metabolism (2017) documents the nutrient density of crab—specifically its vitamin B12, protein, zinc, selenium, and omega-3 content—and the roles these nutrients play in thyroid health, immune function, energy production, and metabolic support.
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