These air fryer crab cakes are crispy and tender on the outside and juicy on the inside. I love how they cook up in just 8 minutes.
One of my favorite snacks or light meals is Maryland crab cakes, but I only fry them up most of the time. As the master of the air fryer, I had to see how it would do in the air fryer. I have to say, you’ll be amazed at how well they turn out!
Crab cakes are a delicious and popular appetizer or main course that are typically deep fried to achieve a crispy golden exterior. However, frying foods comes with some drawbacks – it can be messy, unhealthy, and requires a good amount of oil. This is where air frying comes in!
Air frying has become an increasingly popular method of cooking in recent years thanks to its ability to produce crispy, fried results using little to no oil. So can you make those craveworthy crab cakes in an air fryer? The answer is yes!
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about making crab cakes in an air fryer including
- The benefits of air frying crab cakes
- Tips for choosing the right crab meat
- How to prepare the crab cake mixture
- Shaping and cooking the crab cakes
- Serving suggestions and condiment pairings
- Troubleshooting tips
So let’s get cracking and learn how to make irresistible air fried crab cakes at home!
Why Air Fry Crab Cakes?
There are several excellent reasons to opt for air frying over deep frying crab cakes:
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Uses minimal oil Air frying only requires a light brush or spray of oil to crisp up foods Deep frying calls for several inches of oil, adding a lot of fat and calories.
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Healthier: With significantly less oil, air fried foods have fewer calories and less fat than their deep fried counterparts.
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Doesn’t sacrifice texture: The hot air circulating in an air fryer crisps up the outside of foods remarkably well. Air fried crab cakes come out crispy and golden brown without being greasy.
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Quick and easy: Air frying is a fast, convenient cooking method as there’s no oil to heat up or clean up afterward. Crab cakes take just 10-15 minutes to cook.
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Minimal mess: No need to deal with the splatters that come from frying – air frying contains the mess.
So by using an air fryer for crab cakes, you can cut down on oil and enjoy a healthier version that’s just as crispy and delicious. It’s really a win-win!
Choosing the Right Crab Meat
Just like any recipe, the ingredients you start with will impact the finished product. Let’s look at the crab meat options and their best uses:
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Jumbo lump crab: This refers to whole chunks of white crab meat from the body and claws. It has the best texture and flavor. Jumbo lump is excellent for crab cakes you want to highlight the crab flavor in. However, it is the most expensive variety.
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Backfin or special grade: Backfin comes from crab backs and has nice sized pieces, though slightly smaller than jumbo lump. It provides good texture at a more affordable cost than jumbo lump. It’s a good choice for most crab cakes.
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Claw: Claw meat comes from crab claws and legs. The pieces are shredded and stringy compared to lump. Claw meat works well mixed into crab cakes as filler along with lump for stretching the pricier lump meat.
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Imitation crab: Imitation crab is made from pollock and other whitefish. While it’s affordable and convenient, it lacks the superior flavor and texture of real crab. It’s not ideal for crab cakes you want to shine, but may be used in a pinch.
No matter what type of crab meat you use, be sure to pick through it carefully to remove any pieces of shell or cartilage. This step helps create the best texture.
Preparing the Crab Cake Mixture
The key to awesome crab cakes with a crisp exterior and moist, flavorful interior is all in how the mixture is prepared:
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Use fresh, high-quality ingredients: Better ingredients = better tasting crab cakes. Splurge on the best crab meat you can.
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Keep the binder light: A binder like egg, mayo, or breadcrumbs is needed to hold the cakes together. But too much will make them dense. Use a delicate hand.
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Season wisely: Crab meat is naturally sweet and delicate. Seasonings like Old Bay, lemon juice, parsley, mustard, and Worcestershire enhance without overpowering.
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Fold gently: Once mixed, fold the components together gently to avoid breaking the crab meat chunks. We want to maintain those luscious lumps!
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Chill thoroughly: Chilling firms up the cakes for easier shaping. Refrigerate the formed cakes for at least 2 hours and up to a day.
Follow a trusted recipe that balances the crab, binder, and seasonings well for the best, restaurant-quality cakes.
Shaping and Cooking the Cakes
With the mixture made, now we form and cook the crab cakes to golden perfection:
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Lightly coat the air fryer basket: A thin brush of oil or spray helps prevent sticking.
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Shape uniform cakes: Use your hands to form uniform oval or round shaped cakes of equal size. This helps them cook evenly.
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Do not overcrowd: Air fry crab cakes in batches to avoid crowding. Crowding prevents air circulation.
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Cook at 350-400°F: This temperature range crisps the surface nicely without overcooking. Cook 10-12 minutes per batch.
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Flip halfway: Gently flip the cakes halfway during cooking. This ensures even browning.
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Check for doneness: The crab cakes should be deeply golden brown with a crispy exterior when done. Insert a toothpick to check – it should come out clean.
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Let rest 1-2 minutes: Allowing them to rest helps finish cooking and firms up the texture.
Serving Your Air Fried Crab Cakes
Your crispy, golden air fried crab cakes are ready to enjoy! Here are some serving suggestions:
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Serve crab cakes warm as an appetizer or entree. They won’t stay crispy long once cooled.
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Offer wedges of fresh lemon. A squeeze of lemon brightens the flavor.
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Pair with creamy tartar sauce, spicy mayo, or lemon aioli for dipping.
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Toast brioche buns and add lettuce, tomato, and onion for crab cake sandwiches.
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Top a salad with an air fried crab cake for a restaurant-worthy meal.
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For a special occasion, serve lump crab cakes alongside steak or lobster.
However you decide to serve them, air fried crab cakes are sure to be a hit!
Troubleshooting Air Fried Crab Cakes
Air frying crab cakes takes a little practice to master. Here are some common issues and fixes:
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Cakes fall apart: The mixture may be too wet. Try chilling them longer or adding a tablespoon or two more of breadcrumbs to absorb excess moisture.
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Not crispy enough: Increase the air fryer temperature to 400°F. Brush the tops with a little melted butter halfway through cooking for extra crisping power.
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Overdone exterior: Lower the air fryer temp to 350°F and check a few minutes early. Patting the cakes dry before air frying also helps.
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Uneven cooking: Shape the cakes evenly and avoid overcrowding the air fryer basket. Flip halfway through cooking.
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Bland flavor: Use high-quality crab and season the mixture assertively. More lemon juice and Worcestershire often helps.
With a few tries, you’ll nail the method for making the best air fried crab cakes ever!
Is Air Frying Crab Cakes Worth It?
If you love tender, sweet crab cakes with a crispy exterior and brown edges, then air frying is 100% worth trying! It produces impressive crab cakes with less oil and mess than frying – what’s not to love?
Once you get the technique down, you’ll be enjoying restaurant-caliber crab cakes at home anytime. Air frying also opens up new possibilities like crab cake sandwiches, salads, and sliders.
So take your crab cake game up a notch. Ditch the deep fryer and break out your air fryer to make some sensational, lighter crab cakes that keep that irresistible crispy texture. Your tastebuds will thank you!
How to make crab cakes in the air fryer
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post to print out the full recipe instructions and amounts of the ingredients.
Step 1- Prep. Mix all the ingredients, except for the bread crumbs, in a large bowl. Fold them through until combined.
Step 2- Shape. Divide the crab mixture into equal portions and shape them into cake patties. Freeze them for 5 minutes to firm up.
Step 3- Air fry. Spread some cooking spray on the crab cakes and put them in the air fryer basket. Cook for 8 minutes, flipping them over halfway through. Serve with lemon and tartar sauce.
Can I bake these?
Yes, you can bake these crab cakes. To do this, heat the oven to 200C/400F and line a baking sheet or parchment paper with it. Then, go to step 5. Bake them for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping them halfway until baked.
- Don’t over-mix the batter. So as not to break up the crab, only fold the ingredients together until they are well mixed.
- Use slightly wet hands to shape the crab cakes so that the mixture doesn’t stick to them.
- Add a little more panko to the mix if the batter is too thin. If it’s too thick, add a little milk or water.
- Sliced green onion, cooked potatoes, and tomatoes are some other things that will make it taste better.
- To make it low-carb, use crushed pork rinds instead of panko.
To store. Leftover crab cakes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To freeze. When the crab cakes are cool, put them in a shallow container. You can freeze them for up to two months.
Yes, you can air fry store-bought crab cakes. Cook them in the air fryer at 200C/400F for 6 minutes, flipping halfway through.
For gluten-free crab cakes, swap out the panko breadcrumbs for either gluten-free breadcrumbs or gluten-free panko crumbs.
Why I love this recipe
- Quick. These are very easy to make because they only take 8 minutes to cook and a few minutes to prepare.
- Truly crispy. When hot air moves around the crab cake, it always has a crust that is crispy and golden brown.
- Healthier. Air-frying crab cakes is better for you than deep-frying them because you only need a little oil (a spray!)
- Less mess. It can get really messy when you pan-fry crab cakes, but not when you use an air fryer!
- Crab meat. Use jumbo lump crab meat, either in brine or canned. You can use fake crab if you can’t find lump crab meat, but you should add some cornstarch or flour to help hold everything together.
- Egg. Room temperature.
- Panko breadcrumbs. The bigger flakes help the filling stay together and make the outside even crispier.
- Cooking spray. To grease.
- Mayonnaise and Dijon mustard. Fill the crab cakes with water and season them with a little something extra.
- Worcestershire sauce. For that fabulous umami flavor.
- Old bay seasoning. What goes into every good crab cake that no one else does
- Kosher salt and black pepper. To season.
- Celery, red bell peppers, and parsley. Finely chopped, for color.
Air Fryer Crab Cakes
FAQ
How long to heat up crab cakes in air fryer?
Can you cook crabs in an air fryer?
Is it better to fry or bake crab cakes?
Can you air fry good catch crab cakes?
How to cook crab cakes in air fryer?
Place the crab cakes in the Air Fryer. Spray the crab cakes with cooking oil. Cook for 10 minutes on 370 degrees. Cool before serving. If you don’t have Old Bay Seasoning you can use a combination of 1 teaspoon celery salt, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon dried nutmeg.
How do you cook lump crab in an air fryer?
Place lump crab, red bell pepper, green onion, bread crumbs, mayonnaise, dijon mustard, and old bay in a bowl and stir until combined. Gently form 4 patties with mixture. Place in Air Fryer basket and lightly spray tops with oil. Air fry on 370 degrees Fahrenheit 10 minutes. Open and Squeeze a bit of lemon over the tops before serving.
How do you cook a crab Burger in an air fryer?
Nice crust on the outside with flakey and flavorful crab meat on the inside. Place lump crab, red bell pepper, green onion, bread crumbs, mayonnaise, dijon mustard, and old bay in a bowl and stir until combined. Gently form 4 patties with mixture. Place in Air Fryer basket and lightly spray tops with oil.
How long do you air Fry crab patty?
Arrange the patties in an even layer in the air fryer basket, making sure to leave room around each patty. Air fry at 370 degrees for 6-8 minutes, depending on the thickness of your patties. We prefer fresh claw meat in this recipe. If you use canned crab meat, drain the meat before cooking.