How to Cook Delicious Crab Cakes in Your Air Fryer

Making keto crab cakes in your air fryer means less mess and less clean up. This air fryer crab cake recipe is easy to make and absolutely delicious. You wouldn’t know they are grain-free and healthy! Stovetop instructions included.

Air fryers have changed the game in the kitchen and these air fryer crab cakes are proof. They are fast and easy, with less mess, and they don’t splatter oil everywhere as you cook. My husband and I have been making keto crab cakes at home forever. He loves them and often orders them in restaurants, but I have to abstain. Most restaurants stick to the traditional recipe for crab cakes, which calls for bread crumbs or crushed crackers as a binder. We loved them so much that we made our own low-carb recipe. I love cooking them in my air fryer. There are also instructions on how to cook them on the stove, though, in case you don’t have one. If you love air fryer crab cakes, be sure to check out these air fryer steak bites too.

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Why you will love these

Making keto friendly crab cakes is pretty similar to traditional crab cakes. The only real difference is what you use for the binder. You want something that absorbs the moisture but doesn’t make the resulting cakes dry. I have used almond flour and crushed pork rinds before and both work well. But I also really like the cracker crumbs from Real Phat Foods. I also use them in my Keto Meatballs and they add great flavor and texture. These crab cakes hold together so nicely in both the air fryer and when fried in a pan. They develop a deliciously browned, slightly crusty outside, but are so tender and moist in the middle. And they have only 1.3g net carbs per cake. So you can afford to have two of them if you want to make a meal out of it. The leftovers make a tasty breakfast or lunch, too! I like to eat one with a fried egg and some avocado on top. It’s a perfect brunch recipe.

“These are delicious and easy to make. My entire family (including the picky ten year old) love them. Thanks for all your amazing recipes!” — Amy.

This is the best low-carb crab cake I’ve ever made, and I’ve made a lot of them. Carolyn, you are so smart, and I love your recipes! I already have two of your cookbooks and will definitely be buying more. Thank you!” — Carole.

“Perfect adaptation if traditional recipes which use bread crumbs or panko. I don’t have an air fryer so sauté them stove top. But now I use butter instead of oil!” — Pat.

• Lump crab meat: It will taste better if you use good crab meat. Fresh crab meat is pricey, but you can get good crab meat in a can instead. If it doesn’t say “lump crab meat,” it’s probably just finely shred crab, which won’t taste or feel right.
• Real Phat cracker crumbs: I used these and they worked so well. But you can also use potato flour or pork rinds that have been crushed. Don’t use coconut flour, it makes them too dry.
• Egg: An egg helps the cakes hold together properly.
• Mayonnaise: The mayo gives the keto crab cakes moisture and a little tang.
• Dijon mustard: This adds some zing to the flavor!
• Butter: Putting some melted butter on the crab cakes before putting them in the air fryer helps the outside get nice and brown.
• If you don’t have Old Bay seasoning, you can use any other fish seasoning or Cajun seasoning.
• Parsley and green onion are two fresh herbs that add some color.
• And some pepper. Don’t put too much salt on the pork rinds or seasoning; they already have a lot of it.

1. Prepare the mixture: In a large bowl, break up the crab meat with a fork. Stir in the cracker crumbs (or almond flour), parsley, green onion, seasoning, salt, and pepper until well combined. Stir in the egg, mayo, and mustard until the mixture is well moistened.

2. Make the patties: Use your hands to shape the mixture into 4 patties, each one about ¾ inch to 1 inch thick.

3. Refrigerate: Place on a waxed paper lined plate and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. This allows them to firm up a bit before cooking.

4. Air Fry: Spray or brush the air fryer rack with oil (I used avocado oil spray). Brush melted butter over both sides of the crab cakes and place on the rack. Air fry at 350F for 10 minutes, carefully flipping halfway through cooking.

5. For the spicy mayo: Whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl. Serve the crab cakes with lemon and a dollop of spicy mayo.

When you buy crab in a can, make sure you read the label and look at the DRY WEIGHT instead of the total weight. The total weight often includes some liquid and you need to know the true weight of the meat. It will be very wet and soft when you make the patties, so put them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before air-frying. An hour is even better. Be sure to brush or spray the rack with oil to keep things from sticking. Putting butter on both sides of the air fryer crab cakes also helps them get crispy and adds more flavor. To cook these crab cakes on a stove, melt the butter in a pan over medium heat and cook the crab cakes for three to four minutes on each side.

With a few easy substitutions, you can enjoy crab cakes while following a keto diet. Instead of using breadcrumbs, swap out with almond flour or crushed pork rinds. And use real crab meat! Don’t use imitation crab, as it contains a surprising amount of carbs.

Store cooked crab cakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also freeze them. Once they’re completely cool, place them in freezer bags and freeze them for up to three months.

This keto crab cake recipe has 2. 4g of carbs and 1. 1g of fiber per serving. That comes to 1. 3g net carbs per crab cake.

Air Fryer Crab Cakes