I think the best way to pair any fried seafood is with a creamy, rich, savory, and spicy crab cake sauce. This recipe will help you make a quick and easy crab cake sauce at home in less than 5 minutes!
As a crab lover, I always get excited for crab season and the chance to indulge in sweet, succulent crab meat. While crab shines on its own, the right sauce can take it to the next level. But with so many options, how do you choose the best sauce for crab?
In this article, I’ll share my 9 favorite sauce pairings that complement crab’s delicate flavor. We’ll cover classic condiments, spicy blends, and refreshing dressings I’ll also give quick recipes and tips to make these crab sauce companions yourself
By the end, you’ll have plenty of delicious ideas to try on your next crab feast!
1. Garlic Butter
Buttery, garlicky, and full of herbal flavor, garlic butter sauce is a no-brainer pairing for crab The richness complements the sweetness
- Melted garlic butter is heavenly drizzled over steamed crab legs or claws.
- For garlic butter dipping sauce, sauté minced garlic in butter until fragrant.
2. Spicy Remoulade
With its creamy base and Cajun-inspired zing, spicy remoulade adds a flavorful kick to crab.
- Mix mayonnaise with Creole mustard, paprika, cayenne, lemon juice and minced garlic.
- It’s perfect in crab cakes or as a dipping sauce for boiled crab.
3. Classic Tartar Sauce
Tartar sauce is a go-to condiment for crab, with its tangy base of mayo, pickles, capers and herbs.
- For quick tartar sauce, combine mayo, chopped pickles, a little Dijon and lemon juice.
- Tartar sauce pairs well with crab cakes, fried crab claws and cold crab dip.
4. Aioli
Aioli is a garlicky mayonnaise cousin that adds a decadent creaminess to balance crab’s brininess.
- For lemon aioli, whisk together mayo, lemon zest, lemon juice, minced garlic and a drizzle of olive oil.
- Spread on crab sandwiches or use as a dip for crab fritters.
5. Cocktail Sauce
What’s crab without cocktail sauce? This tomatoey, horseradish-spiked condiment is a classic pairing.
- Mix ketchup, prepared horseradish, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce.
- Serve with chilled crab legs, crab cocktail or cakes.
6. Ponzu Sauce
A light soy citrus sauce, ponzu adds a refreshing acidic tang that brightens rich crab.
- Combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, lemon juice and orange juice.
- Delicious with crab sushi rolls or salads.
7. Curry Mustard Sauce
This sauce blends the sweetness of cider vinegar and honey with the kick of Dijon, curry and cayenne.
- Whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, curry powder and cayenne pepper.
- Toss with crab meat or drizzle over crab cakes.
8. Herb Vinaigrette
A simple vinaigrette dressed up with fresh dill, chives and parsley adds a bright flavor burst to crab dishes.
- For the vinaigrette, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon and chopped fresh herbs.
- Toss crab and avocado salads or use as a crab marinade.
9. Avocado Wasabi Mayo
For an ultra-rich pairing, whip up an avocado-wasabi mayo sauce blending the creaminess of avocado with wasabi’s heat.
- Mash ripe avocado with a splash of lemon juice and fold in mayonnaise and wasabi paste.
- Serve with lump crab meat or homemade crab rangoon.
Tips for Picking the Perfect Crab Sauce
When deciding which sauce to serve with crab, keep these tips in mind:
- Richer sauces pair well with simply prepared crab like steamed legs and claws.
- Opt for lighter sauces with intricate crab dishes to let the crab flavor shine.
- Match warmer sauces like remoulade with hot crab dips and cold sauces like aioli with chilled crab.
- Consider shellfish allergies when choosing ingredients like shrimp paste and clam juice.
Ingredients in crab cake sauce
You will need mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and most importantly, creole seasoning and hot sauce to make this crab cake topping. I also included garlic, chives, sugar, paprika, and cayenne to amp up the flavors.
Traditionally, Louisiana-style remoulade uses Creole mustard (or stone-ground mustard), but I didn’t have any available nearby, so I adjusted the recipe using dijon mustard. To make up for the mustard, I added Creole seasoning–I used the brand Tony Chachere’s.
How to make crab cake sauce
There are a lot of things that go into this crab cake sauce, but it’s really easy to make. When you make this sauce at home, you can change it to fit your tastes, and it only takes five minutes. Just get the things you need, put them in a mason jar or mixing bowl, and mix them together.
Taste test your crab cake sauce and adjust from there. If you want more acidity, add more lemon. If you want more fat, add more mayonnaise. If you want more salt, add more mustard or creole seasoning. And of course, you could always add more heat to amp up the spice level.
When you’re prepping this simple sauce, keep in mind what you’re adding it on top of. For example, if the crab cakes are already pretty salty, don’t add too much salt to the remoulade to keep the flavors from clashing.
BEST Creamy Garlic Butter Sauce for Crab/Shrimp BOIL
FAQ
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