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!
Crab cakes are an iconic appetizer, entree, or snack. Their crispy exterior encasing a tender, savory interior makes them universally loved. While crab cakes are delicious on their own, the right sauce takes them to the next level. Sauces add moisture, flavor complexity, and visual appeal to this seafood dish.
With endless sauce possibilities, choosing the right one can be overwhelming This article will explore the most popular and proven sauces for crab cakes to spark your inspiration Whether you enjoy sweet, spicy, fresh, or creamy flavors, you’ll find a sauce to match.
Creamy, Cool, and Tangy: Remoulade and Tartar Sauce
Remoulade and tartar sauce are classic pairings with crab cakes. These creamy, emulsified condiments both contain mayonnaise as the base along with an assortment of ingredients to add flavor.
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Remoulade often contains mustard, capers, anchovies, herbs like tarragon or parsley, hot sauce, lemon juice, and other finely chopped vegetables. The result is a flavorful, tangy sauce that pairs beautifully with seafood. Try smoky paprika or even bacon flavored remoulade for a twist.
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Tartar sauce typically has pickles or capers, onions herbs and sometimes hard boiled eggs. This sauce provides a cool, tangy contrast to hot crab cakes. Kick it up with spicy tartar sauce made with hot sauce or horseradish.
These sauces nicely complement, rather than overpower, the sweet crab flavor. Their creamy textures help moisten the crab cakes as well. Drizzle remoulade or tartar sauce over top or serve it alongside for dipping.
Fresh and Light: Salsas and Chutneys
For a fresh, light sauce pairing, opt for salsas and chutneys using vibrant ingredients like mango, pineapple, peaches, tomatoes, peppers, and citrus. These chunky sauces with bright flavors won’t weigh down the crab cakes
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Mango salsa is a sweet and spicy choice, often containing chiles. Try versions with lime, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeno for a balanced flavor profile.
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Pineapple salsa also incorporates tropical fruit with spicy peppers and savory cilantro. The sweetness pairs perfectly with crab cakes.
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Peach salsa utilizes summer’s ripe, juicy fruit. Mix in onion, lime, tomato, and peppers for a well-rounded sauce.
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Fruit chutneys made with mangoes, bananas, apricots, cranberries, and more are an intriguing choice with their medley of sweet, spicy, and acidic flavors.
Spoon these fresh salsas and chutneys over seared crab cakes or opt for dipping. The combo of hot and cold temperatures makes a pleasing contrast.
Spicy and Bold: Mayonnaise-Based Sauces
Amp up the flavor with spicy, bold mayonnaise-based sauces. The creamy base helps the crab cakes stay moist. Kick it up with various mixes of hot sauces, peppers, spices, and herbs.
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Chipotle mayonnaise has smoky, spicy flavor from the popular pickled jalapeño pepper. Add cilantro and lime for a Mexican twist.
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Spicy aioli contains Sriracha or other hot sauces in the garlic-mayo base. Try roasted red pepper or harissa aioli for exotic flavors.
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Spicy remoulade offers the best of both worlds: remoulade’s signature tanginess blended with heat. Mix in hot sauce, chili powder, or cayenne pepper.
These sauces pack some heat to satisfy spice-lovers. Their strong flavors are great for those who find crab cakes to be too delicate or mild on their own.
Rich and Creamy: Butter or Sauce Béarnaise
For ultimate richness, look to buttery or egg-based sauces. Warm butter sauce provides velvety texture and allows the sweet crab flavor to shine. Sauce béarnaise takes things up a notch with its luxurious, creamy egg and butter base accented with tarragon and shallots.
To make a simple lemon brown butter sauce, slowly melt butter over low heat. Continue heating and swirling until the milk solids turn brown and nutty. Remove from heat and squeeze in fresh lemon juice. Drizzle this decadent sauce over the crab cakes to moisten and amplify flavor.
Sauce béarnaise requires some skill to create its emulsified base. Heat vinegar, shallots, tarragon and crushed peppercorns. Separately, whisk egg yolks with melted butter to form the emulsion. Gradually whisk the vinegar mixture into the egg-butter base. The result is a rich, creamy, tarragon-infused sauce that complements the crab cakes beautifully.
Simple and Classic: Lemon Juice and Aioli
Don’t overlook simple sauce options that allow the crab to take center stage. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice provides brightness while Aioli offers richness.
The natural sweetness of crab meat pairs perfectly with the bright acidity of lemon juice. A simple squeeze or slice of lemon is all you need. For extra flavor, make lemon-herb butter by mixing in chopped parsley, chives, tarragon, or dill.
Aioli is essentially flavored mayonnaise made with extra garlic and olive oil. This simple Spanish sauce adds a hit of richness without much flavor intrusion. Jazz it up by using saffron, roasted garlic, or citrus flavored aioli.
Sauce Tips for Crab Cake Success
With so many sauce possibilities for crab cakes, consider these tips for success:
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Match lighter sauces with delicate crab cakes and richer sauces with crunchy, pan-fried versions.
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Drizzle sauces over the tops or serve them alongside for dipping—this prevents the crab cakes from getting soggy.
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Opt for sauces with simple, clean flavors if using high-quality lump crab meat. This allows the crab flavor to take center stage.
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Spicy, bold sauces pair well with crab cakes containing filler ingredients like breadcrumbs that dilute the crab flavor.
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Make sauces ahead of time or select store-bought options. This prevents last minute stress when cooking the crab cakes.
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Chill sauces like aioli and remoulade before serving for optimal flavor and texture.
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Garnish with fresh herbs, edible flowers, diced vegetables, or citrus wedges to make sauced crab cakes even more appealing.
Something for Everyone
This wide range of sauce suggestions offers options for every crab cake enthusiast. Scan for inspiration for your next crab cake meal. Whether you prefer cutting brightness, decadent richness, fresh flavors, or fiery spice, a perfect sauce match awaits. Elevate your crab cakes beyond the ordinary with the ideal accompaniment.
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.
Remoulade Sauce – Crab Cake Sauce – Salad Dressing – Low Carb Keto Recipe | Saucy Sunday
What is a good dipping sauce for crab cakes?
A tangy and spicy cocktail sauce made with ketchup, horseradish, and seasoning that provides a perfect dipping sauce for crispy crab cakes. A creamy and flavorful sauce made with ripe avocados, lime juice, and seasoning that adds a refreshing twist to the dish.
What sauce goes with crab cakes?
All you need is one really great recipe and a delicious dipping sauce beyond the basic store-bought tartar. From sweet mango puree to smoky chipotle mayo, here are five terrific sauces for crab cakes. Chef Marc Forgione pairs these crab-studded cakes with a smoky onion remoulade at American Cut in Manhattan.
What is crab cake sauce?
A sweet and spicy sauce made with sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, and seasoning that adds a bold and flavorful twist to the dish. Whether you prefer a classic tartar sauce or a spicy horseradish sauce, these 12 crab cake sauces are guaranteed to take your crab cakes to the next level.
Should you add a sauce to crab cakes?
Balances the dish: Sometimes, crab cakes can be a bit dry, and adding a sauce can balance the dish and provide moisture. Complements the dish: A sauce can enhance the flavors of the crab cakes and complement the ingredients used in the dish.