Crab Cakes for Frugal Crab Cake Lovers

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I absolutely love crab cakes – they’re my favorite thing to order at restaurants! If there’s a crab cake on the menu, chances are it will end up in front of me. They’re just so hard to resist…especially when paired with another delicious component! 

I love being able to recreate my favorite restaurant dishes at home. Many years ago my Nana and I made a recipe for crab cakes that she clipped from a magazine. I have enjoyed making this recipe at home, using imitation crab meat for a frugal twist!

This recipe makes a delicious, basic crab cake that you can serve with different sauces or with various dishes.

Crab Cakes – makes 6 small crab cakes 

• 1 8 oz package of flake style imitation crab meat
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced red onion
• 1/4 cup mayo
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 + 1/8 cup bread crumbs (panko or regular) – plus extra for dredging
• 1/8 cup melted butter

Combine the first 9 ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir in the melted butter. Divide mixture into 6 equal portions (I use a measuring cup to keep them uniform) and pat into 2 inch rounds. Pour about 1/2 cup of bread crumbs on a plate or shallow dish and dredge each crab cake in the crumbs to coat.

In a 10 inch skillet, heat 1/3 cup vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Fry crab cakes 3-4  minutes on each side, until lightly browned. Remove from skillet and drain on a paper towel lined plate. Serve immediately with your favorite sauce, atop a fried green tomato or with eggs benedict!

A Few Tips:

• These are best fried in a cast iron skillet, but you can certainly use a regular nonstick skillet. Trust me though – it’s worth picking up a cast iron skillet just for this recipe! I have a 10 inch skillet that I love!
• Shred the crab meat before adding it to the other ingredients and mix everything together with a fork or a similar tool – I actually use a pastry cutter! It helps the imitation crab meat to take on the texture you get from the real thing. 🙂
• This recipe only makes 6 small crab cakes, which is plenty for two adults. I usually serve these with a salad, baked potato and another vegetable on the side. You can easily double the recipe if needed.
• Frugal tip: Always check Ibotta when you purchase your imitation crab meat. There’s often a rebate for $1 or more off your purchase! I wait until my grocery store has it on BOGO sale, then stack that with the Ibotta offer for some really frugal crab meat! 🙂

I hope you’ll try this delicious recipe!