You do not even know how long I've been waiting to make these...and therefore post them. It's not exactly a penny pinching meal, but even Pennies on a Platter is allowed to splurge once in a while. 🙂
Every Christmas dinner at my in-law's involves Mama G's crab cakes. And, if you haven't figured it out yet, Mama G is my sweet mother-in-law. She has perfected her recipe and shared it with me this last Christmas.
I couldn't wait to make them! But, I knew I needed to wait for a special occasion since the crab meat is so expensive! This was our Valentine's dinner.
It's worth the wait to save up your money. The crab meat I bought from Whole Foods was $30 a pound. You can not must not use imitation crab or some cheap type of crab meat for these. And, if you do, I don't want to hear you whining about how gross they turned out! blek!
One way I was able to cut the cost is I cut the recipe in half and used only one pound instead of two. Mama G's recipe makes around 8-9 huge cakes because she's got the whole family to feed. One per person is filling enough at the size she makes them! There were only the two of us this time so I didn't need that many. I made 6 cakes...but didn't make them as big as Mama G, although they weren't that small either.
This recipe is perfection because the amount of spice is subtle enough to not overpower the meat, yet strong enough to be evident. Best of all, the amount of meat is each cake is outstanding!
I was a little nervous about making these here in Chicago-land. My in-laws live in on the coast in Maryland, so they have access to the freshest crab meat. So, I made sure I bought the meat from Whole Foods (plus, I had a gift card..bonus!). They turned out just the same as we had at Christmas! We were very pleased!
Not only do we love this crab cakes recipe for its taste, but also for the nostalgic flavor that comes along with it. We could have just closed our eyes, taken a bite, and felt like we were sitting at the big round glass table on the coast of Maryland.
Thank you, Mama G!
Mama G's Maryland Crab Cakes
2 lbs lump crab meat (You can use 1 lb jumbo or all jumbo)
½ stack crackers (Like Ritz, or any table crackers. You can get creative here and use stale bread or even seasoned crackers.)
2 eggs
½ C mayo
several drops Tabasco sauce
2 tablespoon Dijon mustard (or stone ground)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
dash pepper
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning (plus more for sprinkling)
Clean meat. Even the cleanest crab needs picking through to remove shells and some "yucky" stuff. Crush the crackers in a food processor. Toss the crab and crackers in a large bowl; set aside.
Combine the rest of the ingredients in a smaller bowl. Pour mixture into crab and mix gently.
With a large spoon, drop and shape mounds onto a cookie sheet or baking pan. (Mama G and I use our baking stones.) Slightly press them. You can make the cakes as big or small as you want...but may need to adjust the time of baking. Sprinkle more Old Bay seasoning on top.
Broil on "low" for 15-20 minutes until golden and bubbly. If you have big crabcakes, you may need a few more minutes, in which case, open the oven door halfway and continue broiling for about 5 more minutes. Just keep your eye on it.
Danni says
Hi! I was planning on making these for a small NYE party. Can I put them together a few hours ahead and refrigerate until ready to use?
Nikki Gladd says
Hi Dannie. Yes, most definitely! Enjoy and happy new year!
Tammy W. says
Told ya I'd look it up! 🙂 (On FB I told you I was making some for Easter.) My crab meat was *just* $15 for a pound (still a splurge!) so I hope it turns out okay! I ove the crackers idea & your tips about picking through the meat. Here's hoping mine turn out! 🙂
Nikki Gladd says
HAHA! I seriously love these crab cakes. Wish crab meat was less expensive so we could enjoy these all the time! 🙂 Happy Easter, Tammy!
Chris says
Hello Nikki,
Those crab cakes look delicious ! Thank you for this recipe.
I live in Belgium and here crab cakes are not as well known as in the US, so was looking for a good US recipe, since you are the experts in crab cakes.
I already have the Old Bay Seasoning and the other ingredients, except the crackers.
I was just wondering, how many Ritz crackers go in a stack, can you tell me please.
Because we don't have Ritz crackers over here, so i'll have to take some other crackers, but i have to know the right amount of crackers for the recipe.
Thank you in advance for your reply.
Nikki says
Hi Chris,
Thank you for your note. There are about 30 crackers in one Ritz sleeve. 🙂 I weighed them, with the wrapper on, to be 104 grams.
Hope this helps!
Chris says
It certainly does, thank you Nikki 😉
sara says
This recipe looks perfect! I have used a Wasabi Honey Mustard dressing on the side for a party, everyone raved. I can't find it in the stores anymore, so will have to try making the sauce from scratch.
Sue Gladd says
Yep, a whole tablespoon of Old Bay works just fine with this recipe!
sara aguinaga says
I have to try this recipe! For parties,I make an appetizer version and have used wasabi honey mustard dressing for the dip. Was a huge hit, but now I have to make my own dressing, as I have never found the bottled again:-(
texas food and travel says
these look so good. thanks for sharing
stephanie crabb says
Mamma G (a.k.a. Aunt Sue) made these for me and my husband while we visited them in Maryland. They were OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD delicious! I can't wait to make these for a very special occasion for my husband and I- great anniversary meal, I'm thinking!
tracyjwm says
Thanks for the reply. The sauce was definately not needed - they were moist as is. I'm just thinking ahead because I actually may make this AGAIN next week when we have company....they were that good! In that case, I thought a nice sauce would look pretty on the plate 🙂
And to your other poster, I also used canned lump crab meat from the grocery store (it was on major sale this week at our local grocery store - the A&P - so I got a huge can of good quality crab meat for $8.99/pound). I also found it canned at Costcos/BJ's (don't know if they have those in Texas?) for $12.99/pound, so I think we'll try that next if A&P doesn't have a sale anytime soon.
For what could be a really expensive meal out, we ended up spending about $2.75 for each REALLY large crabcake. Two crabcakes and an asian salad was more than enough for our hungry appetites.
Thanks again!
gaspar yanga says
Hello Pennie,
Please help! I would love to try your recipe but i have a few key questions.
1. What type of Crab meat do you use, does jumbo=King?
2. Do you know of any on-line retailer that sells lump crab.( live in west TX. and I cant get lump locally, tried every store last weekend)
Thanks for your reply in advance
Pennies on a Platter says
Hi Gaspar - Look for lump, jumbo lump or white crab meat. I thought I was going to have a hard time finding good crab meat, so before I even looked in my local stores, I called the Whole Foods Market in Maryland where Mama G gets her's and asked if they would ship it to me. But, they wouldn't. 🙁 So, I did what I should've done in the first place and checked my local Whole Foods that had canned lump crab meat (in refrigeration), and it tasted just the same! It's expensive, but well worth it.
I haven't ordered crab meat online, but here's a link that looks pretty good:
https://www.ilovecrabs.com/crabmeat/jumbolump
Tracy says
Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I came across it this morning while searching for some new recipes and decided to try it out tonight on my husband.
I also used 1/2 the amout since it was only two of us and I was making grilled asparagus and rice on the side, but it was still plently for 4 huge crabcakes. Definately meal size!
Great flavor.
Did you put anything on top of yours? Was thinking an apricot sauce or remoulade sauce would be perfect. I just used extra Bay Seasoning tonight and my husband used tarter sauce.
Thanks again!
~Tracy
Pennies on a Platter says
Hi Tracy,
We do not use any sauce with the crab cakes. I sprinkle the Old Bay Seasoning on top before baking, but my husband and I love the flavor of the crab and never thought to top it with anything extra. As you suggested, either an apricot or remoulade sauce would probably be a good accompaniment if you think it's needed. 🙂 Glad you tried the recipe and liked it!
Susan Gladd says
Oh Nikki!!! I love this review--congratulations on being a fantastic cook and the best-est wife my son could have ever picked!
Kevin says
Those crab cakes look so good!
Wai says
These look FANTASTIC. I NEVER make comments but it's so hard to find good crab cakes and yours look delicious. They don't look very oily, mushy, or heavy. Wonderful recipe.
Katie says
I LOOOOOOOOVE the idea of the Ritz crackers! SO SMART! And probably lends a great buttery flavor! YUM!