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    Home » Recipes » Appetizer Recipes

    Red Lobster Crab Cakes

    Published: Jan 10, 2022 · Modified: Sep 11, 2024 by Karin and Ken · This post may contain affiliate links. Leave a Comment

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    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This copycat Red Lobster crab cakes recipe is even better than the original. Lump crabmeat and shrimp are combined in a delicious, breaded crab cake that is perfectly golden on the outside and tender and delicious on the inside.

    Three Red Lobster Crab Cakes stacked on a plate with sauce and slice of lemon.

    I'm a long time fan of Red Lobster, and I love their crab cakes. I set about making my own to match their delicious flavor. I finally perfected it and then made them taste even better!

    Red Lobster Crab Cakes Recipe

    This was inspired by another copycat recipe on this site, and pairs well with this amazing side dish recipe. I knew if I could recreate one restaurant dish, I could recreate another, and I did!

    Ingredients

    There are several ingredients in this recipe, but they're all very simple. You'll easily find them at your local grocery store. You probably have most of them in your kitchen right now, in fact.

    • lump crabmeat
    • milk
    • panko bread crumbs
    • salt
    • pepper
    • celery
    • onion
    • garlic
    • unsalted butter
    • shrimp
    • heavy cream
    • Dijon mustard
    • hot pepper sauce
    • lemon juice
    • Old Bay seasoning
    • vegetable oil

    See the recipe card at the end of the post for quantities.

    Instructions

    There are several steps to this recipe, but don't let that scare you away. When you break them down, it's all very simple. Every step is very straightforward and easily done.

    Step 1: Prep the Crab Meat

    If using packaged crab, place the crab meat and milk in a bowl, being sure that the crab is totally submerged. Cover the crab and milk and refrigerate it for at least 20 minutes.

    If you're using fresh crab or if the package crab smells clean and fresh, you can skip this step.

    Step 2: Toast the Panko

    Place ¾ of a cup of panko in a small resealable food bag and finely crush it with a rolling pin. Place the crushed panko in a nonstick skillet and add the remaining panko bread crumbs. Toast over medium-high heat while constantly stirring until golden brown.

    Transfer the toasted panko to a shallow dish and stir in alt and pepper to taste, then wipe out the skillet.

    Step 3: Prep and Cook the Vegetables

    Pulse the celery, onion, and garlic in a food processor until they're finely chopped. Then, transfer them to a large bowl.

    Melt butter in the skillet you used to toast the panko over medium heat. Then, add the chopped vegetables, salt, and pepper. Cook until the vegetables are softened and all the moisture has evaporated. Then, return the vegetables to a large bowl and let them cool to room temperature.

    Step 4: Create the Crab Cake Base

    Pulse the shrimp in a food processor until finely ground. Then, add cream and pulse a few times to combine. Transfer this shrimp puree to the bowl with the cooled vegetables and add mustard, hot pepper sauce, lemon juice, and Old Bay seasoning, stirring until well combined.

    Step 5: Add the Crab Meat

    If you soaked your crab in milk, strain it through a fine-mesh strainer. Press firmly to remove the milk, being careful not to break up the crab meat as you do so. Then, add it to the shrimp and vegetable mixture, folding gently so as not to break up the crab meat.

    Step 6: Divide and Refrigerate

    Divide the crab cake mixture into eight balls and firmly press each one into a half-inch thick patty. Place the cakes on a rimmed parchment-lined baking sheet, and then cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the cakes for about 30 minutes.

    Step 7: Coat and Fry in Skillet or Air Fryer

    If using a skillet, coat each crab cake in panko. heat oil in a skillet over medium heat until the oil is shimmering. Then, place the cakes in the skillet, being careful not to overcrowd it. Cook the crab cakes without moving them until golden brown.

    Next, use two spatulas to gently flip the crab cakes. Add a bit more oil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and continue to cook the crab cakes until the second side is golden brown.

    If using an air fryer, spray the basket of the air fryer with cooking spray before adding the crab cakes Cook, flip and cook again. Serve immediately.

    Hint: When coating your crab cakes in panko, press firmly to ensure the breading sticks. Be careful not to press too hard so you don't break up your crab cakes.

    Close up photo of a forkful of Red Lobster Crab Cake.

    Substitutions

    Don't have the correct ingredients on hand or want to change something up? Here are some helpful tips for you to change this copycat Red Lobster crab cakes recipe.

    • Immitation Crab - While it won't be quite as good, you can use immitation crab if you don't have real crab.
    • Mild - If you don't like heat, simply leave out the hot sauce.

    Variations

    Want to personalize this Red Lobster crab cakes recipe? Here are some of my tried and true tips for changing up this recipe.

    • Chives - Chives make a great addition to these crab cakes, adding a bit more of that fresh, mild onion flavor.
    • Extra Spicy - If you love heat, add diced jalapeno to the vegetable mix.

    If you love recipes like this, you may also enjoy this spicy shrimp dip.

    Equipment

    It really doesn't take much to make these crab cakes. You'll only need a few basic kitchen tools unless you want to air fry them.

    • Measuring cups and spoons
    • Bowls
    • Skillet
    • Food processor
    • Baking sheet
    • Parchment paper

    Storage

    These crab cakes will keep for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator in a tightly-sealed container. For longer storage, freeze them for up to 3 months.

    Tips

    This is a straightforward recipe, but it has several moving parts. Here are some tips that will take your crab cakes from good to great.

    • When finely chopping your vegetables, check for the right size after a couple of pulses and then continue on until you reach the desired size.
    • When pulsing the shrimp, be sure to puree it, not turn it into a full-on liquid. Check the shrimp after about 10 pulses and stop pulsing when the shrimp mixture resembles wet sand.
    • If air frying, make sure to leave room around each crab cake for air flow and to create the most ideal "frying" conditions
    Three Red Lobster Crab Cakes stacked on a plate with sauce and slice of lemon.

    More Seafood Recipes

    Do you like seafood? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.

    • Shrimp Potato Corn Chowder
    • Smoked Lobster Tails
    • Seafood Pot Pie

    If you're trying to decide what to serve with crab cakes you have definitely come to the right place. We have the most amazing list for you to check out.

    FAQ

    Do you have questions about this Red Lobster crab cakes recipe? Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about crab cakes.

    What kind of crab are crab cakes made from?

    Crab cakes are made from lump crab meat.

    Is canned crab meat lump crab?

    Partly. Canned crab meat is a combination of lump crab and body meat. It works very well for crab cakes.

    How long are crab cakes good?

    They'll last for 3 - 5 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer.

    How do you freeze crab cakes?

    Place the crab cakes on a baking sheet in the freezer for about 2 hours or until just firm. Then, wrap them in a layer of cling wrap and store them in an air-tight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag.

    How do you defrost crab cakes?

    Simply leave them in the refrigerator overnight.

    How do you reheat crab cakes?

    Place the crab cakes on a foil-lined baking sheet and heat them for 10 - 15 minutes in a 325-degree oven.

    Red Lobster Crab Cakes

    Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.

    Crispy red lobster crab cakes stacked together with white sauce on the top one. Garnished with a lemon slice on the side.

    Red Lobster Crab Cakes

    Karin and Ken
    This copycat Red Lobster crab cakes recipe is better than the original. It's loaded with rich seafood flavor and a golden, crispy coating.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 40 minutes mins
    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    Soak Time, Chill Time, divided 1 hour hr
    Total Time 1 hour hr 50 minutes mins
    Course Appetizer
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8
    Calories 276 kcal

    Equipment

    • skillet or air fryer
    • Measuring cups and spoons
    • cutting board

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 pound lump crabmeat picked over for shells
    • 1 cup milk
    • 1 ½ cups panko bread crumbs
    • salt
    • pepper
    • 2 ribs celery chopped
    • ½ cup onion chopped
    • 1 clove garlic peeled and crushed
    • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
    • 4 ounces shrimp peeled deveined and tails removed
    • ¼ cup heavy cream
    • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
    • ½ teaspoon hot pepper sauce
    • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
    • ½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
    • ½ cup vegetable oil
    Get Recipe Ingredients

    Instructions
     

    • Get out and measure your ingredients.
      Overhead photo of all the ingredients.
    • Fresh crabmeat will guarantee the best result, however, when using packaged crab if the meat is odorless when the package is first opened you only need to dry crab with paper towel to remove any excess liquid. You do not need to soak crab in milk so skip that step.
    • Place your crabmeat in a bowl with milk, making sure crab is totally submerged. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to remove odors.
    • Meanwhile, place ¾ cup panko in a resealable bag and finely crush with a kitchen hammer or rolling pin. Transfer crushed panko into a skillet, over medium high heat, and toast crumbs, stirring continuously, until golden brown, between 4 and 5 miutes. Transfer toasted panko to shallow plate and stir in a pinch of salt and pepper. Wipe out your skillet, add butter and set your heat to medium.
      Panko crushed in a resealable bag using a rolling pin.
    • Pulse celery, onion, and garlic together in your food processor until diced, maybe 7 pulses, scraping down sides as needed. Transfer to skillet when butter is melted with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
      Celery, onion, and garlic diced in a food processor and placed in a bowl.
    • Stir skillet frequently until vegetables are tender and liquid evaporated, around 5 minutes. Place vegetables in large bowl to come to room temperature and cool off.
    • Strain crabmeat through a fine strainer to remove as much liquid as possible.
      Liquid strained from crab meat using a strainer.
    • Press firmly to remove liquid but not so hard you destroy the lumps of crabmeat.
      Liquid carefully removed from crab meat using a strainer.
    • Next, pulse shrimp in your food processor until finely minced, 15 pulses, scraping down sides as required. Add cream and pulse three more times. Dump mixture into bowl with cooling vegetables.
      Shrimp finely minced in a blender.
    • Add mustard, hot pepper sauce, lemon juice, and Old Bay seasoning to the bowl.
      Mustard, hot pepper sauce, lemon juice, and Old Bay seasoning added to the bowl.
    • Stir until well combined.
      Ingredients mixed together in a large mixing bowl
    • Add crabmeat and fold gently with a rubber spatula,
      Crab meat carefully mixed in a large mixing bowl using a soft spatula.
    • Be careful not to overmix and ruin lumps of crabmeat.
      Crab meat mixed well in the large mixing bowl. The clumps of the crab meat are kept.
    • Divide mixture into 8 balls and place on rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper,
      Crab mixture placed on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. The mixture is divided into 8 balls.
    • Firmly press into patties that are about ½ inch thick, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
      Crab mixture balls pressed using a spatula to create a half-inch thick patty.
    • Coat each crab cake in panko, firmly pressing so the crumbs stick to the outside of the crab cake.
      Crab patties coated in panko.
    • Repeat until all crab cakes are coated with crumbs.
      All crab cakes thoroughly coated with panko crumbs.

    Skillet Method

    • Heat a few tablespoons of oil in empty skillet over medium heat until shimmering or a drop of water flicked in it dances. Place 4 cakes in skillet at a time and cook without moving them as much as possible until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Using 2 spatulas, carefully flip, add another tablespoon or two of oil, reduce heat to medium low, and continue to cook until second side is golden brown, another 5 or 6 minutes. Transfer cakes to platter. Repeat with remaining 4 cakes and use more oil if needed. Serve immediately.

    Air Fryer Method

    • Spray the basket of the air fryer with cooking spray before adding the crab cakes (make sure to leave room around each crab cake for air flow). Cook at 370 degrees for 10 minutes before flipping each crab cake and cooking for another 10 minutes.
      Crab cakes placed in a greased air fryer basket.
    • Serve immediately.
      Cooked crab cakes resting in an air fryer basket.
    • Enjoy every bite!
      Three crab cakes stacked vertically on a plate with a lemon wedge. The cakes are topped with sour cream.

    Notes

    • When finely chopping your vegetables, check for the right size after a couple of pulses and then continue on until you reach the desired size.
    • When pulsing the shrimp, be sure to puree it, not turn it into a full-on liquid. Check the shrimp after about 10 pulses and stop pulsing when the shrimp mixture resembles wet sand.
    • If air frying, make sure to leave room around each crab cake for air flow and to create the most ideal "frying" conditions.
    • If you're trying to decide what to serve with crab cakes you have definitely come to the right place. We have the most amazing list for you to check out.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 276kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 13gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 599mgPotassium: 237mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 266IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 99mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword air fryer crab cakes, crab cakes
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    Welcome!

    We are the kitchen divas: Karin and my partner in life, Ken.

    We have been attached at the heart and hip since the first day we met, and we love to create new dishes to keep things interesting. Variety is definitely the spice of life!

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