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    Home » Recipes » Appetizer Recipes

    Smoked Crab Cakes

    Published: Jan 24, 2022 · Modified: Sep 10, 2024 by Karin and Ken · This post may contain affiliate links. Leave a Comment

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    This smoked crab cakes recipe takes classic crab cakes to a new place thanks to the use of a smoker. Classic ingredients and that great crispy outer coating are infused with the flavor of smoke.

    Closeup shot of smoked crab cakes stacked atop one another on plate

    I love crab cakes, and my husband loves smoking anything he can. Put those two things together, and you get a delicious crab cake recipe like you've never had before.

    Smoked Crab Cakes Recipe

    This was inspired by my other crab cake recipe on this site, and pairs well with this amazing sidedish recipe.

    Ingredients

    Several ingredients go into this recipe, but they're all very simple. In fact, many of them are simply spices or other kitchen staples.

    • Lump crabmeat, picked over for shells
    • Milk
    • Panko bread crumbs
    • Salt and pepper
    • Chopped celery ribs
    • Chopped onion
    • Garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
    • Shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
    • Heavy cream
    • Dijon mustard
    • Hot pepper sauce
    • Lemon juice
    • Old Bay seasoning
    • vegetabl oil

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

    Instructions

    Although a few steps are needed to make this dish, when you break them down, you can see how simple they are. It's a very straightforward recipe.

    Step 1: Prep

    Chope your vegetables and prepare the shrimp. If using fresh crab, soak it in a bow of milk for at least 20 minutes. If using canned lump crab meat, you can skip this step.

    Step 2: Toast the Panko Bread Crumbs

    Place half the panko in a small resealable bag and finely crush it with a rolling pin. Then transfer the crushed panko to a skillet and add the remaining uncrushed panko. Toast all the panko over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it's golden brown. Then transfer it to a shallow dish and stir in salt and pepper to taste. Wipe out the skillet.

    Step 3: Cook the Vegetables

    Pulse the celery, onion, and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Then, transfer them to a large bowl. Melt butter over medium heat in the skillet you used to toast the panko. Add the vegetables, salt, and pepper. Then cook until the vegetables are softened and all the moisture has evaporated. Return the cooked vegetables to the bowl and let them cool to room temperature. Rinse and wipe the pan clean again.

    Step 4: Strain the Crab

    Drain the crabmeat in a fine-mesh strainer. Press firmly to remove all the milk, but be careful not to break up the crabmeat lumps.

    Step 5: Create the Crab Cakes

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

    Add the crab meat and gently fold it in with a spatula, being careful not to break up the crab meat. Then, divide the mixture into 8 balls and press them into patties about a half-inch thick.

    Place the crab cakes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and cover them tightly. Then, refrigerate them for about a half-hour.

    Step 6: Coat and Smoke

    Coat the crab cakes in the panko, firmly pressing to ensure the panko sticks, but not pressing so hard the cakes are deformed. Then, place the crab cakes on a baking sheet and place them in the smoker. Smoke at 250 degrees for about a half-hour or until they reach 155 degrees.

    Hint: Always use a light touch when forming and coating the crab cakes so they don't break apart.

    Smoked Crab Cakes served on a plate with slices of lemon

    Substitutions and Variations

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

    • Canned Crab - If you don't have fresh crab, you can use canned lump crab meat.
    • Minced Garlic and Onions - If you don't have fresh onions or garlic, you can use minced.
    • Extra Spicy - Add red pepper flakes to the panko for even more heat.
    • Lobster - Substitute half the shrimp for lobster for an even richer flavor.

    If you love recipes like this, you may also enjoy these smoked salmon cakes.

    Storage

    Store these crab cakes in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for 3 to 5 days. For longer storage, you can freeze them for up to 3 months. Wrap each crab cake individually in foil and then place them in heavy-duty freezer bags.

    Tips

    This is a fairly simple recipe, but it has several moving parts. These tips can help you ensure that you make the best crab cakes possible.

    • Stir constantly when toasting the panko to be sure it doesn't burn.
    • Always use a gentle but firm touch with your crab meat to ensure it stays nice and lumpy.
    • Be sure you let your vegetables cool completely before adding them to the shrimp puree so the cream doesn't curdle.
    Smoked Crab Cakes topped with sauce served on a plate with slices of lemon

    If you're looking for ideas for what to serve with crab cakes you have definitely come to the right place. We have an amazing list for you to check out. I need to mention tat we always serve our Kraft tartar sauce copycat recipe or our 3 ingredient tartar sauce recipe.

    I can't imagine eating one of these without tartar sauce.

    FAQ

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

    How long are these smoked crab cakes good?

    These will last for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer.

    How do I freeze crab cakes?

    Wrap each crab cake individually in foil and then place them in a heavy-duty freezer bag.

    How do I reheat crab cakes?

    Place each crab cake wrapped in foil on a baking sheet. Then bake them for 10 to 15 minutes at 325 degrees.

    More Crab Recipes

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

    • Steak and Crab Legs - Surf and Turf Perfection
      Steak and Crab Legs - Surf and Turf Perfection
    • Smoked Crab Dip Recipe
      Smoked Crab Dip Recipe
    • 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
    • Fully assembled crab cake sandwich on a plate ready to eat.
      Crab Cake Sandwich

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

    Stacked crab cakes on. plate, served with lemon wedges.

    Smoked Crab Cakes

    Karin and Ken
    This smoked crab cakes recipe takes this classic seafood dish to the next level. They're perfectly breaded and smoked to perfection.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 40 minutes mins
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Chill Time, if necessary, divided 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 2 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
    Course Appetizer
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8
    Calories 228 kcal

    Equipment

    • smoker
    • skillet
    • food processor or blender
    • spatula
    • wooden spoon
    • Mixing Bowls
    • Resealable bag
    • Rolling Pin or mallet
    • Shallow bowl
    • fine mesh strainer
    • Rubber spatula
    • rimmed baking sheet
    • Parchment paper
    • Plastic Wrap
    • foil pan for smoker

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 pound lump crabmeat picked over for shells
    • 1 cup milk
    • 1 ½ cups panko bread crumbs
    • salt
    • pepper
    • 2 celery ribs chopped
    • ½ cup onion chopped
    • 2 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
    • 2 tablespoons 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
    • ¾ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
    • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
    Get Recipe Ingredients

    Instructions
     

    • Get out and measure your ingredients.
      Overhead photo of all the ingredients on a table.
    • If your crabmeat has a mild odor of any kind, place inside bowl of milk and soak, totally covered, refrigerated for at least 30 minutes.
    • Crush panko in resealable bag with rolling pin or mallet. Transfer crushed crumbs to skillet to toast, over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until nice golden color, less than 5 minutes. Dump crumbs on to shallow plate and add in ½ teaspoon of salt and ½ of pepper. Set aside.
      Panko crushed in a resealable bag with a rolling pin.
    • Place onion, garlic and celery into a food processor and blend for 7 or 8 pulses. Preheat skillet on medium heat and melt butter. Add vegetables to skillet with ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Stir frequently until tender and most of the moisture has evaporated. About 5 minutes. Dump vegetables into a good sized mixing bowl.
      Sauté of onion, garlic an celery placed in a mixing bowl.
    • Gently press crabmeat against fine strainer to remove as much milk as possible without destroying any lumps of crabmeat. Discard milk.
      Milk removed from the crab meat using a strainer.
    • Add shrimp to food processor and pulse 15 times. Add cream and pulse 5 more times. Scrape down sides of processor bowl as needed.
      shrimps and cream in a food processor
    • Add to bowl with cool vegetables. Add hot pepper sauce, lemon juice, mustard, Old Bay seasoning, and stir until incorporated.
      hot pepper sauce, lemon juice, mustard, Old Bay seasoning added to the cooled vegetable sauté in the mixing bowl.
    • Add crabmeat and carefully fold until blended.
      Carefully mix the crab meat inside the mixing bowl.
    • Make 8 balls, about the same size, and place on baking sheet covered in parchment. Using a spatula press until patties are ½ inch thick. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least a half hour, if not a little longer.
      crab patties placed on a prepared baking sheet. A spatula is used to flatten the patties.
    • Press each crab cake firmly into panko crumbs until covered.
      crab patties placed in a bowl with panko crumbs to be coated in the crumbs.
    • Place on plate and go to your smoker.
      All patties covered in panko crumbs and placed on a white plate.
    • Preheat smoker to 250 degrees.
      raw crab cakes placed in a smoker.
    • Smoke crab cakes for 30 minutes or 155 degrees.
      crab cakes cooked inside a smoker.
    • Serve.
      crab cakes served on a white plate with lemon wedges.
    • With aioli and lemon!
      Crab cakes served with aioli and lemon wedges.
    • Enjoy every bite!
      closeup photo of a forkful of smoked crab cake.

    Notes

    • Stir constantly when toasting the panko to be sure it doesn't burn.
    • Always use a gentle but firm touch with your crab meat to ensure it stays nice and lumpy.
    • Be sure you let your vegetables cool completely before adding them to the shrimp puree so the cream doesn't curdle.
    • If you're looking for ideas for what to serve with crab cakes you have definitely come to the right place. We have an amazing list for you to check out.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 228kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 13gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 595mgPotassium: 209mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 271IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 94mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword smoked crab cakes
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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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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