Imitation Crab Cakes Recipe

This dish is a must try when you want some good old restaurant-style crab cakes. The use of imitation crab adds to the ease of this recipe. It also gives them that same delicious crab-filled taste you’re craving. I, for one, love seafood patties because of how simple they are to whip up when you need a quick meal. (Check out my Salmon Patties and Tuna Patties recipes as well). And despite their simplicity they’re always a crowd pleaser and tummy filler. These Imitation Crab Cakes are no different and I’m happy to add them to my growing collection of seafood patty recipes!

USING IMITATION CRAB

Many of you may have wondered at some point: Can I use imitation crab for crab cakes? And I’m here to tell you the answer is an absolute YES! The main ingredient in this dish is a heaping 2 pounds of delicious imitation crab. You may notice that many crab cake recipes call for the use of canned or fresh crab. And although imitation crab isn’t the real deal (hence the word “imitation) it still does an excellent job at mimicking that tasty crab flavor. The best part is it’s completely budget friendly which is the main reason I use it. You can get scrumptious crab cakes without spending a fortune at restaurants or coughing up extra moola at the grocery store.

FLAVORFUL INGREDIENTS

These imitation crab cakes are filled with ingredients that keep them moist and incredibly savory. The mayo and the eggs help bind all the ingredients giving you firm patties that don’t fall apart. The Worcestershire sauce and the lemon gives you that bite of zesty-ness. The breadcrumbs and parsley give it a little crunch, a nice herb-y flavor and they definitely help aesthetically. And then we’ve got Dijon mustard, hot sauce and minced garlic. I think those three speak for themselves. This recipe definitely isn’t lacking in flavor! But if that’s still not enough for you, may I introduce you to… The Sauce.

THE DIPPING SAUCE

You can’t have crab cakes without a nice, delicious dipping sauce to go with them! I used a lot of the same ingredients in the crab cakes for the sauce itself. Such as the mayo, Worcestershire sauce, lemon, garlic and mustard. But I also added a little extra flavor in the form of ketchup, cajun seasoning and paprika. On paper it may sound like a weird combo but I promise you when mixed together it makes for an awesome sauce! 😉 It’s perfect drizzled over the crab cakes or used as a dip.

When it comes to serving the crab cakes, fresh is always best when they’re nice and warm right out of the skillet. But these crab cakes actually heat up beautifully in the microwave if you have leftovers. We ate them for three days straight and they tasted just as delicious on the last day as they did on the first. There was no sogginess or loss of flavor. I was pleasantly surprised. You can serve the crab cakes as an appetizer OR make a meal out of them by adding some simple side dishes. We ate them with a delicious Avocado, Black Bean & Corn Salad. So, if you’re ready for a budget-friendly, restaurant-style seafood dish, check out the recipe for these Imitation Crab Cakes below!

Imitation Crab Cakes Recipe

Course: MainDifficulty: Easy

Servings

10

patties

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

14

minutes

Calories

173

kcal

These Imitation Crab Cakes give you restaurant-style crab cakes that are actually budget friendly and incredibly savory! Dipping sauce included!

Ingredients

• FOR CRAB CAKES

• 2 lbs imitation crab

• 2/3 cup mayo

• 2 eggs

• 2 Tbs Dijon mustard

• 3 tsp worchestshire sauce

• 1 tsp hot sauce

• 2 tsp lemon juice

• ½ tsp salt

• ½ tsp pepper

• 1-2 Tbs parsley flakes

• 1 cup bread crumbs

• 1 Tbs butter

• 1 Tbs olive oil

• FOR DIPPING SAUCE

• ½ cup mayo

• 1 Tbs Dijon mustard

• 1 tsp minced garlic

• 1 tsp cajun seasoning

• 1 tsp paprika

• 1 Tbs ketchup

• 1 tsp worchestshire sauce

• 1 tsp lemon juice

Directions

• In a small bowl, mix the mayo, eggs, Dijon mustard, worchestshire sauce, hot sauce, lemon juice, salt and pepper until well blended.
• In a separate, larger bowl, break apart the imitation crab until completely flakey. Add the breadcrumbs and parsley and mix well
• Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the imitation crab mixture. Blend everything together with a handheld mixer or you can use your hands
• Form the mixture into 10 even, firm patties
• In a large skillet, heat the butter and oil on medium. Add the crab cakes to the skillet 5 at a time, making sure they are spaced apart evenly
• Fry the crab cakes for 7 minutes on one side until golden brown, then flip and fry for another 7 minutes on the other side
• While crab cakes are cooking, prepare the dipping sauce by mixing all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl until smooth
• Serve the crab cakes with the dipping sauce and enjoy!

Notes

• STORAGE: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The crab cakes will reheat well in the microwave.
• Calories & Nutritional Info may vary based on different brands and ingredients used. Nutritional Info below was calculated using Very Fit Well’s Nutrition Calculator.