These easy crab cakes are so light and flaky with a rich, garlicky butter wine sauce that’s out of this world! This is a simple seafood recipe that can be served when entertaining or to serve as a special treat for your family. (Gluten free option)
As the summer temps heat up here in Texas, our meat intake goes down. Large salads, fresh fruit, and wild caught fish and seafood are beginning to take center stage at our dinner table. And this crab cake recipe is one of our very favorites!
The light and clean flavor of the crab meat is perfectly complimented by the drizzle of rich buttery-wine sauce made with fresh garlic, chives, and a splash of cream. Add a large salad and some fresh bread and dinner is done.
Saving Money on Crab
Crab meat is known for being expensive. And it is – particularly if you’re buying whole crab legs or claws. For this recipe, I usually buy pre-packed, wild caught crab meat from domestic waters and pay $13-15 per pound.
The per pound price is high, but this recipe makes 12 crab cakes, which feeds 6-8 people. It’s hard to get a pound of any type of meat to feed six people at our house!
So, even though the crab itself isn’t cheap, a little goes a long way, and keeping the rest of the meal simple helps cut costs as well. Our family of four easily gets two meals out of this recipe. Adding the cost of the other ingredients, salad fixings and homemade bread, each dinner comes out to around $15.
Not bad, considering any local seafood restaurant charges at least that for a single order of crab cakes!
Crab Nutrition
- Omega-3
Like most other seafood products, crab meat contains healthy omega-3 fats that help fight inflammation, thus combating chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer and auto-immune conditions. (Source)
- Vitamin B-12
Crab is surprisingly high in B-12 – Just 2 oz provides 100% of your daily needs! (Source) Low levels of B-12 have been associated with breast cancer, depression, Alzheimer’s Disease and possibly heart disease. (Source)
- Mercury Contamination of Fish and Seafood
Most of us are aware of the concern regarding methylmercury contamination of fish and seafood. Happily, crabs are among the lower mercury containing species (Source). Lesser known is the fact that selenium actually helps protect against mercury-induced damage. (Source) Crabs and other ocean fish and seafood are excellent sources of selenium, as are beef, poultry, mushrooms, asparagus and Brazil nuts. (Sources 1,2)
How To Make Easy Crab Cakes
To Make The Butter Wine Sauce
Extra Tips and Suggestions
- You can store these crab cakes in the fridge covered for 1-2 days
- These are delicious served with a side salad
- Enjoy leftovers on a bun with sauce (tartar sauce would go really well)
- You can prep these the day before and store the uncooked patties in the fridge covered until you’re ready to fry them
- I’ve only used fresh lump crab meat for this recipe, but canned crab should work too – just drain it thoroughly first
- For gluten free option, sub gluten free panko crumbs – you’ll never notice the difference!
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Ready to splurge a little on some crab and enjoy all the nutritional benefits and flavor of these fantastic crab cakes?
Easy Crab Cakes with Butter Wine Sauce
Ingredients
Ingredients for the Crab Cakes
- 1 pound crab meat drained and patted dry
- 2 cups Panko bread crumbs other crumbs will do, but will result in a more dense cake (can sub gluten free Panko crumbs if needed)
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1/2 green bell pepper finely chopped
- 3/4 cup avocado oil mayo * See Notes for homemade version
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup Butter or ghee for pan frying
Ingredients for the Butter Wine Sauce
- 1/4 cup pastured butter
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced or pressed
- 7 chives about 6 inches long,chopped
- 2 tbsp white wine
- 1/4 cup cream
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
Directions for the crab cakes
- In a large bowl, gently mix all ingredients except ghee until well combined.
- Carefully form into 8 patties and lay out on wax paper.
- In a large saute pan over medium heat, melt enough ghee to cover the bottom. Place 4 of the prepared cakes evenly around pan.
- I usually start the sauce while the first batch is browning - see below for instructions.
- Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side, until adequately browned. Remove to a plate and cover with foil while cooking the second batch of prepared cakes. Keep cooked cakes covered or in a warming oven until ready to serve.
Directions for the Butter Wine Sauce
- While the crab cakes are cooking, place butter and garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat long enough to sweat (but not brown) the garlic (2-3 minutes). Add the chives and white wine and simmer for about 5 minutes to allow sauce to reduce a bit.
- Stir in cream and turn heat off.
- Season with pepper.
To Serve
- Ladle a bit sauce onto a plate then top with a crab cake. Garnish with additional chives if desired.
Notes
Extra Tips and Suggestions
- You can store these crab cakes in the fridge covered for 1-2 days
- These are delicious served with a side salad
- Enjoy leftovers on a bun with sauce (tartar sauce would go really well)
- You can prep these the day before and store the uncooked patties in the fridge covered until you're ready to fry them
- If you want to make your own mayo, this is my favorite homemade mayo recipe
- I've only used fresh lump crab meat for this recipe, but canned crab should work too - just drain it thoroughly first
- For gluten free option, sub gluten free panko crumbs - you'll never notice the difference!
This was SO delicious!! I followed your exact recipe and I don’t think it was too thick at all. It was nice and creamy and the flavors were great! My husband ate two bowlfuls and wanted more. We had plenty for leftovers. Thanks–this is a keeper.
Love hearing this, Paul – thanks for the 5 star review!
I love chicken. i will definitely try a new one. thanks for the recipe. i will go look around a bit. have a Happy Thanksgiving!
i bought this expensive non-stick tefal grill pan BUT i can’t seem to get the perfect grill marks as i used to with my cheaper cast iron pan! the non-stick is so much easier to clean although i might as well be grilling the chicken in a skillet! 🙁 is there anything i can do to make this one work as good? <a hrefs=”https://www.crazyask.com/”> CrazyAsk </a>
Not sure, Ashley. I’d go with the cast iron over nonstick for health reasons and they do make a variety of cast iron grill pans. I have one and it works well as long as I keep it well seasoned.
That looks so fresh and tasty!! I am actually not a fan of cilantro at all, although I sure wish I was right now.
A friend of mine buys chicken kotlets from a Persian store in LA area and she says they are amazing. Will share your recipe with her. Although your recipe is with turkey, I’m sure she’ll be thrilled to be able to make it herself. Thanks for the recipe 🙂
I LOVE crab cakes, and yours look so amazing, my stomach is starting to growl! And that sauce puts them over the top!
They are incredibly gooooood! I hope you enjoy them!
Omg these crab cakes look perfect!! Would love this as an appetizer, or just a main 😉
My family and i have eaten them as a main course without complaint!
Oh I love the flavor of these! Crab, garlic, wine sauce. Definitely need to try your recipe!
You will love it Alina!
I oove fish or seafood cakes and these sound delicious, I wish crab was a little more available here in landlocked Hungary, I’ll definitely be trying that sauce with some fishcakes though, it sounds heavenly!
Let us know how it works out Brian!
They look delicious! i will try to veganise them and try them out 🙂
Thanks Pinelopi, I hope it works out for you!