Best 4 Crab Cakes Lightened Up Recipes

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Indulge in a culinary adventure with our delectable crab cakes, a symphony of flavors that dance on your palate. These delectable morsels are crafted with fresh, succulent crab meat, gently folded into a blend of aromatic herbs, savory spices, and a touch of tangy lemon zest. Perfectly seasoned and delicately pan-fried, each crab cake boasts a golden-brown crust that yields to a tender, moist interior, bursting with the sweet essence of the sea. Accompanied by three tantalizing sauces – a classic remoulade, a vibrant mango salsa, and a creamy avocado sauce – these crab cakes offer a trio of taste sensations that will transport you to culinary paradise. Whether served as an elegant appetizer or a main course with a side of fresh greens, these lightened-up crab cakes are sure to impress and delight even the most discerning palate.

Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!

THE BEST CRAB CAKES



The Best Crab Cakes image

When we set out to make the "best" crab cakes, opinions in the test kitchen were strong and varied. But we could all agree on plenty of fresh, high-quality crabmeat with very little filler. After some tinkering, we created these decadent cakes-generously sized and highly seasoned-with plenty of lemon juice, fresh herbs and spices. The jumbo lump crabmeat is front and center, so splurge on the best and freshest you can find.

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Categories     appetizer

Time 1h10m

Yield 8 crab cakes

Number Of Ingredients 15

2 pounds fresh jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
1 1/2 cups panko
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped chives
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Juice and zest of 1 lemon, plus more lemon wedges for serving
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped dill pickles (about 2 whole pickles)
1 tablespoon capers, chopped
1 tablespoon minced chives
Juice and zest of 1 lemon

Steps:

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  • For the crab cakes: Gently fold together the crabmeat, breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, chives, Dijon mustard, seafood seasoning, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper and the juice and zest of one lemon in a large bowl. Refrigerate the crab mixture for 15 minutes to firm up; this allows the breadcrumbs to absorb some of the liquid, helping the crab cakes bind together.
  • Meanwhile, make the tartar sauce: Combine the mayonnaise, dill pickles, capers, chives, zest and juice of 1 lemon in a medium bowl and mix until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
  • Scoop heaping half cups of the crab mixture and pat into 2 1/2-inch wide patties. Lightly press them together so they do not fall apart while cooking. You should have 8 patties.
  • Heat 3 tablespoons unsalted butter and 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the crab cakes to the pan and cook until golden, about 2 minutes, then flip using a flat metal spatula. Continue to cook until lightly golden, about 1 1/2 minutes then transfer the pan to the oven. Cook until the crab cakes are completely heated through, about 10 minutes.
  • Serve the crab cakes with the tartar sauce and lemon wedges.

EASY CRAB CAKES



Easy Crab Cakes image

Ready-to-go crabmeat makes these delicate patties easier than other crab cake recipes. You can also form the crab mixture into four thick patties instead of eight crab cakes. -Charlene Spelock, Apollo, Pennsylvania

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Dinner

Time 25m

Yield 4 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 10

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs, divided
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped sweet red pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cans (6 ounces each) crabmeat, drained, flaked and cartilage removed
1 tablespoon butter

Steps:

  • In a large bowl, combine 1/3 cup bread crumbs, green onions, red pepper, egg, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic powder and cayenne; fold in crab., Place remaining bread crumbs in a shallow bowl. Divide mixture into eight portions; shape into 2-in. balls. Gently coat in bread crumbs and shape into 1/2-in.-thick patties., In a large nonstick skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add crab cakes; cook until golden brown, 3-4 minutes on each side.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 239 calories, Fat 11g fat (3g saturated fat), Cholesterol 141mg cholesterol, Sodium 657mg sodium, Carbohydrate 13g carbohydrate (2g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 21g protein. Diabetic Exchanges

CRAB CAKES



Crab Cakes image

Mace, nutmeg's peppery sister, is what makes the difference in these crab cakes. The recipe, adapted from "Gullah Geechee Home Cooking: Recipes From the Matriarch of Edisto Island," comes from Emily Meggett, one of the most well-respected cooks in the Gullah Geechee community, whose food traditions are built largely on the crabs, shrimp and fish they pull from the water near their homes along the southeastern shoreline. She has made thousands of these using freshly cooked blue crabs, but meat that has already been picked and processed works as well. Be sparing with the bread crumbs, which should just hold the mixture together, then add more if the cakes are falling apart. Make sure the pan is very hot, then reduce the heat the minute they hit the oil. Keep a close eye while they brown. These are lovely bites to start a meal, or can star as supper, alongside rice and fresh vegetables. Ms. Meggett serves them with what she calls pink sauce, which is similar to this sauce, with the addition of grated onion and lemon.

Provided by Kim Severson

Categories     dinner, seafood, appetizer, main course

Time 1h30m

Yield About 12 large crab cakes

Number Of Ingredients 11

10 slices soft white or whole-wheat bread
1/2 cup/115 grams unsalted butter
1 large onion, grated
1/4 cup/30 grams self-rising flour (see Tip)
1 1/2 cups/355 milliliters whole or 2-percent milk
2 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
2 pounds/907 grams lump crab meat, drained if needed
1/2 cup/120 milliliters vegetable oil, plus more as needed

Steps:

  • Heat the broiler to 500 degrees (or its highest setting). On your oven's highest rack, broil all the bread slices on a baking sheet for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden and crisp but not burned. Flip all the slices over and broil for another 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the broiler off and allow the bread to crisp in the oven until totally dry, 15 to 20 minutes.
  • Remove the bread from the oven and let cool. Using a box grater or rolling pin, coarsely grate and crush the bread slices into bread crumbs (or, pulse them in a food processor). The crumbs should look and feel like sand; you should get about 4 cups. Set the bread crumbs aside.
  • In a large cast-iron skillet, melt the butter over high heat. Once the butter is melted, add the onion and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes.
  • Pour the butter and onion into a large bowl. Whisk the flour into the melted butter and onion, then slowly whisk in the milk to make a creamy sauce. Once the sauce is smooth, whisk in the eggs, lemon juice, vinegar and mace.
  • Add the crab meat to the cream sauce and mix lightly with a fork; don't break up the pieces of crab meat. Gently fold in just enough of the bread crumbs so that the mixture holds together (about 2 1/2 cups). Divide the crab mixture into 12 equal portions, setting them on a baking sheet as you go. They should be thick rounds - about the size of the palm of your hand, and roughly 1 1/2 inches thick.
  • Using your hand, take a scoop of the toasted bread crumbs and coat each crab cake.
  • Wipe out the skillet and heat the oil over high. Once the oil is hot, place a few of the crab cakes in the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, or until browned and cooked through. Place the cooked crab cakes on a paper towel to drain. Working in batches, cook the remaining crab cakes, adding more oil as needed.
  • Serve crab cakes immediately, or set aside in a warm oven (see Tip) while you cook the remaining crab cakes.

CRAB CAKES - LIGHTENED UP



Crab Cakes - Lightened Up image

From my local paper, these are a great way to enjoy this favorite without straying from your healthful eating plan.

Provided by CaliforniaJan

Categories     Crab

Time 45m

Yield 12 patties, 6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 19

2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons green onions, finely minced (green part only)
2 tablespoons red bell peppers, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon parsley, finely minced
2 tablespoons egg substitute
1/2 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 lb lump crabmeat
3 tablespoons plain breadcrumbs
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (Japanese bread crumbs)
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
2 teaspoons dill pickles, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon fresh parsley, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon salt

Steps:

  • To make dipping sauce: Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and chill until you serve the crab cakes.
  • To make crab cakes: Put the first seven ingredients into a large bowl and blend together with a whisk. Gently fold in the crab meat and plain bread crumbs. In a non-stick standard-size muffin tin, lightly coat eight muffin cups with cooking spray, then fill the cups with equal amounts of the crab misture. Press down lightly on each crab cake so that the top is flat. (Don't press too hard or they may be hard to get out.) Cover the muffin tin with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour. After an hour, try to take one of the crab cakes out of the tin. It if doesn't stay together firmly, put the muffin tin in the freezer for about 10 minutes.
  • Once the crab cakes are thoroughly chilled, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. fill a shallow dish with the panko bread crumbs. After removing each crab cake from the muffin tin, gently roll it in the panko until the whole crab cake has a light coating.
  • Lightly coat a non-stick baking sheet with cooking spray, then place each crab cake on the sheet. Lightly coat the top of each crab cake with cooking spray. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes or until the coating is crispy and lightly browned. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce.

Tips:

  • For a crispier crab cake, use Panko breadcrumbs instead of regular breadcrumbs.
  • If you don't have any Dijon mustard, you can substitute yellow mustard.
  • To make sure the crab cakes are cooked through, use a meat thermometer to check that they have reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Serve the crab cakes with your favorite dipping sauce, such as tartar sauce, cocktail sauce, or remoulade.

Conclusion:

These lightened-up crab cakes are a delicious and healthy way to enjoy this classic seafood dish. They are packed with flavor and nutrition, and they are sure to be a hit with your family and friends. So next time you are looking for a quick and easy seafood dinner, give these crab cakes a try. You won't be disappointed!

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