Last Updated on May 26, 2026 by Carne Diem
Protein: Crab, Seafood
Method: Flat Top, Cast Iron, or Stove Top
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There is nothing quite like cutting into a perfectly cooked, crispy fried crab cake. When done right, it offers a bite of pure, sweet crab with just enough crispy edges to keep you coming back for more.
If you've ever had authentic Maryland crab cakes, you know the secret: use high-quality meat and little filler. Today, I'm breaking down the ultimate crab cake recipe that delivers restaurant-quality, delicious crab cakes right from your own kitchen. Whether you are an old pro or looking for an easy recipe to impress dinner guests, this one is foolproof.
These Fried Lump Crab Cakes are the perfect dish to whip up on your flat-top grill like a Blackstone or using a cast iron pan or Cooking Steel. Loaded with tender lump crab meat these crab cakes are then fried to perfection and served with a Sriracha Mayonnaise.
Table of contents
Crab cakes have always been one of my favorite seafood dishes. As an appetizer or as an entrée they are always a home run. While there are a million different ways to make crab cakes, from baking to frying, pan fried crab cakes have always been our favorite. There is just something fantastic about that crispy caramelized exterior with the soft, warm, lump crab center that is perfection. For these Fried Lump Crab Cakes we cooked them on our Cooking Steel on our Big Green Egg, then served them with some fresh made Sriracha mayonnaise and they came out absolutely fantastic.
Making the Fried Lump Crab Cakes with Sriracha Mayonnaise
To make the Fried Lump Crab Cakes you will need 8 ounces of lump crab meat, Panko breadcrumbs, diced red bell pepper, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire Sauce, egg, and parsley. To make the Sriracha Mayonnaise you will need mayonnaise and Sriracha sauce.
When choosing the crab use fresh crab meat for the best results. Authentic Maryland-style crab cakes traditionally rely on blue crabs harvested from the Chesapeake Bay, known for their sweet, buttery flavor profile.
For this recipe, we are using jumbo lump crab meat: These are the large, whole pieces of meat taken from the swimming legs of the crab. This lump meat provides those big, beautiful chunks that define the best crab cakes.
Make the Sriracha Mayonnaise
The first step is preparing your Sriracha Mayonnaise. You will need a little bit of this spicy mayo for the Fried Lump Crab Cakes as well so we always make it ahead of time. You can make it a day or two ahead of time and cover and store in the refrigerator until needed. To make the Sriracha Mayonnaise combine the mayonnaise and the sriracha sauce in a small bowl and mix well to combine. Cover and refrigerate until needed. For those that do not wish to make the Sriracha Mayonnaise from scratch, Terrapin Ridge Farms also makes a pretty decent Sriracha Aioli.
Prepare the Fried Lump Crab Cake Mixture
Now it is time to make your crab cakes! In a medium sized bowl, beat the egg then add the parsley, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, sriracha mayonnaise, lemon juice, and diced bell pepper. Mix well to combine.
Next, gently fold in the lump crab and the panko bread crumbs. Try to take care not to break apart the crab too much. You want some nice sized chunks in your lump crab cake.
If you have extra panko, use it to make some Korean Corn Dogs: Gamja Dog, Grilled Clams Casino, or some world-famous Chicken Kiev.
Next, form the crab mixture into 6 equal sized crab cakes and place on an oiled pan. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight. Chilling allows the breadcrumbs to absorb the moisture and helps the proteins bind, ensuring your easy crab cakes don't break apart and helps the crab cakes maintain their shape while cooking.
Cooking the Fried Lump Crab Cakes
When you are ready to cook the crab cakes, heat your grill or smoker to medium heat (about 350 degrees). We used our Cooking Steel for this and they turned out great. If you don't have a Cooking Steel you can use a cast iron pan or use a Flat Top grill like a Blackstone.
Once preheated, oil the cooking surface with a neutral cooking oil like avocado oil, grapeseed oil, or canola oil.
Cook the crab cakes for about 4-5 minutes per side. Take care when flipping the crab cakes to avoid them breaking apart. Using a couple spatulas to help with flipping is often beneficial.
When they are finished cooking, remove the Fried Lump Crab Cakes to a paper towel lined plate.
Serve the Fried Lump Crab Cakes immediately with the Sriracha Mayo, cocktail sauce and some lemon wedges.
Serve as an appetizer or as an entrée. Enjoy!
If you are a seafood lover like us be sure to try some of our other favorite seafood recipes:
- Maple Bourbon Hot Smoked Salmon
- Pike Place Market inspired Smoked Salmon Chowder
- Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi With Coconut Sauce
- Ahi Wonton Tacos With Wasabi Sauce
- Greenlandic Inspired Pollock Soup
- Smoked Miso Black Cod: Misoyaki Butterfish
- Ooni Wood Plank Salmon
- Grilled Red Snapper Escovitch
- Greek Grilled Shrimp with Basil-Orange Orzo
Frequently Asked Questions
Due to the egg in the crab cakes, they should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
If you happen to have leftover crab cakes, let them cool completely before transferring them to an airtight container. They will keep well in the fridge for up to two days.
Thank you for taking the time to visit our blog. If you tried and enjoyed our recipe please share with others and please leave us a comment and review. We also love to see your pics so don't forget to tag us @Carne_Diem_Culinary or #CarneDiemBlog. To be notified of future recipes please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest, or sign up for our e-mail notifications. Until next time, Carne Diem!
📖 Recipe
Maryland Lump Crab Cakes with Sriracha Mayo
Equipment
- Flat Top
Ingredients
Sriracha Mayo
- ¼ Cup Mayonnaise
- 2-3 Tablespoons Sriracha Sauce depending on desired spice level
Crab Cakes
- 8 ounces Cooked Lump Crab Meat drained
- ⅓ Cup Red Bell Pepper finely diced
- ½ Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Parsley finely chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 Tablespoon of the Sriracha Mayonnaise
- 1 Egg beaten
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise and the sriracha sauce and mix well to combine. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
- In a medium sized bowl, beat the egg then add the parsley, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, sriracha mayonnaise, lemon juice, and diced bell pepper. Mix well to combine.
- Gently fold in the lump crab and the panko bread crumbs, taking care not to break apart the crab too much.
- Form into 6 equal sized crab cakes and place on an oiled pan. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight.
- When you are ready to cook the crab cakes, heat your grill or smoker with the Cooking Steel to medium heat (about 350 degrees).
- Once preheated, oil the Cooking Steel with a neutral cooking oil like avocado oil, grapeseed oil, or canola oil.
- Cook the crab cakes for about 4-5 minutes per side. Take care when flipping the crab cakes to avoid them breaking apart. Using a couple spatulas to help with flipping is often beneficial.
- Serve the Crab Cakes with the Sriracha Mayo and some lemon wedges.
Kevin Foodie says
Never heard of Lump Crab 🦀. Will Google to find out why it's callled lump crab. I don't eat or like mayonaise, but i could eat several of your crab cakes as it. They look so tasty 😋.