I love crab cakes, especially lump crab meat crab cakes.
Really, there’s nothing better than lump crab meat in a crab cake.
Large chunks of crab are succulent when prepared right!
However, finding a great crab cake is not an easy thing to do.
Never buy the grocery store premade meat case crab cakes.
Most have so much filler in them, they can’t even qualify as crab meat.
Fish fry crab cakes should not even exist, as they are a money maker filled with a lot of NOTHING.
Restaurants seem to add too much of everything to a crab cake and it is rare to find an outstanding restaurant crab cake.
Fry oil, is the demon that takes away all the good in the flavor.
It does not matter if you use new oil, the oil overtakes the taste of the crab, plain and simple.
Since I love easy to prepare recipes I am about to share the easiest recipe for air fryer crab cakes.
Did I tell you these are EGGLESS air fryer crab cakes? NO egg in the recipe!
The air fryer crab cakes will blow away any crab cake you have tasted before.
You will taste the crab meat and the crab cake will be light and crispy.
Crab Meat Choices Matter for Air Fryer Crab Cakes
Head to your seafood department and purchase a can of lump crab meat.
Don’t stop and buy the little cans by the tuna fish, they are not the right crab for the task.
Large, succulent chunks of crab are part of the key to success in air fryer crab cakes.
Done right, your air fryer crab cakes will take about 3 minutes to prep, and 5 minutes to cook.
You’ll never go to a fish fry and ordered crab cakes again and your summer haul of fresh seafood will surely include fresh lump crab meat.
Air Fryer Chatter & How it Relates to Air Fryer Crab Cakes
Air Fryers are incredible small kitchen appliances.
However, the appliance is only as good as the home chef behind it.
Did you know I have written over 275+ recipes for a massive online small kitchen appliance dealer?
Many of them were on air fryer recipes?
Chances are, you have downloaded my recipes, videos, and pictures and had no idea!
Today, I am going to share what I know to help you become the best at air frying.
Ready……. drumroll, please.
Always preheat your air fryer.
That’s it plain and simple.
Did you really think there was more to this?
Preheating your air fryer is so important and once you try it, you will understand the difference it makes.
Always preheat and bring the air fryer to temperature and your food will always be outstanding and what everyone talks about in a GOOD way for weeks!
Air Fryer Crab Cakes ~ A Tip Before you Start.
After you have preheated the air fryer, make sure to spray the nonstick basket (cause it still lets stuff stick trust me) with a brush and some canola oil or coconut oil, etc.
Now you are all set to cook.
I also leave room between the food so all edges cook.
Unlike so many others, that write about air fryers, I NEVER turn my food.
Why? The air fryer is hitting the prepared food in the basket with the cooking cycle from ALL angles.
Don’t do it. Let the food cook. End of story.
I’ll show you my food, and you can decide.
Air Fryer Crab Cakes ~ Prep
My lump crab meat never needed drained. If you have water in yours do drain that out.
As I add my ingredients together sometimes I add in a tad more.
The recipe will be on the ‘less’ side and you can always add more.
I do this because not everyone is a fan of every ingredient.
Just know you have room to play.
For instance, I will suggest 2 -3 Tablespoons of Mayonnaise, but, I add 4-5.
Eggless happens because I hate eggs. Plain and simple.
For me, an egg tastes disgusting, so if I can bypass an egg and sub in something else, I Do!
Yes, the crab cakes bind just perfectly.
Also, I added celery, you may not have seen that before, but I love celery in mine.
I look at adding celery in as the crunch you need to diversify the moist and meaty crab.
Panko will be your breadcrumb of choice in this recipe.
Prepping My Air Fryer Crab Cakes
The key to this recipe is making sure to mix the liquid ingredients very thoroughly.
I don’t use Old Bay Seasoning, I am simply NOT a fan, instead, I use smoked Paprika and Frank’s Hot Sauce.
Next, fold in the crab meat and the panko without over-mixing.
If you mix too much the lump crab meat turns into shredded snippets of crab meat and the whole concept of the lump is gone.
Once I have everything mixed up nicely in a large bowl, I form the cake.
The spoon does most of the work for me and I try not to break down the lump crab.
Generally, in my round air fryer basket, I fry them three at a time.
Remember, I preheated my air fryer so that the temperature is perfect.
Before I close the air fryer basket, I lightly swipe each crab cake with a little oil (Canola, olive, etc)
After 5 minutes or so, they are done.
These are so easy to make, I can’t wait to hear how YOURS turn out. ~ Enjoy! Dana XO
Grab the Recipe Here ⇓
Delicious Air Fryer Crab Cakes that Are So Easy To Make
I love crab cakes, especially lump crab meat crab cakes.
Really, there's nothing better than lump crab meat in a crab cake.
Large chunks of crab are succulent when prepared right!
However, finding a great crab cake is not an easy thing to do.
Never buy the grocery store premade meat case crab cakes.
Most have so much filler in them, they can't even qualify as crab meat.
Fish fry crab cakes should not even exist, as they are a money maker filled with a lot of NOTHING.
Restaurants seem to add too much of everything to a crab cake and it is rare to find an outstanding restaurant crab cake.
Fry oil, is the demon that takes away all the good in the flavor.
It does not matter if you use new oil, the oil overtakes the taste of the crab, plain and simple.
Since I love easy to prepare recipes I am about to share the easiest recipe for air fryer crab cakes.
Did I tell you these are EGGLESS air fryer crab cakes? NO egg in the recipe!
The air fryer crab cakes will blow away any crab cake you have tasted before.
You will taste the crab meat and the crab cake will be light and crispy.
Ingredients
- Egg-Free Egg Replacer 2 eggs (prepare per package instructions)
- 3 teaspoons Worcestershire
- 4 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
- 3-4 Teaspoons Dijon Mustard
- 2 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice
- Dash of Sea Salt
- 2 Teaspoons of Smoked Paprika
- 1 Tablespoon of Franks Hot Sauce (optional )
- 2 sticks of celery, deveined and chopped.
- 1 Pound Can Fresh Lump Crab Meat (drain if necessary)
- 1/2 C Panko Bread Crumbs
- 1 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 2-3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil or Canola Oil (brushing air fryer and tops of crab cakes )
Instructions
Preheat air fryer to 390° F
In a large bowl mix together egg replacer, Worcestershire, mayonnaise, hot sauce, mustard, lemon juice, sea salt, smoked paprika, and celery.
Make sure it is well combined.
Once mixed well, fold in lump crab meat and panko.
Fold again until combined.
Use a large serving spoon and portion into 6 while still in the mixing bowl.
Now take each portion into the palm of the hand and shape a crab cake, allowing the serving spoon to gently shape. Do not press too hard or the lump crab will crumble.
Brush air fryer basket with oil.
Add in 3 crab cakes at a time, evenly spaced.
Brush the top of each cake with a little of the oil reserve.
Program Air Fryer to 5 Minutes and do not open until the cycle is done.
Remove the crab cakes, as they will be golden brown and fully cooked.
Repeat the process for the other 3.
Serve Warm
Notes
You can use eggs, just use 2 whole eggs if you do that.
If you don't like hot sauce eliminate it, however, the recipe is not the same without it, and the hot sauce is more flavor than hot, as the amount used is so far less than the rest of all the ingredients involved.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 300Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 201mgSodium: 690mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 19g
Nutrition information is not always accurate.
Wow the food looks amazing… and the recipe look I can do it, thanks for sharing I would definitely gonna try this out…