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These keto crab cakes are easy to prepare and make the most tender, juicy cakes with the perfect crunch and flaky center. It’s my favorite keto appetizer. 2 grams of net carbs.
Looking for more keto appetizers? Try my keto sausage balls, keto jalapeño poppers, and keto mozzarella sticks next.
Growing up, my dad always had a knack for making the best crab cakes. As soon as I set out on my own, it was one of the first recipes I made for myself. Now that I’m keto, I’ve been re-creating my favorite dishes to make them low-carb without skimping on flavor, and these low carb crab cakes tick both boxes!
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Multiple cooking methods. While I prefer my dad’s classic stovetop method, I had to include oven-baked and air fryer instructions too.
- Versatile. I can eat these crab cakes all by themselves as a main dish, but they’re equally delicious as an appetizer with dipping sauce, on a salad, or in a sandwich. The options are limitless, and I’ll be sure to give you more suggestions later.
- Made with real crab meat. Giving these crab cakes a rich depth of flavor and meaty texture.
Ingredients needed
- Crabmeat– I used canned jumbo lump crabmeat with the excess liquid removed. I also tested this recipe with fresh crab meat and didn’t notice a huge flavor difference.
- Egg– Holds the crab cakes together.
- Mayonnaise– Whole egg or full-fat mayonnaise.
- Lemon juice– Just a pinch to balance out the other ingredients.
- Keto bread crumbs– This is the best keto bread crumb alternative, but you can also use almond flour or coconut flour.
- Parsley– Finely chopped, not dried.
- Green onion– Roughly chopped.
- Salt and pepper– To taste.
- Oil– To fry the crab cakes in.
Best crab meat for crab cakes
Not all crab meats are created equal. Of the three main types, each varies in texture, price, and flavor.
- Jumbo lump crab meat. Made with larger chunks of crab meat, making it more expensive and more flavorful.
- Lump crab meat. Second in quality, it’s moderately priced and made with smaller chunks of crab meat. It still holds its shape fairly well, so it’ll work perfectly for crabcakes.
Backfin crab meat. The cheapest of the three. It’s made with a mixture of special and jumbo lump. Given its finer texture, it’s better in crab dips or crab rangoon.
How to make keto crab cakes
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Combine ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ingredients. Using your hands, form 8 large balls and press down into patties.
Step 2- Fry. Grease a nonstick skillet and place it over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the patties and cook for 5 minutes, then carefully flip and cook for another 5 minutes. Repeat until all the patties are cooked.
Step 3- Serve. Serve the crab cakes immediately, or let them cool to room temperature.
Alternative cooking options
If you don’t feel like pan-frying these crab cakes, I’ve tested this recipe in the air fryer and the oven.
Air fryer method: Similar to air fryer crab cakes, combine the crab meat with the other ingredients and shape it into patties. Place the patties in a greased air fryer basket and air fry at 400F/200C for 7-8 minutes, flipping halfway through. Work in batches so the crab cakes touch but do not overlap.
Oven method: Place the shaped crab cakes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake them at 400F/200C for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Arman’s recipe tips and variations
- Don’t overmix. Otherwise, the crab meat will lose its chunky texture. Only mix until the ingredients are fully combined.
- Experiment with different flavors. Add a few teaspoons of Dijon mustard, fresh garlic, Worcestershire sauce, or Old Bay seasoning.
- Add more breadcrumbs. If the crab meat is especially juicy, add an extra 1-2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs. The crab mixture should be soft yet firm enough to hold its shape when pressed.
- Chill them before frying. If you find your uncooked crab cakes are quite fragile, you can chill them for an hour prior to frying them.
- Don’t crowd the pan. Too many crab cakes in the pan will lower the oil’s temperature and cause them to fry unevenly. I usually stick to no more than 2-3 at a time.
- Make a homemade tartar sauce. Nothing pairs better than crab cakes and tartar sauce. To make keto tartar sauce, combine keto mayo, pickles, lemon juice, and fresh parsley.
What to serve with this dish
love eating a plate of crab cakes with a little tartar sauce, spicy mayo, or keto honey mustard. You can also serve them on top of a green salad or keto spinach salad, in a sandwich with some keto bread, or in place of English muffins in an eggs benedict!
Storage instructions
To store: Crab cakes should be stored in the refrigerator, covered. They will keep well for up to 1 week.
To freeze: Place leftover crab cakes in a shallow container or ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Reheating: Either microwave for 30-45 seconds or reheat in the air fryer or in a preheated oven at 200C/400F for 5-6 minutes.
More keto seafood recipes to try
Keto Crab Cakes
Ingredients
- 18 ounces crab meat canned, drained
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 4 green onions chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon keto bread crumbs
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix very well, until combined. Using your hands, form 8 large balls and press down into patties.
- Generously grease a non-stick pan and place it over medium heat. Once hot, add the patties and cook for 5 minutes, before carefully flipping and cooking for a further 5 minutes. Repeat the process until all the patties have been cooked.
- Serve the crab cakes immediately, or let them cool to room temperature.
I made these tonight and they are so yummy and easy to make. Crab cakes are going into our regular menu rotation.
Can I use imitation crab in this recipe? Thank you.
“Also known as surimi, imitation crab meat is not keto friendly. While it does contain some protein, it also contains excessive carbs and sugar, which could kick anyone out of ketosis.
Stick to canned crab meat in brine or springwater, which generally should contain nothing but crab in it!”