One bowl 30 minute Easy Crab Cakes with Asian flavors. Serve with a Chili Garlic Aioli for the ultimate light meal or appetizer. Gluten Free and Dairy Free.ย
Crab cakes are oh so good. And easy crab cakes are even better. And easy crab cakes with Asian flavors might just be the best.
I sometimes forget how tender, soft and flavorful crab meat can be. Oh and pricey too.
I’m always making some sort of fish/seafood cakes or patties (think salmon cakes with hearts of palm, or chickpea and hearts of palm Asian tuna cakes) and those are quite delightful too, but sometimes you just have to treat yourself and splurge on the good stuff.
And that’s how I ended up with a $25 can of crab meat in my Wegman’s shopping cart. Might be expensive but good quality crab meat is worth every penny.
The flavors don’t compare to anything else.
And while I love a good classic easy crab cake you know the Asian flavors are always seducing me and taking me down their road. And so naturally I had to add a Thai flavor to these easy crab cakes.
For those extra Thai flavors I added ginger, tamari, lemongrass, scallions, cilantro and lime zest. Mix all that together, gently (and I mean gently) folding in the crab meat then mix in some crunchy gluten free panko breadcrumbs and these are ready for frying.
Very important when making crab cakes (and splurging on that fancy crab meat) is not to overmix in. Do not just throw everything into the bowl and mix until smooth. That’s just about the worst thing you can do to that flaky sensitive tender crab meat.
You want to be able to taste whole chunks of crab meat in every bite. So gently, very gently fold in the crab meat with all the other ingredients. Treat it delicately. It makes all the difference. Trust me on this one.
You could in theory bake these as well, but I personally prefer a bit of crunch on each side so always opt to lightly pan fry them instead.
I had no problem forming these into roundish rectangular cakes with the mixture just ever so slightly sticky but not falling apart. You don’t want to add too much panko so as not to dilute the strong flavors in these.
I decided to pan fry these on all sides, as in top bottom and on each side. So in the end I had something more like crab squares. Feel free to just pan fry on the top and bottom.
These easy crab cakes come together in less than 30 minutes and make for a perfect appetizer or light meal. I love to serve these with iceberg lettuce cups, thinly sliced cucumbers, cilantro, green onions, and a chili garlic aioli.
I love a good home made aioli and serve almost all my meals with one. This time I made the aioli with mayo, chili garlic sauce, tamari and lime zest.
Perfectly creamy and spicy with a hint of freshness from the lime zest. Is lime zest the best or what?
You could also serve this on bread or burger buns for a heartier meal.
Once these crab cakes were ready I could not stop myself. The Thai flavors were strong and sharp and the crab meat super tender and clumped together – just how I like it.
Next time you’re making crab cakes be sure to add a hint of Thai Asian flavors!
- 12 ounces fresh crab meat
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon tamari
- 1 tablespoon chopped lemongrass
- 1/2 cup diced green onion
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 lime zested
- 1/2 gluten free panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
- 1 tablespoon tamari
- 2-3 teaspoons lime zest
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In a large bowl combine ginger, 1 tablespoon tamari, lemongrass, green onions, cilantro, zest of 1 lime. Mix. Add crab meat and gently fold into the mixture. Add panko and gently fold into the mixture.
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Heat olive oil in pan over medium-high heat and form round cakes out of the crab mixture.
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Pan fry on each side for 4-6 minutes until browned and cooked through.
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In a small bowl combine the aioli ingredients - mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon tamari, chili garlic sauce and 2-3 teaspoons lime zest.
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Serve crab cakes with aioli.
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Optional: serve them with iceberg lettuce, cucumbers, green onions, cilantro, Sriracha, etc.
Archana says
Very Nice recipe. I am going to try.
Vicky says
Thanks! Enjoy!
Lisa says
These look and sound fantastic!!! I wish we had access to better fresh seafood here in land-locked Iowa!! I’ll keep this recipe in mind if I ever do get some crab that’s actually worth the money…I love all the flavors you used in this recipe!
Vicky says
Thanks! It’s too bad you don’t have better seafood options in Iowa — though I guess the land locked status must be responsible for that! Whenever you head to the East coast make sure to get your crab and seafood fix!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Love making quick meals for weeknight dinners and this looks great!
Vicky says
Thanks! Quick weeknight meals are a time saver!
Sharon says
I totally agree…good crab meat is key to a great crab cake. I love your Asian take on these. And aioli makes everything better ๐
Vicky says
Can’t get away with using the low quality cheap crab meat on a proper crab cake ! And yes aioli does make everything better!
Katie Crenshaw says
I LOVE crab cakes. These look so beautiful and yummy. I can’t wait to make them.
Vicky says
Thanks! Crab cakes are the BEST!
Mary says
So simple! My family will like it.