Crab Cakes

Healthier version of my very favorite restaurant food! Perfect for entertaining because they are best made-ahead of time. So so so good!!

These crab cakes are 100% totally worth your time.

So so so so so good!

And they are perfect for this time of year because they are a make-ahead meal and great for entertaining

I love love love them!

Look at all that crab meat! Not too much breading in these…

Crab Cakes

Healthier version of my very favorite restaurant food! Perfect for entertaining because they are best made-ahead of time. So so so good!!

Print Rate

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Refrigeration Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Servings: 4

Author: Meme

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup cottage cheese
• 24 Saltine crackers crushed, {about 2/3 - 3/4 sleeve of crackers}
• 1/3 cup minced onion {green onion and/or red onion}
• 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning or salt-free Creole spice blend
• 1 tsp dried parsley crushed {or 1 TBSP fresh}
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp hot sauce
• 1 large egg lightly beaten
• 1 lb. crab meat {lump or claw meat}, picked over & any shells discarded
• 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 tsp salt-free Creole spice blend or Old Bay
• 1 TBSP minced green onion
• 1 TBSP butter
• 1 TBSP avocado oil

Instructions

Make the crab cakes

• Put cottage cheese in a mini food processor or blender and blend until smooth.
• In a medium plastic or glass bowl, stir together 2 TBSP blended cottage cheese, 1/2 cup Saltine cracker crumbs, 1/3 cup minced onion, Old Bay seasoning, parsley, nutmeg, hot sauce, and egg.
• Gently fold in crab meat, trying not to break up any lumps.
• If the mixture seems too wet, stir in a tablespoon or two of the remaining cracker crumbs. You want the mixture to barely hold together when formed into a ball.
• Shape crab cake mixture into 8 crab cakes. Transfer to a parchment or waxed paper lined baking sheet. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.

Make the sauce

• Transfer the remaining blended cottage cheese to a glass or plastic bowl. Stir in juice from 1/2 lemon, yogurt, Creole seasoning, 1 TBSP minced green onion, and hot sauce. Taste and add additional lemon juice or hot sauce if needed. Refrigerate until use.

Cook the crab cakes

• Put the remaining cracker crumbs in a shallow bowl or dish. Gently roll the crab cakes into crumbs to coat the outside. {For best results, refrigerate again for at least 15 minutes}.
• Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 TBSP olive oil and 1/2 TBSP butter. Swirl around in pan to combine.
• Put 4 crab cakes into pan, and cook until lightly browned on each side. It should take about 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer cooked crab cakes to a plate and keep warm.
• Add remaining 1/2 TBSP oil and 1/2 TBSP butter to skillet. Repeat with remaining 4 crab cakes.
• Serve with sauce on the side or on top of crab cakes. Enjoy!

Notes

*Refrigerating the crab cakes before cooking helps them hold together a lot better. You can skip refrigerating them for the second time after breading the outside, but this does help them stay together a little better.

*I used 2/3 cup Saltine cracker crumbs in the crab cake mixture.

*I used a combination of green onion and red onion in the crab cakes.

*To freeze, form crab cakes. Wrap individually in waxed or parchment paper. Put in airtight containers or bags. Seal tightly and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw in refrigerator for about 1-2 hours before cooking as directed.

Did you try this recipe?Be sure to leave a comment & recipe rating below. Bonus points for tagging @memeinge & #livingwellkitchen on Instagram! THANK YOU! xo

What to use in this recipe:

Meme