Succulent jumbo-lump crab. Crisp pan-sear. Fresh and flavorful herbs, lemon, bell pepper, and chives. The thickest and creamiest (and easiest!) goat cheese-yogurt sauce with herbs, capers, lemon zest, garlic, and chives. These crab cakes bring 5-star dining (or even better!) into your home and make the perfect romantic dinner any day of the week.
Updated 8/3/2017 from original posting on 3/20/2016.
For me, a good crab cake means good crab…and lots of it. For a long time, I refused to order crab cakes at seafood restaurants because what I often got was a breadcrumb cake with a couple strands of crab. Disappointment.
But then I took to the kitchen, and what emerged was these delectable, ultra-flavorful, crab-o-loaded crisp cakes–and one of my favorite meals to date.
Jumbo-lump crab + creamy Greek yogurt + just enough whole grain breadcrumbs makes a heavenly succulent texture, with a little crisp from bell pepper and a pan-seared exterior.
And the flavor though…Old Bay, fresh herbs, chives, and a tangy lemon-garlic-caper-goat cheese-yogurt sauce (which is so thick and creamy and yummy and wonderful you just don’t even understand). Also, to be sure, good quality crab lends no “fishy” taste whatsoever, but is beautifully delicate and mild, a perfect canvas for fresh ingredients bursting with flavor.
Served with roasted potatoes (pictured with EVOO, Dijon, garlic, thyme, lemon, and Parmigiano-Reggiano), a velvety twice-baked potato (like this spinach artichoke twice-baked potato!), roasted or sautéed veggies (pictured is sautéed broccoli with garlic and lemon), risotto, polenta, healthy buttermilk cornbread (!!!!) and/or any other favorite sides…
And you have a satisfying, nutritious meal that tastes and looks like it came right out of a five-star restaurant. (And it’s not even hard to do!)
Lemon Herb Crab Cakes with Creamy Garlic Chive Sauce
Delicious, light, succulent, crisp, and ultra-flavorful cakes, impressive for any celebration or weeknight!
Notes
*Opt for an oil that's safe for higher-heat cooking, like avocado oil or almond oil.
**If you don't have breadcrumbs, you can make your own breadcrumbs by toasting whole grain bread, allowing to cool, then pulsing in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Store in an air-tight bag in the freezer so they're ready-to-go in any recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp oil*
- 6 oz jumbo-lump crab meat, shredded with a fork
- 1 Tbsp light mayo
- 2.5 Tbsp (~20 g) whole grain breadcrumbs**
- 1 egg white
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp grated lemon rind
- 1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil or parsley
- ~1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
For the creamy lemon herb sauce:
- 1 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt (2% or higher)
- 1 Tbsp chevre goat cheese
- 1/4 tsp fresh minced garlic
- 1 tsp chopped fresh chives
- 1 tsp chopped fresh basil or parsley
- 1/4 tsp grated lemon rind
- 1/2 tsp capers, halved (or finely chopped green olive)
Instructions
- Add crab to a mixing bowl; break up any large pieces. Add Greek yogurt through bell pepper and mix everything with hands until thoroughly combined. Divide into 4 cakes, tightly compressing each crab cake with 2 hands so excess moisture drips out. Set aside on a flat surface.
- Heat oil* in a nonstick skillet over medium to medium-high heat. When hot, add crab cakes and cook about 3 minutes per side, until browned and heated through. (Careful when flipping!)
- Meanwhile, combine ingredients for sauce in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Serve over crab cakes.
- Enjoy!
