Air fryer crab cakes made with lump crabmeat and healthy ingredients make them the perfect dinner or appetizer! This recipe is great for taking frozen crab cakes from the freezer to the table in less than 15 minutes! Less than 130 calories and over 15 grams of protein per serving.
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If you're just starting to air fry seafood you may have tried salmon or shrimp, but have you tried air fryer crab cakes? It's incredible to taste how delicious these are, even better than pan fried or in the oven!
Serve these as a meal with brussel sprouts or green beans or in mini size as a fun appetizer for your next party, Thanksgiving, Christmas or holiday gathering. Don't forget to top them with the homemade remoulade sauce!
What Makes This Recipe Work
- Restaurant quality and perfect for any season - they are the easy solution for holiday meals or at summer parties on top of a salad.
- Easy to cook from frozen and take them from the freezer to the table in less than 15 minutes. They don't need to be thawed!
- Made with healthier ingredients (no mayo!) and air fried making them less fat and calories than traditional fried versions.
- Can be made into mini sized making it the perfect air fryer appetizer.
- Delicious sweet crab with crispy outsides and with tender and juicy insides.
- This recipe is a true Maryland style crab cake. There are visible pieces of crab with just enough filler to hold it together.
Ingredients For This Recipe
Here are the ingredients you need to make this recipe. Reference the recipe card at the bottom for exact measurements and the notes below for substitution ideas.
- Lump crabmeat: Use canned large lump crab, you want to have larger lumps for Maryland style.
- Greek yogurt: May substitute for sour cream or mayo if desired.
- Panko breadcrumbs: homemade breadcrumbs or gluten free breadcrumbs will work also.
- Season salt: can also use Old Bay seasoning if desired.
How to Make This Recipe
This is a step by step walkthrough of how to cook this recipe. Exact cook time and temperatures are available in the recipe card at the bottom.
- Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Using a cookie scooper, scoop out 7 to 8 large size crab cakes.
- You can half one scoop for appetizer or maintain the larger size for a dinner-sized portion. Shape them into patties and place onto the grate sprayed with coconut oil spray.
- Cook for about 10 minutes, flipping halfway or until desired crispness.
- Meanwhile, you can make a healthy remoulade sauce. Mix together the Greek yogurt, lemon juice paprika, horseradish, cajun seasoning, dijon mustard and garlic and set aside until ready.
Expert Tips
- Storage: Store cooked crab cakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: To freeze and air fry later follow recipe instructions until placing them into the basket. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place into the freezer for about 1 hour or until frozen. Store frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- If patties are having a hard time coming together refrigerate for an hour rather than over-mixing and they should be easier to form.
- To make mini air fryer crab cakes use a small cookie scoop to scoop out approximately 20 appetizer sized portions. Reduce cook time to 5-7 minutes depending on size.
- Do not over-mix when constructing to keep large lumps intact.
- Spray basket with coconut oil cooking spray or line with parchment paper or foil to ensure they do not stick.
- To make recipe keto or low carb friendly swap out Panko breadcrumbs for toasted almond flour.
- I tested this recipe in the Ultrean air fryer but the Ninja Foodi, Phillips, Cosori, Cuisinart or any other model will have the same directions.
Recipe FAQs
If they are frozen, add an additional 3-5 minutes to the recipe cooking time.
I've found 370F for about 10 minutes is a great temperature and time to air fry these.
Cook them in the oven at 400F for 15-25 minutes per side. Broil for the last few minutes to crisp up the outside.
Air frying is a cooking method marries the best of both worlds, giving you that crisp on the outside but without the heavy frying. It is less calories and fat to air fry or bake them than to deep fry.
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Air Fryer Crab Cakes
Equipment
Ingredients
Crab Cake Ingredients
- 16 oz can lump crab meat
- ¾ cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 3 green onions minced finely
- 1 tablespoon season salt
- 2 tablespoon Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
Remoulade Ingredients
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon horseradish
- 2 cloves garlic minced
Instructions
Crab Cake Instructions
- Combine all of the crab ingredients in a bowl. Using a cookie scooper, scoop out 7 to 8 large size patties.
- You can half one scoop for mini appetizer crab cakes or maintain the larger size for a dinner-sized portion. Shape them into patties and place onto the grate sprayed with coconut oil spray.
- Cook for about 10 minutes at 370F or until desired crispness.
Remoulade Instructions
- Mix up all remoulade ingredients and set aside until ready to use.
Notes
- Storage: Store cooked crab cakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: To freeze and air fry later follow recipe instructions until placing them into the basket. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place into the freezer for about 1 hour or until frozen. Store frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- Oven Directions: Cook them in the oven at 400F for 15-25 minutes per side. Broil for the last few minutes to crisp up the outside.
- If patties are having a hard time coming together refrigerate for an hour rather than over-mixing and they should be easier to form.
- To make mini air fryer crab cakes use a small cookie scoop to scoop out approximately 20 appetizer sized portions. Reduce cook time to 5-7 minutes depending on size.
- Do not over-mix when constructing to keep large lumps intact.
- Spray basket with coconut oil cooking spray or line with parchment paper or foil to ensure crab cakes do not stick.
Alyssa
I found some snow crab on sale and decided to give it a try. Normally I only have shrimp or salmon so this was a great change of pace. Not only was this delicious but so easy! Usually when I make a mixture like this things never hold their shape, but this recipe everything held together perfectly.
Lyndsey
I'm so glad you liked it Alyssa! Kudos to finding crab on sale, what a find!
Candice
What temp for the air fryer???
Lyndsey
It's 370F. I will update the recipe card, thanks for letting me know it's not appearing.