Maryland Crab Cakes with Homemade Tarter Sauce {Paleo, Gluten-Free & Low-Carb)

Who else LOVES crab cakes?? They are such a delicious treat, but they are notoriously filled with wheat-based fillers. With just a simple swap of ingredients, I’ve made the perfect crab cakes – Maryland Crab Cakes with Homemade Tarter Sauce {Paleo, Gluten-Free & Low-Carb} – that’s jam-packed with delicious crab but no gluten/grain fillers.

Every June we spend a long weekend at the Lowe’s Wharf Marina in Sherwood, Maryland, eating fresh Maryland blue crabs and fishing for striper bass (rockfish).

While there I learned that the key to making an authentic Maryland crab cake is to keep the ingredients simple and avoid overusing binding fillers. Nothing is worse than getting a crab cake that’s all filler and hardly any crabmeat!

These little cakes of crabby deliciousness will become one of your favorite recipes. For best results, use fresh Maryland blue crab if you can find it.

Maryland Crab Cakes with Homemade Tarter Sauce {Paleo, Gluten-Free & Low-Carb)

Print Pin Facebook

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

FOR HOMEMADE TARTAR SAUCE:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
• 1/4 small Onion

FOR CRAB CAKES:

• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1 large Egg(s) beaten
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay
• 1 pound fresh or canned lump crabmeat preferably Maryland blue crab, picked clean of shells
• 1/2 cup Butter (or ghee)
• Lemon wedges for serving

Instructions

• To make the tartar sauce: In a small-size bowl, combine the mayonnaise, relish, and onion. Store, covered, in the fridge until ready to serve.
• To make the crab cakes: In a large-size bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, coconut flour, Dijon, egg, and seafood seasoning.
• Carefully fold in the crabmeat, being as careful as possible not to separate the lumps of meat. Gently form about ½ cup of the crab mixture into a cake about 3 inches wide x 1 inch thick with your palms. Once formed, set aside on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Repeat to form 3 more crab cakes.
• Heat the butter in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add the crab cakes and fry for about 4 minutes on each side, until nice and golden. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate to drain. Serve with the tartar sauce and plenty of fresh lemon wedges.

Notes

After you form the crab cakes, they can be frozen on a parchment-lined cookie sheet for approximately 2 hours, then transferred to a sealed container or plastic zip-top bag. Cook frozen cakes just as you would if they were fresh, adding a few minutes of cooking time to each side of the cake.

Tried this recipe?Mention @hayley_inthekitchen or tag #hayley_inthekitchen!