Go Back
+ servings
Close up of plated mini crab cakes topped with cilantro lime sauce dallop and cilantro leaf.
Print

Mini Crab Cakes with Lime Cilantro Sauce

Crab cakes always intimidated me - until I decided to come up with my own recipe chock full of veggies!
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Refrigeration Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes
Servings 48 mini crab cakes
Calories 68kcal
Author Katie

Equipment

  • Stove Top
  • Refrigerator

Ingredients

For the Crab Cakes

  • 2 tablespoon Land O Lakes® Salted Butter
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • ¾ cup red onion diced
  • 4 stalks celery diced small
  • 1 cup red and yellow bell pepper minced
  • ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley minced
  • ¼ teaspoon hot pepper sauce
  • ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 ½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 oz. lump crabmeat drained and picked to remove shells
  • ½ cup Italian Style bread crumbs
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 extra-large eggs lightly beaten

For frying

  • 4 tablespoon Land O Lakes® Salted Butter
  • ¼ cup olive oil

For the Cilantro Lime Sauce:

  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • ½ lime juiced and zested
  • ¼ cup cilantro minced
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • dash of black pepper

Instructions

For the Crab Cakes:

  • In a large sauté pan, place the 2 tablespoons Land O Lakes® Salted Butter, 2 tablespoons oil, onion, celery, red/yellow bell peppers, parsley, hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay seasoning, and pepper. Cook over medium-low heat until the vegetables are soft, (about 15-20 minutes). Cool the vegetables to room temperature.
  • In a large bowl, break the lump crabmeat into small pieces (double check to ensure there are no crab shells). Add the bread crumbs, mayonnaise, mustard, and eggs to the bowl. Add the cooked mixture of vegetables and mix well. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  • Shape into bite-sized crab cakes (about 1 tablespoon each).

For Frying:

  • Heat the Land O Lakes® Salted Butter and olive oil over medium heat in a large saute pan. Add the mini crab cakes to the pan and fry for 4-5 minutes on each side, until browned. Drain on paper towels. To keep them warm place them on a foiled line baking sheet in the oven on 250 degree.

For the Cilantro Lime Sauce:

  • In a large bowl, add mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, lime zest, cilantro, garlic powder, and dash of pepper. Mix well until incorporated. Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve the mini crab cakes.

Notes

  • Mini Crab Cakes - You can make about 48 - 1 tablespoon mini crab cakes with this recipe.
  • Bread Crumb Alternative - Want more of a Baltimore style crab cake? Crush 20 saltine crackers instead of the bread crumbs.
  • Chilling - It is very important to let the vegetables come to room temperature prior to adding to the mix. You could easily make the vegetables in the morning before you plan to make the crab cakes. You also need to let the entire crab cake mixture chill for at least a half hour. Letting it chill longer (up to 24 hours) will yield a thicker/fuller crab cake.

Nutrition

Calories: 68kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 97mg | Potassium: 33mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 109IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 0.2mg