Smoked Crab Cakes Recipe

Smoked crab cakes offer a delightful twist on a classic seafood favorite, infusing rich, smoky flavors into the tender lump crab meat. These savory cakes are gently mixed with a blend of spices and minimal fillers and smoked low and slow on cedar planks on the grill.

Why This Recipe Works

Heavy on the Crab, Light on the Breading: The key to making the absolute best smoked crab cakes is keeping the recipe heavy on the crab, light on the breading. We add a little bit of panko breadcrumbs and eggs to make sure that they stay moist and stick together. But, the flavor from these comes from the juicy lump crab meat with aromatic ingredients that come together perfectly when smoked low and slow!

Restaurant Quality at Home: If you are like me and love ordering crab cakes at the restaurant, you are going to love these. And once you make them at home, you can save some money! You won’t ever have to go to a restaurant to get your crab cake fix. Seriously, these are restaurant-quality crab cakes that are easy to make at home and so amazingly delicious!

Supplies Needed

• Mixing Bowl
• Cedar Planks
• Smoker or Grill

Smoked Crab Cake Ingredients

• Lump Crab Meat: Lump crab meat is perfect for making this smoked cake recipe! Make sure it’s real crab meat, imitation crab will not work here!
• Mayo: For a creamy richness!
• Eggs: Eggs help the crab cakes to stick together.
• Panko Bread Crumbs: Panko bread crumbs help to keep these smoked crab cakes super moist! When the juice is released while cooking, the bread crumbs soak it up and keep the moisture inside the crab cake.
• Green Onions: For a savory, aromatic flavor.
• Worcestershire Sauce: Adds a hint of tangy umami flavor!
• Lemon Juice: For just a hint of tang, which goes well with crab meat!
• Paprika: Paprika adds a sweet, slightly peppery taste.
• Salt & Pepper: To taste.
• Tabasco Sauce: If you like a hint of spice, add some tabasco sauce!

How To Make Smoked Crab Cakes

Preparation:

1. Preheat: Preheat the smoker and set it for indirect heat. Soak two cedar planks in water for a minimum of 15 minutes.
2. Prep Crab Meat: Remove the crab meat from the packaging and pat it dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
3. Make Crab Cakes Mixture: In a bowl, combine lump crab meat, mayo, beaten eggs, panko bread crumbs, green onions, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, paprika, salt, and pepper. If adding the Tabasco for heat, do so as well.
4. Mix & Make into Patties: Mix the crab cake mixture together until it is just combined and appears to hold or stick together. Use a 1/4 measuring cup or large cookie scoop to form six evenly sized balls. Shape each one into a patty, and keep them equal in size for even cooking.
5. Place on Cedar: Place three crab cake patties onto one cedar plank and repeat with the other three.

Smoking Instructions:

1. Smoke: Place the cedar planks directly onto the grill grates and smoke low and slow for at least 1 hour or until the crab cakes are golden brown and heated through (depending on the size, they may need an additional 30 minutes or so). According to the FDA, crab cakes should be cooked to 165 F.
2. Remove & Serve: Remove the cedar planks from the grill and serve with my homemade Cajun remoulade sauce, tartar sauce, and homemade cocktail sauce. If you want to make it a little more filling try topping with grilled esquites or salsa if desired!

Ways To Serve

Smoked crab cakes are delicious on their own with a squeeze of lemon juice and served as a simple appetizer. They are also delicious with dipping sauces such as remoulade sauce or tartar sauce! If you want an addition of freshness, try serving them with grilled esquites or my favorite fish taco slaw.

You can serve up these appetizers with a full spread of other appetizers like my mussels in white wine cream sauce, pepperoncini dip, and a gorgeous caviar board!

Expert Tips

• Gently mix the crab mixture until just combined! Avoid overmixing the crab cake mixture, as it will start to break up the pieces of crab and you won’t get as many large, juice chunks!
• If you don’t have a smoker, you can use any style grill for this recipe, including a gas grill. Just be sure to use indirect heat with two-zone cooking if not using a traditional smoker!
• To store leftover smoked crab cakes, place them in an airtight container in the fridge and refrigerate for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the smoked and cooled crab cakes by wrapping them in plastic wrap placing them in a freezer-safe container and freezing them for up to 2 months.

More Recipes To Try

• Smoked Crab Legs
• Smoked Crab Dip
• Langostino Ceviche
• Grinder Salad Recipe
• Mediterranean Cod
• Easy Air Fryer Crab Cakes