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Grilling 24x7 » Recipes » Maryland Style Smoked Crab Cakes

Maryland Style Smoked Crab Cakes

by Frank Campanella 2 Comments

Jump to Recipe

Step up your crab cakes with a kiss of smoke. These cedar plank smoked crab cakes are as good as you will find in any restaurant…actually better.

Easy to prepare and packed with jumbo lump Crab and just enough filler to hold them together.

Speaking of Crab be sure to checkout my Chesapeake Crab Butter Sauce, Creamy White Crab Chili, Air Fried Crab Cake Egg Rolls

smoked crab cakes on a cedar plank

Smoked Crab Cakes Recipe

This recipe was born out of necessity but turned out so good that I’ve been making crab cakes this way for years.

I was on vacation at the beach with the family and unfortunately the oven at the house we rented broke. We had all this fresh crab meat but no way to cook it.

Then I looked on the deck and saw an old beat up gas grill. It wasn’t ideal but I knew I could make it work.

I ran out and pick up some Cedar Planks that you can normally find in the grilling supplies area of any grocery store.

Cedar Planks are perfect for grilling Fish but can also make a great surface for cooking crab cakes on your grill or smoker. Just make sure you soak the planks in water for at least 30 minutes so they don’t burn.

As the planks heat they will start to bow and release a mild wood flavor into the smoked crab cake.

Cedar plank smoked crab cakes

Let’s Talk Smoked Crab Cakes

Since I’m home and I’ve got my favorite piece of grilling equipment my Rectec 700. I figured that would be my cooker of choice for this recipe.

Whether your smoking fish or crab cakes I recommend higher heat and shorter time when smoking seafood. The goal is to just add a subtle kiss of smoke to the delicate meat.

Unlike large thick cuts like brisket and butts, seafood won’t benefit from a long smoky cook.

There’s no connective tissue to break down so the goal is just to impart a little flavor during the cooking process.

How to make Maryland crab cakes on the grill

Ritz Crackers are the best Binder for Smoked Crab Cakes. Prove me Wrong!

I’ve worked in a lot of restaurants in my career and seen plenty of crab cake recipes. Let me first say that if you put bell peppers or cheese in your smoked crab cakes then you need to stop immediately.

That’s an abomination and disrespectful to the crab. Sorry but I have a strong opinion about that.

Now another area of heated debate is what fillers to use to bind your smoked crab cake. Some folks say cubed white bread or saltines are best. Others use cornmeal or breadcrumbs.

Those all do a fine job but just don’t bring any flavor to the game. Ritz Crackers not only have that buttery flavor but they also absorb other flavors of the crab cake.

I also love to use ritz crackers because one sleeve is the perfect amount for this recipe. You just crush them up while still in the sleeve then pour into the mixing bowl.

If you are gluten free or low carb I’ve got a great keto crab cake recipe from culinary lion that’s you can check out as well.

How to make Maryland crab cakes on the grill

Whats the Best Crabmeat to Buy?

Crabmeat is expensive, it doesn’t matter where you live or who you know. At the date of writing this blog the going price for jumbo lump crab was about $36 and backfin was $24.

There’s no shame in using all backfin crab especially if you’re using fresh crabmeat.

I like to use a combination so that I can get those big beautiful lumps from the jumbo and fill in the blanks with the backfin.

Depending on the time of year or the region you live in fresh crab meat may not be an option. Your next best bet is to use pasteurized crab meat.

Though pasteurized crab tends to be a little more bland you can compensate with the other ingredients in your crab cakes. Most pasteurized crab meat is going to come from the Far East.

Regulations can vary a lot but I try to look for crab meat that is cooked on board and pasteurized immediately. Crab meat from the Philippines and Vietnam tend to be the best. I try to avoid any crab meat from China if possible

maryland style smoked crab cakes

Ingredient List for Smoked Crab Cakes

For exact amounts see printable recipe card below

  • Ritz Crackers
  • Jumbo Lump Crab Meat
  • Backfin Crab Meat
  • Mayonnaise 
  • Eggs
  • Lemon
  • Dijon Mustard
  • Fresh Chopped Parsley 
  • Old Bay
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • Tabasco Sauce
Best crab cake recipe

Size Matters…Well Kinda

I portioned these crab cakes and got ten 6 oz. crab cakes, depending on how many people your serving you can adjust the portion size. I think 5-6 oz is perfect because it’s a generous portion and will cook evenly.

If you want to serve these as an appetizer portion then into 2 oz portions for a fantastic tailgate snack that everyone will be talking about.

If you really just want to show off you can portion out a few 10 oz crab cakes, they will take longer to cook so be sure to reach an internal temperature of 150 degrees F. before serving.

Questions about Smoked Crab Cakes?

Can you use Imitation Crabmeat?

Because of the texture of imitation crabmeat I don’t recommend it for this recipe. Believe it or not if you are trying to make the recipe more economical I would recommend using a few filets of flaky white fish. Poach for 5-7 minutes then cool and flake the fish to the size of crabmeat. Then add your ingredients and prepare the recipe just as you would with crabmeat.

Can you make this smoked crab cake recipe in the oven?

Sure, you won’t have that smoked flavor but you will still have delicious Maryland style crab cakes and thats never a bad thing. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees F for about 12-15 minutes until golden brown.

Can you freeze Smoked Crab Cakes?

Im not a big fan of freezing crabmeat as a general rule but If you must freeze make sure to remove as much air as possible to minimize ice crystals forming on the crab cakes. Dont freeze for longer than 2 months.

How long will smoked crab cakes last in the fridge.

On average smoked crab cakes will last about 3-4 days in the fridge depending on how fresh the crabmeat was to begin with. Give the crab cakes a smell, if there’s any fish sour smell discard immediately. My golden rule is “when in doubt, throw it out”

Best crab cake recipe

Cocktail or Tartar Sauce… can’t we have both??

I have to admit I’m a dipper. I’m sure purists will say that if you need cocktail or tartar sauce then your crab cakes aren’t good. That’s just nonsense.

Just as a French fry can be enhanced by ketchup so to can a dab of sauce compliment the flavor of your crab cake.

I’ll even cross the streams sometimes and have a cocktail and tartar sauce in the same bite…cause that’s what kinda guy I am.

Either way I’ve got you covered with recipes for both cocktail and tartar below. If you need a quick side to serve along side the crab cakes I would recommend these BBQ Spaghetti Squash Rings

smoked Crab Cakes with homemade cocktail sauce

More Amazing Crab Recipes!!

  • Creamy White Crab Chili
  • Chesapeake Crab Butter Sauce
  • Jumbo Lump Crab Burgers
  • Ultimate Guide To Steamed Blue Crabs
  • Chesapeake Crab Dip
  • Chesapeake Crab Stuffed Morel Mushrooms

smoked crab cakes on a cedar plank
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Cedar Plank Smoked Crab Cakes

Step up your crab cakes with a kiss of smoke. These cedar plank smoked crab cakes are as good as you will find in any restaurant…actually better.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, BBQ
Keyword Cocktail sauce, Crab Cakes, Rectec, Tartar Sauce
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 10
Calories 231kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 Sleeve Ritz Crackers
  • 2 lbs Jumbo Lump Crab Meat
  • 1 Lb Backfin Crab Meat
  • ½ cup Mayonnaise
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 Juice of Lemon
  • 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
  • 2 tbsp Fresh Chopped Parsley
  • 2 tsp Old Bay
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp Tabasco Sauce

Instructions

  • Soak cedar planks for 30 minutes
  • In a mixing bowl combine mayo, eggs, Dijon, Worcestershire, Tabasco, and lemon. Whisk until smooth
  • While still in the sleeve crush up Ritz crackers and pour into a separate bowl along with parsley and old bay
  • Gently pick through the crab meat looking for bits of shell. Make sure not to break up the lumps too much. Then add to the cracker mixture.
  • Gently fold the crab meat with the cracker mixture until combined then pour half of the wet mixture. Fold gently and then add just enough of the mixture so that you can form a ball that holds together. Let mixture sit for about 15-20 minutes in the fridge to set up.
  • Portion crab cakes and place on cedar planks, brush with butter and sprinkle with a dusting of old bay.
  • Smoke at 350 degrees F for about 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Look for an internal temperature of about 150 degrees F.

Nutrition

Calories: 231kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 1269mg | Potassium: 299mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 159IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 1mg
tartar sauce recipe
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Tartar Sauce

Course Condiment
Cuisine French
Keyword Tartar Sauce
Prep Time 5 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 132kcal

Ingredients

  • ⅔ cup Mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp Dill Pickle Relish
  • 2 tbsp Thinly Sliced Scallions
  • 1 tsp Tabasco Sauce
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • ¼ tsp Old Bay

Instructions

  • Whisk all ingredients to combine

Nutrition

Calories: 132kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 183mg | Potassium: 6mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 27IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 1mg
cocktail sauce recipe
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Cocktail Sauce

Course Condiment
Cuisine American
Keyword Cocktail sauce
Prep Time 5 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 37kcal

Ingredients

  • ¾ cups Ketchup
  • ¼ cup Horseradish
  • 1 tbsp Honey
  • 1 tbsp Pickle Juice
  • ¼ tsp Old Bay

Instructions

  • Whisk ingredients to combine.

Nutrition

Calories: 37kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 263mg | Potassium: 89mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 115IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 1mg

Smoked Crab cake recipe for a pellet smoker. recteq 700

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Comments

  1. Montgomery

    May 20, 2021 at 1:59 pm

    5 stars
    These were the very best crab cakes I have ever had. The smoke from the cedar was subtle and added to the crab and old bay flavor.

    Reply
    • Culinary Lion

      May 20, 2021 at 5:52 pm

      makes my day to hear that, thank you so much!!!

      Reply

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