Making homemade Crab Cakes couldn’t be easier when you use your air fryer! They turn out perfectly crispy in no time at all. Top them with an easy lemon and Old Bay aioli for a real treat!
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Air fryers are one of my
This method is PERFECT for flourless, low carb crab cakes. The biggest problem when creating a keto crab cake is preventing them from falling apart since the traditional bread crumbs are out.
When using the air fryer, you don’t have to handle the crab cakes nearly as much as you do when traditionally frying them, so there is less opportunity for them to come apart.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Crab – I used canned lump crab meat, but you can use fresh crab meat as well. Just be sure that it is cooked and check that all the shells and tough cartilage pieces have been removed
- Dijon Mustard – I love the flavor of Dijon mustard, but yellow mustard would work well too.
- Celery Flakes – The purpose of using celery flakes versus fresh celery is to help absorb some of the excess moisture. Since the traditional breadcrumbs are omitted the dry celery helps bind the ingredients. If you would rather use fresh, just swap the flakes for 1/4 cup of finely diced celery and increase the almond flour by a tablespoon or two.
- Dried Parsley Flakes – The principal for the dried parsley is the same as the with the celery. If you want to use fresh just substitute 1 tablespoon of fresh chopped parsley and increase the almond flour by 1 tablespoon.
What if you aren’t counting carbs?
If you aren’t eating low carb or gluten free, no problem! Just swap plain breadcrumbs for the almond flour and follow the rest of the recipe as it is written.
Want to make them REALLY crispy?
If you are a fan of breaded crab cakes and want to mimic that here, just coat the outside in additional almond flour (or panko breadcrumbs if you aren’t eating low carb). Then, lightly spritz with oil before cooking.
Don’t have an air fryer?
First, get one! Second, don’t worry, you can fry these crab cakes in a skillet. To do this, you will want to chill the formed patties in the fridge for one hour, or freezer for 30 minutes before cooking. Then coat the bottom of a large skillet with oil suited for high temps (I use avocado oil).
Heat the oil over medium heat, and add the chilled crab cakes. Fry for 3-5 minutes on each side. Then transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain the excess oil.
Helpful Tools:
- Air Fryer – I’ve linked to the one I have below and I absolutely LOVE it! It has two trays and holds a ton of food which is great for a large family. I also love that it has a light, so
i can check on the food without opening the air fryer. - Fish Turner – This is one of my favorite kitchen tools EVER. It’s great for flipping delicate things such as pancakes, fish, or in this case crab cakes 🙂
- Cast Iron Skillet – If you are going to fry these the traditional way then a
well seasoned cast iron skillet it the way to go. I linked to the exact skillet I use below. It’s a great size and super affordable onamazon . - Ice cream scoop with trigger release – Nope, not a typo. Most Ice cream scoops (including the one linked below) are a perfect 1/4 cup which is exactly the size I recommend making these crab cakes plus the trigger release makes it SO easy to form the ‘cakes’. I scoop the meat up with the ice cream scoop, use the trigger to release, then just flatten it a bit and voila, completely uniform crab cakes!
Storage and Meal Prep Tips
The cooked crab cakes will keep in the fridge for several days and can be reheated in the microwave, oven or air fryer.
You can also batch cook a bunch of these by simply freezing the formed (but not yet cooked) crab cakes on a parchment lined baking sheet. Once they are completely frozen, transfer them to a sealed, freezer safe container.
To cook the crab cakes from frozen, just pop them into the air fryer, adding an additional 3-5 minutes to the cooking times listed in the recipe card.
Be sure to check out these other great recipes:
- Air Fryer Fried Chicken | Keto, Gluten Free
- Crispy Air Fryer Pork Chops | Keto, Gluten Free
- Easy Low Carb Clam Chowder
Air Fryer Crab Cakes
Ingredients
- 18 oz Canned Lump Crab Meat drained
- 2 Large Eggs
- 2 1/2 tbsp Mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 tbsp Dried Celery
- 2 tsp Dried Parsley
- 1/4 cup Almond Flour
- 1/2 tsp Salt
Easy Lemon and Old Bay Aioli:
- 1/4 cup Mayonnaise
- 1/2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
- 2-3 tsp Lemon Juice
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients for crab cakes in a large bowl. Gently fold everything together being careful not to break up the crab meat too much.
- Line the basket or tray of your air fryer with aluminum foil and grease with oil or nonstick spray. NOTE: If your air fryer has more then one rack, only use one at a time for best results.
- Scoop 1/4 cup of the crab mixture onto the prepared aluminum foil, and form into a circle about 1/2 inch thick. You should be able to make about 10 crab cakes.
- Cook the crab cakes at 320 degrees for 10 minutes, flipping after 5 minutes.
- To prepare the aioli, simply combine all ingredients in a small bowl.
- Serve the crab cakes topped with the aioli if desired.
Notes
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