Crab Cake Sandwich with Old Bay Mayo
Poolside or picnic, this crab cake sandwich is your ticket to peak summer flavor.
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This is one of my favorite summer sandwiches. I grew up getting them from one of my favorite grocery stores, Wegmans, and eating them poolside in the summer heat. The brioche bread is light and airy and lets the delicate flavor of the crabmeat shine. The perfect crab cake should include an abundance of large lump-meat pieces loosely packed together with a few other ingredients, just enough to enhance the seafood flavor of the crab. The crab cakes are cooked until they develop a perfectly crisp, golden-brown exterior and layered onto the sandwich and garnished simply by marinated slices of tomato, lettuce and a bit of Old Bay remoulade.
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
- Crabmeat – I recommend using lump crab meat if you can find it. The meat comes from broken pieces of jumbo lump crab and large chunks of body meat. It’s slightly less expensive than the jumbo grade but still has great flavor and a bright color (should be white to slightly off-white), and you still get large chunks!
- Brioche bun – Brioche is an eggy, rich bread. It’s a bit sweeter than other buns and light enough that the delicate flavor of the crab can still shine. I always toast my buns before serving, as it helps it hold up the other ingredients.
- Lettuce – With wide, tender leaves with ruffled edges and a mild flavor, green leaf lettuce is a great addition to a sandwich. I like that it actually stays on the sandwich, unlike some other greens that have a tendency to shoot off.
- Tomato – Marinating the tomato in a bit of olive oil and kosher salt for just a few minutes before serving enhances the sweet natural flavor and brings out the sweet juices of the tomato.
- Mayonnaise – I use mayonnaise to both act as a binder in the crab cakes as well as to create the base of the sauce.
- Old Bay seasoning – This seasoning, synonymous with seafood, is a blend of savory spices like celery salt, bay leaf, mustard powder and black pepper among others.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Make Crab Cake Sandwiches (Step-by-step)
In a medium mixing bowl whisk together egg, mayonnaise, Dijon, Worcestershire, shallot, lemon juice and cayenne. Stir in the cracker crumbs and parsley until combined. Gently fold in the crabmeat so that it is combined, but the crab remains in large chunks. Season with salt and pepper.
Form the mixture into 4 discs about 1” (2.5cm) thick. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons (28g) of the olive oil to the pan.
Working in batches, add two of the crab cakes to the pan. Cook until golden brown on each side, about 3 minutes per side. Place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain; keep warm. Add the remaining olive oil to the pan and heat through; sauté the remaining crab cakes.
In a small bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, chives, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, Old bay seasoning and garlic until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. The remoulade can be made up to 4 days in advance.
Arrange the slices of tomato on a plate or platter. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Let marinate for at least 5 minutes.
Top the bottom of each bun with a leaf of lettuce. Top each with a crab cake followed by a slice of the marinated tomato. Spread 2 tablespoons (28g) of the Old Bay remoulade on the top of each bun then close the sandwich and serve.
Swaps and substitutions
- You can also use back fin crab meat for these crab cakes. It consists of smaller pieces of broken lump crab meat mixed with smaller pieces of body meat. It is still textured and has good flavor though not my favorite for crab cakes.
- The Old Bay remoulade can be swapped for simple mayonnaise or classic remoulade.
How to prep this recipe in advance
The crab cake mixture can be prepped up to a day in advance and shaped, then covered, and refrigerated until ready to cook and serve.
Other Recipes to Try
If you enjoy this crab cake sandwich, give these recipes a try and follow me on Instagram:
Crab Cake Sandwich with Old Bay Mayo
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Ingredients:
For the crab cakes:
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup crushed buttery snack crackers (I use Ritz®)
- 1½ tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 16 ounces lump crabmeat
- Kosher salt, as needed
- Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
For the Old Bay remoulade:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Kosher salt, as needed
- Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
For assembly and serving:
- 1 medium beefsteak tomato, sliced
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt, as needed
- 4 brioche buns, halved and toasted
- 4 leaves green leaf lettuce
- Lemon wedges
Instructions:
For the crab cakes:
- In a medium mixing bowl whisk together egg, mayonnaise, Dijon, Worcestershire, shallot, lemon juice and cayenne. Stir in the cracker crumbs and parsley until combined. Gently fold in the crabmeat so that it is combined, but the crab remains in large chunks. Season with salt and pepper.
- Form the mixture into 4 discs about 1” (2.5cm) thick. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons (28g) of the olive oil to the pan.
- Working in batches, add two of the crab cakes to the pan. Cook until golden brown on each side, about 3 minutes per side. Place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain; keep warm. Add the remaining olive oil to the pan and heat through; sauté the remaining crab cakes.
For the Old Bay remoulade:
- In a small bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, chives, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, Old bay seasoning and garlic until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. The remoulade can be made up to 4 days in advance.
For assembly and serving:
- Arrange the slices of tomato on a plate or platter. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Let marinate for at least 5 minutes.
- Top the bottom of each bun with a leaf of lettuce. Top each with a crab cake followed by a slice of the marinated tomato. Spread 2 tablespoons (28g) of the Old Bay remoulade on the top of each bun then close the sandwich and serve.
Notes:
The crab cake mixture can be prepped up to a day in advance and shaped, then covered, and refrigerated until ready to cook and serve.
Nutrition:
Calories: 968kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 69g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 20g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 247mg | Sodium: 1808mg | Potassium: 539mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1901IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 161mg | Iron: 3mg
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Can one use tinned tuna or salmon instead?
Yes, absolutely!
Delicious crab cakes and a great serving suggestion. Thank you.
Thank you so much Marilyn! So glad you enjoyed!
Great! It’s just perfect
Thank you so much!