Jumbo Blue Lump Crab Cakes

No exaggeration— these crab cakes are the BEST I’ve ever had! Plus, at 3 grams of carbs per cake, they’re absolutely keto-approved!

Do you know what makes a crab cake terrible?

Filler. Now I understand, in order to get that nice crispy exterior, you’re gonna need to work with some sort of binder or filler. But it sure blows when you bite into a jumbo crab cake only to realize there’s a little itty bitty amount of crab and a whole lotta filler— that’s the worst!

Maybe not the worst— you know what’s even worse? Imitation crab cakes. Woof!

If I wanted a pollock “crab cake” I would have ordered pollock— but nobody wants pollock— that’s why it’s packaged and sold as imitation crab meat.

Can You Use Imitation Crab Meat Instead of Blue Lump Crab?

My opinion: why bother?

The secret to incredible crab cakes is to use high-quality lump crab meat (and a minimal amount of filler). Yes, blue lump crab meat is expensive (roughly $30 per pound). The way I see it— if you’re gonna do it— do it right! These crab cakes are a bit of a process. So if you’re going to hassle with making them homemade, you’ll want to get your hands on the best ingredients possible.

Now we’re talking money AND time?!

Don’t worry, they’re SO worth it!

After you’ve purchased your delicious blue lump crab meat (and additional ingredients), the first part of the process is to prepare the roasted red bell peppers. Keep in mind, if you’re not in the mood to roast the peppers, store-bought will work just as well.

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Roasted Red Bell Peppers [Oven or Air Fryer]

Yield: 2 peppers | Serving Size: 1 pepper

Calories: 62 | Fat: 4g | Carb: 8g | Protein: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Fiber: 1g

The recipe below is for oven preparation. Click here for air fryer preparation.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 red bell peppers
• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
3. Wash bell peppers thoroughly and pat dry.
4. Brush peppers with olive oil (or use fingers in place of brush).
5. Place peppers on baking sheet and place in oven.
6. Bake for 10 minutes.
7. Pull peppers from the oven, gently flip and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
8. Once blistered, remove from oven and place peppers in a ziplock bag. Seal and allow them to cool.
9. Once cooled, peel the skin. Discard the skin and seeds.

Eat immediately or drizzle with olive oil and store in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

Mixing the Crab Cakes

The second step in our process involves mixing the crab cakes. Earlier we talked about a filler. The filler is what provides that crispy texture and lightly browned exterior. The majority of recipes call for breadcrumbs or crushed crackers— neither of which are keto-friendly.

Most keto crab cake recipes call for almond flour in lieu of breadcrumbs, but my solution is to substitute with crushed pork rinds. Pork rinds make the BEST “breadcrumbs.” Not only are they carb-free, they also enhance the taste and texture of the cakes.

Creating breadcrumbs out of pork rinds is as easy as pouring 2 cups of rinds into your food processor and pulsing until coarsely ground.

Don’t have a food processor? No problem. Two sheets of parchment paper and a rolling pin will work just as well.

Once your pork rinds are crushed, just throw them in a bowl along with the lump crab, roasted red bell pepper and remaining ingredients (see recipe card below).

From here, you’ll simply mix everything together— the idea is to fully incorporate all the ingredients. This can be a little challenging if you have super lumpy crab meat. The easiest way to do this is to take two forks and fold the ingredients together. Continue folding until the lumps have been pulled apart and the mixture is relatively uniform in color.

Forming the Crab Cakes

Once all of the ingredients have been fully incorporated, the mixture should be relatively sticky. At which point you should be able to set down the forks and work it with your fingers.

From here, you’ll want to place a sizable amount in your fingers (roughly 4 Tbsp) and roll it between the palms of your hands, forming a large ball. Place the crab ball on a plate or baking sheet and set aside.

Continue this process until all the mixture has been rolled into balls. You should end up with approximately 8 balls.

Using your fingers, gently flatten each ball into a patty shape.

Place the patties in the refrigerator for approximately 30 minutes. This will help bind the ingredients together— making it easier to cook them.

Cooking the Crab Cakes

This is the easiest part! Heat one Tablespoon grass-fed butter on med-high heat in your favorite sauté pan. Once the butter has melted, place one or two cakes in the pan and let sit for 5 minutes or so (depending on the desired level of crispiness). Flip and repeat (until both sides are nicely browned). Squeeze some fresh lemon on top and serve with Smoked Chipotle Aioli.

These are so flavorful that they don’t really need a sauce. However, if you’re a total fatty (like me) they’re are even more delicious covered in Smoked Chipotle Aioli.

Smoked Chipotle Aioli

Yield: 1/2 Cup | Serving Size: 2 Tablespoons

Calories: 219 | Fat: 24g | Carb: 1g | Protein: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Fiber: 0g

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 3 Tablespoons organic heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 squeeze fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon smoked chipotle seasoning
• 1 teaspoon Maille Dijon Mustard (or choice spicy mustard)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place mayonnaise in a wide mouth mason jar or large mixing bowl.
2. Add remaining ingredients to the mayo. 
3. Whisk until fully incorporated (about 30 seconds). 

Store in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

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Brand New to Keto?

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Medical Disclaimer

This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician. All readers/viewers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. Neither Katie Rodriguez nor the publisher of this content takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the information in this educational content. All viewers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement or lifestyle program.

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