Baked crab cakes with mango avocado salad

two crab cakes on plate with mango avocado salad

Easy oven-baked lemony crab cakes with avocado and mango salad is a burst of sunny, tropical flavor. Canned crab makes it easy!

Dinner Winner! These crab cakes hit the sweet spot for my Dinner Date cooking class. Flavorful, easy, and fun.

I love the mango with crab!

Marilyn

This all-star dish is ready in minutes, making it great for a weeknight dinner. But the results are impressive enough fo guests.

The ingredients

  • Crab: I use canned lump crab to keep things easy. Canned is more economical than fresh crab, but either work.
  • Cracker Crumbs: help bind the ingredients together
  • Egg: Adds moisture to help hold the crab cakes together
  • Mayonnaise: adds creaminess and moisture
  • Parsley: this universal herb adds fresh flavor
  • Lemon: use the yellow zest and juice to brighten the crab cakes
  • Dijon Mustard: adds spicy tang
  • Old Bay seasoning: the secret spice mixture for classic crab cakes
  • Worcestershire: a fermented sauce that adds depth to recipes
  • Hot sauce (Tabasco): another flavor boost  

Avocado Mango Salad

  • Avocado: brain- and heart-healthy fats and fiber
  • Mango: the star of this salad brings a sweet, silky tropical touch. Use fresh, presliced or canned mango.
  • Vinegar: acid adds the pizzazz to a quick dressing
  • Olive oil: more brain- and heart-healthy fats
  • Green leafy vegetable: mesclun mix, butter lettuce, or baby spinach for crunch

Cook’s note: Canned diced mango is a great alternative to fresh mango.

two crab cakes on a plate with mango avocado salad

How to make crab cakes

Just drain the crab then stir with seasonings. If time, give the mixture a chance to chill then form into patties, bake for 10-13 minutes. While the crab cakes are baking, stir chopped mango and avocado together for a refreshing salad.

Crab cakes can be baked in the oven in less than 15 minutes. A baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat makes clean up quick and easy.

Step 1: Prepare the crab cake filling. In a large bowl, combine the egg, mayonnaise, parsley, lemon, lemon zest, mustard, Old Bay, Worcestershire, and hot sauce together.

Step 2: Stir in crab and crackers. Gently stir in crab and crackers, just until the mixture blends together and crab is coated. If you have time, refrigerate 30 minutes or more (even overnight).

The crab cake mixture can be kept covered in the fridge up to 3 days. Cooked crab cakes can be kept up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Step 3: Mix the salad together. Stir avocado and mango together, then drizzle in vinegar and oil, stir gently so as not to mash avocado.

Step 4: Shape crab cakes. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper of a silicone baking mat. Make into 6 crab cakes, about a 1/2 cup each. A cookie scoop helps form even cakes. Sprinkle with Old Bay.

Step 5: Bake crab cakes. Heat oven to 450℉. Bake crab cakes for 11-13 minutes, until they reach 165℉.

Step 6: Serve! Lay lettuce on plate, scoop avocado mixture on lettuce, top with crab cakes. Two per person makes a nice dinner.

How long to bake crab cakes?

Crab cakes need to reach an internal temperature of 165℉. The only way to know that is to insert a food thermometer in the side of the cake and wait for 15 seconds. At 450℉ that’s between 11-13 minutes for a fresh, not frozen crab cake. I like the hot temperature of 450℉ because it creates a crispy crust and gets dinner on the table fast.

At 425℉, the baking time will be a few minutes longer 15-18 minutes.

a cookie scoop helps form even crab cakes
six baked crab cakes on a baking sheet pan
bake at 450℉, 165℉ internal temperature, about 12 minutes

What is lump crab?

Lump crab comes from the body of the crab. It’s often a mixture of large and small pieces which is good in salads and crab cakes. It adds good body and texture to the crab cakes.

Canned lump crab meat

When I think crab, I think special. Like eating out or being on vacation. Canned crab makes your pantry restaurant quality. It’s convenient because it’s always in season, less expensive than fresh crab, and keeps well in the pantry for quick dinners on crazy, busy nights. Because it’s canned, it’s cooked. The canning process cooks the meat so you can use it right out of the can in salads and dips.

Is crab cook for you?

Yes. In my book, Your 6-Week Guide to LiveBest, and on my blog, I encourage people to eat more fish and seafood. Seafood, which includes fish and shellfish, is lean protein that provides beneficial fats. Nutrition recommendations call for seafood twice a week, 8-10 ounces per week, however, almost 90 percent of us don’t meet the recommendation for seafood.

And if you needed one, there’s another reason to make this recipe! Mango Avocado Salad. Is creamy and fresh and a just right addition to pretty the plate.

plate of crab cakes with avocado mango salad

More LiveBest fish recipes

This post may contain affiliate links which means if you click through and make a purchase, the seller pays me a commission. It does not increase the price you pay. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

crab cakes with avocado mango salad on a plate
Print

Baked crab cakes with mango avocado salad

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Easy but elegant, quick for a busy night but special enough for celebrations!

  • Author: Judy Barbe
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 13 minutes
  • Total Time: 28 minutes
  • Yield: 6
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Oven baked
  • Cuisine: seafood

Ingredients

Crab Cakes

  • 12-16 ounces crab, canned or refrigerated package lump crabmeat, drained

  • 2/3 cup whole-grain saltine crackers, finely crushed or processed in food processor, about 18 crackers

  • 1 egg

  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest

  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

  • 1 ½  teaspoons Old Bay seasoning

  • 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire

  • 3-5 dashes hot sauce (Tabasco)  

 

Avocado Mango Salad

  • 1 ripe avocado, diced

  • 1 mango, peeled, diced

  • 1 tablespoon white, red, rice or apple cider vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 2 handfuls mesclun mix, butter lettuce, or baby spinach 

 

Instructions

Crab Cakes: Mix egg, mayonnaise, parsley, lemon, lemon zest, mustard, Old Bay, Worcestershire, and hot sauce together. Gently fold in crab and crackers. If you have time, refrigerate 30 minutes or more (even overnight). Shape into 6 crab cakes. A cookie scoop helps form even cakes. Sprinkle with Old Bay.

Bake Heat oven to 450℉. Line baking sheet with parchment or silicon mat, or spray with cooking spray. Bake crab cakes 11-13 minutes, or until 165℉. 

Or pan fry in 2 teaspoons ol for 3 minutes, flip, cook 2 minutes, until golden.

Mango Avocado Salad: Stir avocado and mango together. Drizzle vinegar and oil over. 

 

Serve: Place lettuce on plate, spoon mango mixture over lettuce and top with crab cakes.

 

Notes

This recipes makes 6 crab cakes. Keep leftovers up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Use canned or refrigerated crab

Regular saltines can be used rather than whole-grain. Or use unseasoned bread crumbs.

 

crab cakes with mango avocado salad

Comments

  1. Pingback: Baked crab cakes with mango avocado salad – Site Title

Leave a Comment

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star