Air Fryer Crab Cakes

These Air Fryer Crab Cakes are easy to make and air fry to crispy perfection in less than 15 minutes. Serve them with aioli, tartar sauce or herb dip for a simple and delicious appetizer!

If you’ve never tried air fried crab cakes, you’ll want to give this recipe a try. 

Any time I see crab cakes on the menu at a restaurant, I have to order them. While I’ve had some delicious ones, I’ve had some disappointing ones too. They’re either over seasoned, not crispy enough or have too much filler (and not enough crab meat).

These crab cakes balance out the filler with plenty of lump crab meat. And while this recipe includes typical crab cake ingredients like panko crumbs and old bay seasoning, I left out the dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce to let the flavour of the crab shine through. I also added some fresh celery and green onion, which I think pair nicely with crab.

The best part about this recipe? Just place the crab cakes in your air fryer basket, set the timer and come back to crispy crab cakes. The recipe uses minimal oil, you don’t need to flip them and you won’t make a mess frying them on the stove top.  

If appetizers aren’t your thing, you can serve these mini crab cakes with a salad for a tasty lunch or dinner, or make the crab patties a little bigger and serve them on a burger bun.

Either way, I’m sure you’ll love this crab cake recipe prepared in the air fryer.

Details on a few ingredients to make these mini crab cakes

Crab meat: This recipe uses fully cooked canned crab meat. For the best results, opt for white lump crab meat (also called chunk crab meat) and make sure it’s drained well. 

Panko crumbs: These crispy bread crumbs are a must as they absorb moisture from the egg, mayo and oil but don’t get too mushy. It also adds to the crispy texture of the crab cakes.

Old bay seasoning: This is a mix of a number of different herbs and spices. It’s mildly spicy and a key ingredient in crab cakes. It’s also a versatile seasoning that goes well with other seafood, chicken or vegetable recipes. I used 1 1/2 teaspoons of old bay seasoning in these crab cakes, but you can add more or less depending on how spicy you like them.

Celery and green onion: Just a quarter cup of diced celery and one tablespoon of chopped green onion pair together to add a unique but mild flavour to these crab cakes.

Extra virgin olive oil: I’m not a fan of mayo so I just added one tablespoon to this crab cake recipe. I didn’t want to skimp on fat or moisture for these cakes, so I also added a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. You can use another type of oil, if you prefer.

How to make air fryer crab cakes

• Add all the ingredients to a large bowl and use a fork or your hands to mix together until well combined. Cover and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.

• Shape the mixture into 1/2-inch thick patties. I used about 3 tablespoons of crab mixture per patty. Place the patties in a greased air fryer basket and spray the tops with cooking spray or oil. 

• Air fry at 400F for 12-14 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy on the outside.

Frequently asked questions

How do you keep crab cakes from falling apart? Eggs and panko crumbs are key ingredients to keep these crab cakes together. They work with the mayo and oil to give the patties just enough moisture to stick together. Letting the crab mixture sit for 30-60 minutes in the refrigerator also gives the panko crumbs enough time to absorb some of the moisture and bind to the other ingredients.

Why are my crab cakes mushy on the inside? If you used regular bread crumbs instead of panko crumbs, it could result in mushy crab cakes. Another reason could be that the canned crab was not drained fully, resulting in added liquid in the crab cake mixture. The type of crab used also makes a difference. If the canned crab you used was a bit stringy (and not lump crab meat), this could result in crab cakes that are more on the mushy side.

How do you get crab cakes crispy on the outside? The addition of panko crumbs helps make these crab cakes crispy, but also spraying them with cooking spray or oil helps create a crispy exterior as the hot air circulates around the cakes in the air fryer.

Can you make these crab cakes in advance? Yes, you can make the mixture up to a day in advance. Just keep it covered in the refrigerator until ready to shape into patties and air fry. You can also assemble the crab cakes a day in advance before air frying them.

Storage, reheating and freezing

While I think these crab cakes are best enjoyed right out of the air fryer when they’re hot and crispy, if you have leftovers, just store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3-4 days. To reheat them, place them on a baking sheet and bake on 375F for 5-6 minutes, or until crispy on the outside and heated through. You can also microwave them, but they will not get crispy.

You can also freeze any leftovers. Just place them in a single layer (or in between layers of wax paper) in a freezer-safe container and freeze for 2-3 months. Just defrost in the refrigerator before reheating in the oven. I haven’t tried freezing the uncooked crab cakes so I can’t say for certain if the texture would hold up once defrosted.

What type of air fryer was used for this recipe?

I tested these crab cakes in a 2.75 quart Philips air fryer and in a larger capacity Cuisinart air fryer/convection/toaster oven.

Both air fryers had similar results. The Philips, however, is smaller so I had to air fry the crab cakes in two batches.

If your air fryer is a different brand, model and/or size, you may need to adjust the temperature and air frying time slightly. 

Just keep in mind that the crab cakes are done when they’re crispy and golden brown on the outside. Don’t over air fry them as they will dry out.

Additional recipe tips 

• Make sure you grease the bottom of the air fryer basket with cooking spray and spray the tops of the crab cakes. This ensures that the cakes won’t stick to the air fryer basket and also helps create a golden brown and crispy exterior. 

• For appetizer size crab cakes, use a 3-tablespoon ice cream scoop or just measure out 3 tablespoons for each crab patty.

• For even cooking, don’t overcrowd the crab cakes and make sure there is space in between each one. They will shrink slightly and puff up a bit while air frying.

• To avoid mushy crab cakes, make sure your canned crab meat is well drained.

• To ensure the crab cake mixture sticks together, make sure your celery and green onion are chopped into small pieces. Bigger pieces will not bind very well to the other ingredients.

• Don’t skip the step of refrigerating the crab cake mixture. This helps the cakes stick together and allows the flavours to blend. 

Other air fryer seafood recipes you might enjoy

• Air Fryer Salmon Patties

• Air Fryer Salmon Fillets

If you make these air fryer crab cakes, I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below!

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