Chef John's Crab Cakes
Chef John's Crab Cakes spotlight sweet, succulent crab bound with just enough seasoning to let the seafood shine. Pan-seared in butter, they develop a crisp, golden crust with a moist, delicate center. Ideal as a dinner entree or upscale appetizer, they pair well with lemon, tartar sauce, or a simple salad.
- Prep15 mins
- Cook10 mins
- Serves4
- DifficultyEasy
easyChef Pro health score
Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Chef John's Crab Cakes, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.
- Glycemic ImpactFair
- 51 / 100
- Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
- Nutritional DensityPoor
- 0 / 100
- Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
- Energy DensityFair
- 55 / 100
- Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
- NOVA Processed Culinary Ingredients
- 2 / 4
- Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.
How it scores for each health goal
The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.
- 1
- Heart Health
- 51
- Metabolic
- 11
- Digestive
- 29
- Inflammatory
- 53
- Performance
- 32
- General Wellness
- 1
In a large bowl, mix the crushed crackers, mayonnaise, Dijon, seafood seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, egg, cayenne, and salt.
- 2
Add the crabmeat and stir until combined but still chunky.
- 3
Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- 4
Sprinkle bread crumbs on a plate.
- 5
Shape the chilled crab mixture into four small, thick patties.
- 6
Coat the patties fully with bread crumbs.
- 7
Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.
- 8
Add the crab cakes and cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side.
- Calories 280.34 kcal Moderate 14%
- Protein 25.79 g Good Source 52%
- Carbohydrate 12.61 g 5%
- Total Fat 13.46 g Moderate 17%
- Saturated Fat 5.31 g High 27%
- Trans Fat 0.02 g High --
- Cholesterol 208.81 mg High 70%
- Sodium 639.24 mg High 28%
- Dietary Fiber 0.14 g Low Source 1%
- Total Sugars 0.53 g --
- Added Sugars 0.39 g Low Source 1%
- Calcium 133.58 mg Moderate 10%
- Iron 6.51 mg Good Source 36%
- Potassium 52.15 mg Low Source 1%
- Vitamin A 14.94 mcg Low Source 2%
- Vitamin C 0.11 mg Low Source 0%
- Vitamin D 0.26 mcg Low Source 1%
Values are per serving. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
- Shellfish 🦐
- Eggs 🥚
- Milk 🥛
- Wheat 🌾
- Gluten
About This Recipe
Chef John's Crab Cakes is made with 11 ingredients and serves 4. It takes about 25 mins and is rated easy. Key ingredients include Bread Crumbs, Butter, Cayenne Pepper, and Dijon Mustard. Each serving provides about 280.34 kcal, and is a good source of protein.
Recipe Questions
- What is Chef John's Crab Cakes made of?
- The main ingredients are Bread Crumbs, Butter, Cayenne Pepper, Dijon Mustard, Eggs. The full list of 11 is above.
- How long does it take to make Chef John's Crab Cakes?
- About 25 mins in total: 15 mins to prepare and 10 mins to cook.
- How many calories are in one serving?
- One serving provides about 280.34 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
- Is Chef John's Crab Cakes easy to make?
- This recipe is rated easy, with 11 ingredients and 8 steps.
- Is Chef John's Crab Cakes healthy?
- Chef John's Crab Cakes has an easyChef Pro health score of 38/100. Per serving, it provides 280.34 calories and 25.79 g of protein, or 52% of the Daily Value. It is a good source of iron. Worth noting per serving: sodium at 639.24 mg (28% of the Daily Value) and saturated fat at 5.31 g (27% of the Daily Value). It contains Shellfish, Eggs, Milk, Wheat and Gluten, so it may not be suitable for people with those allergies or dietary restrictions. Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.
How easyChef Pro scores recipes and products
easyChef Pro analyzes up to 41 nutrients using data sourced from USDA and other verified food databases. Its scoring method uses the nutrients relevant to nutrition quality, calorie density, processing level, and your selected health goal. Recipes and food products get a health score from 0 to 100, calculated using consistent rules instead of being estimated by AI. The same nutrition data, serving size and health goal will produce the same result.
The calculation evaluates nutrients, calorie density, processing level, and how well the food supports your selected health goal. Protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients can strengthen the score. High amounts of sodium, saturated fat, added sugar and other nutrients may lower it.
Your health goal also matters. easyChef Pro evaluates recipes and products across six health areas and adjusts their importance for your selected goal. This means the same food may be a better fit for one health goal than another.
For recipes, changing an ingredient, quantity or serving size changes the nutrition and may change the score. Remix the recipe in easyChef Pro to calculate fresh nutrition and scores for the version you actually make. Product scores are based on the nutrition and serving information associated with that specific product.
Score a recipe free, no app required