Delicious Mini Crab Cakes

Milena Kukurekovic
If you're entertaining, be prepared with next-level finger foods.
Yield: Makes 24 crab cakes; 8 servings

  

Appetizers are amazing: they keep the animals busy munching before it's a quiet time for dinner, and give everyone a chance to quit the small talk for a minute and focus on eating. Yet, you don't want an appetizer that requires both hands, let alone a plate and a fork—no one wants to put down their drink for that long. So when it comes to appetizers and snacks, it’s only natural: the smaller, the better. Great finger food or appetizers for the holidays that you can easily scale up or down - these bite-sized mini treats are almost too cute to eat. Almost!!!
 
 

WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE IN THIS RECIPE?

  • 12 ounces shelled cooked crab
  • 1/4 cup finely diced celery
  • 1/4 cup minced fresh chives
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 1 1/4 cups panko (see notes) or fine dried bread crumbs
  • Roasted Pepper-Chive Aioli (recipe follows)
  • Fresh chives, rinsed and cut into 1-inch lengths

 

 

HOW DO YOU MAKE CRAB CAKES?

Step 1: Sort through crab and discard any bits of shell.

Step 2: In a large bowl, combine celery, minced chives, mayonnaise, egg, mustard, and hot sauce; mix well with a fork. Add crab and 1/4 cup panko; stir gently just to mix.
 
Step 3: Put the remaining 1 cup panko in a shallow bowl. Shape crab mixture into 24 cakes, each about 2 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick. Turn each cake in panko to coat on all sides, pressing gently to make crumbs adhere. Place cakes slightly apart in an oiled 12- by the 17-inch baking pan.
 
Step 4: Bake in a 475° regular or convection oven until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. With a spatula, transfer crab cakes to a platter. Spoon a dollop of Roasted Pepper-Chive Aioli onto each cake. Garnish platter with fresh chives. Serve hot. Roasted Pepper-Chive Aioli. In a small bowl, mix 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup chopped drained canned roasted red peppers, 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon minced garlic. Makes about 1/2 cup.
 
 

Notes:

The Japanese-style coarse bread crumbs called panko are available in many well-stocked supermarkets and Asian grocery stores. You can make the aioli up to 2 days ahead and the crab cakes through step 3 up to 4 hours ahead; in both cases, cover and chill. 

 

 

Party on, Smarties! With love Smarty had a Party

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