Lump crab meat is the star in these Crisp Crab Cakes. Made with fewer calories than most recipes, these crab cakes still have a crisp exterior cake, with a tender, moist interior and are full of flavor.
Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and pepper to the oil and cook for 3-4 minutes or until just softened. Remove the peppers and shallots to a small mixing bowl and allow to cool slightly.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together ½ cup panko with the egg, mayonnaise, Worcestershire, mustard, lemon juice, Old Bay, and hot sauce. Add in the pepper and shallot mixture and crab meat and fold together until just combined.
Shape the mixture into 8 crab cakes, about ⅓ cup mixture each. Place onto a tray and refrigerate the crab cakes for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours before pan-frying.
Remove the crab cake from the refrigerator and coat each side of each crab cake with the remaining ½ cup panko.
To pan-fry the crab cakes (preferred) Heat ½ tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is heated, add 4 crab cakes to the skillet and pan-fry for 4 minutes per side, or until golden. Remove the crab cakes to a platter. Add the remaining ½ tablespoon oil to the pan and repeat with the 4 remaining crab cakes.
To bake the crab cakes, place the prepared crab cakes onto a sheet pan that has been sprayed with an olive oil cooking spray. Lightly spray the exposed surfaces of the crab cakes with additional cooking spray. Bake at 450 degrees F for 7 minutes, remove from the oven and flip the crab cakes, lightly spray again with cooking spray and then return to the oven to continue baking for 5-6 minutes, or until the exterior is golden brown.
Serve with lemon wedges and tartar sauce if desired.
Notes
Crab: Be sure to use fresh lump crab meat or frozen defrosted crab meat. Dungeness or Blue Crab are both delicious. I would also STRONGLY recommend picking through the crab meat to be sure all shells and cartilage are removed. Storage: Leftover crab cakes can be stored in an airtight container once cooled for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. To reheat, broil the crab cakes for 1-2 minutes per side or heat in a 400-degree F oven for 5 minutes.