Crab Cake Poppers with Spicy Aioli
User Reviews
4.8
Crab Cake Poppers with Spicy Aioli
Description
This recipe starts by rinsing and draining lump crab meat, ensuring no shells remain. Vegetables like green onion, red bell pepper, and celery are sautéed in butter with kosher salt until softened. The veggies are combined with crab meat, minced parsley, egg, Worcestershire sauce, mayonnaise, dry mustard, and cayenne pepper to flavor and bind the mixture. Panko breadcrumbs are folded in for texture, then the mixture is shaped into small balls.
The crab balls are coated in additional panko breadcrumbs for a crispy outer layer. After chilling to firm, they are fried in hot canola oil until evenly golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side. The Spicy Aioli served alongside is a blend of mayonnaise, lemon juice, minced garlic, and chili sauce, providing a zesty, creamy dipping sauce that complements the poppers’ mild crab flavor and crunchy crust.
These poppers are best served hot and make a flavorful appetizer with a balance of fresh crab meat and vegetable flavors, contrasted by the spicy-sour aioli. Cooking in batches and managing oil temperature helps achieve an even, crispy finish without greasiness.
Ingredients
- 1 pound crab meat jumbo lump
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup green onion , diced
- 2 tablespoons red bell pepper , diced
- 2 tablespoons celery , diced
- kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon parsley minced
- 1 egg
- ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ teaspoon mustard powder dry
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or Sriracha sauce
- 1 ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 ½ cup canola oil
For the Spicy Aioli
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- 1 teaspoon chili sauce
Instructions
- Rinse lump crab meat and pick through for any shells Drain well and add to large bowl. In medium sauté pan, melt butter and cook green onions, red bell pepper and celery. Season with kosher salt and cook for 3-5 minutes or until vegetables have softened. Add to lump crab meat with parsley. In small bowl combine egg, Worcestershire sauce, mayonnaise, dry mustard and cayenne pepper and add to crab meat. Stir gently to combine. Fold in ¾ cup Panko bread crumbs. Roll crab meat mixture into 1 inch balls, and coat in remaining Panko bread crumbs. Refrigerate crab balls for 30 minutes.
- Heat 1 cup of canola oil, or about ½ inch of oil, in large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Fry crab cake poppers in batches making sure not to crowd pan, gently turning balls so all sides are golden brown, about 3-4 minutes each side. Drain poppers on paper towel lined plate while frying remaining crab cake balls, adding more oil as necessary. Serve hot with Spicy Aioli.
For the Spicy Aioli
- Mix all ingredients together until smooth and serve on the side as a dipping sauce.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6makes 24 crab cake poppers
Amount Per Serving
Calories 848 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 6g | |
| Calories | 848kcal | 42% |
| Carbohydrates | 10g | 3% |
| Protein | 17g | 34% |
| Fat | 83g | 128% |
| Saturated Fat | 10g | 50% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 29g | 171% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 42g | 210% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 81mg | 27% |
| Sodium | 962mg | 40% |
| Potassium | 236mg | 5% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 440IU | 9% |
| Vitamin C | 12mg | 13% |
| Calcium | 72mg | 7% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.8
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