Air fryer recipe · Starters
Classic Crab Cakes
Tender lump-crab cakes with a crisp herbed crust and barely any filler.
- 22 minTotal time
- 190°CAir fryer
- 6Serves
- Non-vegetarianDiet
Nutrition per serving
- 60kcal
- 2.0 gprotein
- 4.7 gcarbs
- 3.9 gfat
- 0.3 gfibre
Per serving, about 6 servings. Figures are estimates from standard ingredient databases, not medical, dietetic, or nutritional advice.
Ingredients
- Crab meat350 g
- Panko breadcrumbs1/2 cup
- Mayonnaise2 tbsp
- Egg1
- Dijon mustard1 tsp
- Spring onion & parsley3 tbsp
Method
Make the binder
Whisk the mayonnaise, egg, Dijon mustard and chopped herbs together in a large bowl. This wet base binds the cakes with only a little breadcrumb, so the sweet crab flavour still comes through.
Fold in crab
Gently fold in the crab meat and panko, keeping the lumps intact for texture. Stop mixing the moment it just holds together, because overmixing packs it down into dense, heavy cakes.
Shape and chill
Form the mix into thick round patties and chill them for 15 minutes. Cold cakes stay firm and keep their shape in the basket instead of spreading out or falling apart.
Brush with oil
Lightly brush both sides with oil and set the cakes on parchment cut to fit the basket. That thin film of oil is what builds the crisp, golden crust as they cook.
Air-fry until golden
Air-fry at 190C for 12 min, flipping carefully halfway through. They are done when the crust is golden brown, firm to the touch and the cakes are hot right through with no pink at the centre.
