Can crab cakes be frozen? - The complete guide

Crab cakes are so much fun. They are a delicious dish that can be used in meals or even as appetizers and you can do many things with them. If you like crab, you sure like crab cakes.

If you’re not a big fan of crab, you might find that you still like crab cakes. They are much more than crab. They can be made in many ways and are covered in a breading that helps bring everything together.

Crab cakes are delicious and versatile. But can you keep them in the freezer?

Can crab cakes be frozen?  Yes, you can freeze the crab cakes. They can be frozen both cooked and uncooked, although we recommend freezing them raw or uncooked for best results.

In this guide, we will share with you everything you need to know about how to freeze crab cakes. We’ll walk you through all the details, including the process that leads to freezing and what to expect after you’ve frozen them.

Stay tuned to learn about the freezing process for crab cakes and much more.

The Complete Guide to Freezing Crab Cakes

Crab cakes are a very popular seafood delicacy just off the coast of the United States. In fact, if you search the internet for crab cake recipes, you will most likely find many crab cakes called Maryland crab cakes.

Crab cakes became popular in the Bay Areas surrounding Maryland and Virginia, but have since grown in popularity across the US and are sometimes even made in other countries as well.

Crab cakes are made with crab meat that is mixed with a variety of other ingredients.

These ingredients can vary, but some of the most common things you might find in a crab cake are eggs, seasonings, breadcrumbs, mustard, and mayonnaise. They may also have onion, other spices, or even additional vegetables.

Crab cakes are rounded into patties and then pan-seared to perfection. They are often served with various sauces, especially tartar sauce.

It is also quite common to give them a splash of lemon juice directly into the pan.

How to make crab cakes

Crab cakes are not at all complicated to make. The hardest part is getting good crab meat to make them. If you live in a coastal area where fresh crab is easy to come by, this is your best bet.

Of course, if you’re not in that area, you’ll just have to improvise with what’s available.

The point of crab cakes is to enjoy the crab meat in it, but also for the crab meat to be mixed with additional ingredients that help bring out the flavor, but also to individualize the dish if you are not a big fan of crab. .

Crab cakes are made uniquely and you can use as little or as much crab meat as you like to make the flavors your own . Additionally, you can also customize your crab cakes with your own seasonings and other crab cake additions.

Here’s a simple recipe to give you an idea of how crab cakes are made.  Remember that this is not the only recipe that exists. There are hundreds of ways to make crab cakes. We simply offer it as an example of the process.

1. You will need crab meat, mayonnaise, beaten eggs, Dijon or ground mustard, seasoning of your choice, breadcrumbs, fresh parsley, lemon zest, and oil.
2. Start by mixing the seasonings, eggs, mayonnaise, and mustard. Do not add the crab yet so as not to overwork it.
3. Once the initial base is mixed, add the crab meat, breadcrumbs, parsley and lemon zest. Fold in mixture gently until well combined.
4. Shape the mixture into small patties, using about ½ cup of the mixture for each one. Place them on a plate or baking sheet.
5. Refrigerate prepared crab cakes for 1 hour to hold together while cooking.
6. Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.
7. Cook the crab cakes until they start to lightly brown. This will take 3-5 minutes. You can add more oil to the pan if necessary.
8. Flip the crab cakes over and sear the other side for another 3-5 minutes.
9. Squeeze the lemon juice over the crab cakes, serve and enjoy.

As you can see, the process of making crab cakes is relatively simple. It takes a bit of time, simply because it’s best if you can refrigerate or freeze them before cooking. This helps hold them together during the cooking process.

Freezing and Storing Crab Cakes

There are two ways to freeze crab cakes. You can make them ahead of time and freeze them raw, or you can freeze them after they’ve been cooked.

If you can, we recommend freezing them raw, but either method will work and we’ll cover them here.

Freeze Raw Crab Cakes

1. We recommend a pre-freeze method to prevent the crab cakes from falling apart. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and arrange the cakes in a single layer. Freeze for 2 hours uncovered.
2. Remove from the freezer and wrap each cake individually in plastic wrap. You can then place the individually wrapped crab cakes in an airtight container or heavy-duty freezer bag.
3. Label, date, and seal all containers.
4. Store it in the freezer for up to 3 months in this way.
5. When you are ready to use them, thaw the crab cakes overnight in the refrigerator before cooking and serving.

Freeze cooked crab cakes

1. Let the crab cakes cool to room temperature. Don’t leave them out for more than 1 hour.
2. Wrap crab cakes individually in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Aluminum foil is ideal because when you reheat them, you can leave them on the foil.
3. Place the crab cakes in a heavy-duty freezer bag or airtight container to keep them together.
4. Label, date, and seal all crab cake containers.
5. Freeze cooked crab cakes for up to 3 months.
6. When they’re ready to use, you can take them straight from the freezer to the oven, or you can thaw them overnight in the fridge.

Using crab cakes after freezing

If you’ve frozen the raw crab cakes, you can simply thaw them overnight in the fridge and then proceed to sear them in a pan, like in the recipe we shared above. This is the best way to reheat uncooked crab cakes after freezing.

If you have frozen cooked crab cakes, we recommend baking them for reheating. This will do the best to preserve its quality and character and to have delicious reheated crab cakes.

To reheat cooked crab cakes, follow these simple instructions. 

1. Wrap the crab cakes in aluminum foil if you did not wrap them in aluminum foil when freezing.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Arrange the foil-wrapped crab cakes in a single layer on a cookie sheet.
4. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the center is heated through.
5. Unwrap, serve and enjoy.

Related questions

We hope you have found this guide to freezing crab cakes a valuable resource for all your crab cake-making processes. Crab cakes are fairly easy to make and work with, and you can approach freezing them in more ways than one.

We invite you to take a look at the following question and answer section to see if there is any additional information that may be useful to you.

How long can cooked crab cakes keep in the fridge?

If you plan to eat your leftover crab cakes within 3-5 days, the refrigerator is an ideal storage option. You just have to make sure to wrap and seal them well while they are stored in the fridge. You can then reheat them in the oven for the best results.

Can you eat cold crab cakes?

Crab cakes can be delicious both hot and cold. It is not uncommon to serve them cold. The key to serving cold crab cakes is to make sure they are cooked through before chilling. Other than that, they can be served fresh out of the pan or chilled, both of which are delicious in their own way.

What can you accompany crab cakes with?

Crab cakes are often served with tartar sauce for dipping. If you are looking for a suitable accompaniment, here are several options that you can consider. 

• • Salad
  • Soup (fish soup or borscht are great)
  • Coleslaw or vegetable salad of some kind
  • mixed vegetable platters
  • Quinoa or rice
  • Asparagus
  • Roast potatos
  • Garlic and Herb Mashed Potatoes

• macaroni and cheese

You can safely serve any side dish you like with your crab cakes.  These are just some of the most popular serving recommendations.