Air Fryer Crab Cakes

These delicious sweet crab cakes come out super crispy in the air fryer. Serve them with fresh lemon wedges, tartar sauce or make a creamy chipotle sauce for dipping. 

This recipe was recently updated on December 19th, 2021. It's still the same ingredients from the old recipe just a different picture.

Does anyone else’s family serve appetizers on Christmas Eve night? Mine does and  I’m usually scrambling to find something to bring at the last minute that doesn’t require a lot of ingredients. I was looking for something different to bring and these crab cakes are it. They can be made in the air fryer or oven depending on what you prefer. 

You can mix the ingredients ahead of time in a bowl and let them rest in the fridge overnight tightly wrapped.  When you are ready to serve, take them out and form the patties, then bake or air fry. 

For more air fryer recipes be sure to check out Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breasts, Everything Bagel Chicken Tenders, Air Fryer Chicken Quesadillas, and Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu.

Jump to:

• What Ingredients do I need? 
• How to make Air Fryer Crab Cakes 
• Storage for Leftovers
• Make Ahead
• What air fryers are best?
• Other Recipes to Try 
• Please Let Me Know What You Think!
• Air Fryer Crab Cakes

What Ingredients do I need? 

In this section, you can find substitutes or suggestions for certain ingredients. I also will try and list out what the ingredients' purpose is for. 

• Egg - 1 large egg 
• Mayonnaise  - I like the Sir Kensington Brand - You can find this at Target 
• Scallions  - freshly chopped or freshly chopped chives 
• Old Bay Seasoning  - or Cajun seasoning is fine 
• Crab Meat - 1 pound of fresh lump crab meat, jumbo lump - I get this at Costco (No canned crab!)
• Panko Bread Crumbs - This is the only carb in the recipe. To make it low carb pulverize some Pork Rinds in a food processor. 
• Lemon wedges and Freshly chopped parsley for serving 
• Serve these crab cakes with some fresh 3 Ingredient Tartar Sauce!

How to make Air Fryer Crab Cakes 

To print the full recipe please see the recipe card below. 

For the crab cakes: Whisk together the egg, mayonnaise, scallions, seafood seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt and several grinds of black pepper in a large bowl. 

With a rubber spatula or large spoon, very gently fold the crab and panko into the mixture. Try to avoid breaking up lumps of crab as much as possible. 

Cover the crab mixture with plastic wrap and allow to rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day. This will allow the panko to absorb more liquid and help bind the crab cakes together better.

Just before cooking, divide the crab-cake mixture into 4 portions. Lightly compact each portion to form a patty (about 3 ½ inches in diameter) with your hands to ensure they hold their shape while cooking and place onto a large plate.

Preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees F and spray the basket with cooking spray. Place the crab cakes into the basket and spray the tops with cooking spray. Cook until deep golden brown and crisp, flipping halfway through and spraying again with cooking spray, about 16 minutes.

Storage for Leftovers

If there happen to be any leftover crab cakes please store them in air-tight containers or find a way to keep them sealed tight in the fridge.

Make Ahead

Crab Cakes can easily be made ahead of time. Prep them the day before and make sure they're sealed tightly in the fridge before placing them in the air fryer.

What air fryers are best?

I've had 3 or 4 different air fryers or the past 5 years and each one of them has worked very well with the air fryer recipes on this site. If you want to be able to cook more food for your family at once then get an air fryer with a large basket such as 5.3 quarts. Look for ones that say nonstick on them and has multiple program settings.

Power XL Air Fryer 5.3 Quart Basket. - This was my very first air fryer.

Our 5.3QT Power Air-Fryer comes in handy in preparing amazing meals from your cookbook, and frying a variety of dishes, such as: French fries, chicken, steak, roasts, fish tacos and sticks, waffle fries, pies, pudding and donuts.

Ninja Foodi Grill and Air Fryer - This air fryer works very well too but the air fryer setting doesn't go below 300 degrees. If there's a recipe that calls for lower temperatures you have to use the bake setting. It air frys, roasts, grills, and dehydrates food.

Other Recipes to Try 

25 Slow Cooker Recipes for Dinner 

Maple Bacon Corn Bread Muffins 

Knock you Naked Brownies 

Sweet Potato and Sausage Hash 

Baked Buffalo Chicken Taquitos 

Sour Cream Noodle Bake 

If you’ve tried this Air Fryer Crab Cakes or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out. Snap a picture and upload it to Pinterest. 

Please Let Me Know What You Think!