Easy and Delicious Air Fryer Crab Cakes Recipe

Air Fryer Crab Cakes combine lump crab with just a few ingredients, including a whipped egg white, for absolutely perfect crab cakes.

If you like this recipe, check out my Air Fryer Shrimp Tacos next!

I researched this recipe quite a bit. I even made a chart, comparing and contrasting ingredients. Lump crabmeat is the gold standard. I view a good crab cake as something to make for special occasions. So find the best lump crab meat that you can find. And if you’re going to spend some money, you want the crab to really shine. The “extras” are minimal in the best crab cake mixture, but the combination is important. Crushed crackers are the best choice, instead of bread crumbs.

More unique air fryer recipes

• Air Fryer Falafel
• Italian Air Fryer Arancini 
• Air Fryer Lobster Tail

Why this recipe works

Whipping the egg white to a cloud-like froth (similar to a meringue) really helps to bind the crab mixture together. It also helps to make the crab cakes less dense. I was amazed at how perfectly the air fryer cooks crab cakes. The constant hot air circulation cooks them to crispy perfection, without the need to add extra oil or butter. I know for a fact that this is how I’ll be enjoying my crab cakes from now on!

Ingredients for air fryer crab cakes

• Jumbo Lump Crab Meat – This recipe uses one pound of crab meat. I use canned instead of fresh crab meat because I live in Ohio.
• Cracker Crumbs – Saltine crackers can be a good choice, but this is the brand that I used for testing this recipe.
• Fresh Parsley – I like buying this brand because the chopping is already done for me.
• Fresh Lemon Juice
• Harissa Seasoning – This is one the ways I made this recipe unique to me, I just love the flavor of Harissa combined with the crab. You can substitute Old Bay seasoning or even cajun seasoning if you prefer.
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Yellow Mustard – Dijon Mustard is usually suggested in crab cake recipes, but I usually have yellow mustard in my refrigerator, so that is what I used, and I loved it.
• Egg – This is important for a light crispy texture. Separate the egg and beat the egg white vigorously for 1 – 2 minutes to make it frothy, like a meringue.
• Melted Butter and Salt

Instructions

1. Open the can of crab and put it in a medium bowl, fluffing it up with a fork.
2. Use a rubber spatula to stir together the crab and cracker crumbs together until well combined.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, egg yolk, parsley, squeeze of lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, melted butter, Harissa seasoning and salt.
4. Add this mixture to the crab and cracker mixture and mix gently until well-combined.
5. Using a small whisk, vigorously whip the egg white for a minute or two until the white is filled with air and very frothy, similar to a meringue.
6. Gently fold the whipped egg white into the crab mixture until combined.
7. Use a large cookie scoop to evenly divide the crab mixture into six cakes.
8. Place them on a plate and refrigerate the crab cakes for about 10 minutes to let them set up a bit.
9. Place the crab cakes into the basket in a single layer. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you’ll probably have to cook them in batches.
10. Air fry the crab cakes at 375 degrees F for about 12 minutes, or until they are golden brown.

Keep scrolling to the bottom of this post for my free printable recipe card!

Serving suggestions

For a simple dipping sauce, whisk together a couple of tablespoons of mayonnaise with two teaspoons of lemon juice, a teaspoon of parsley and half a teaspoon of Harissa seasoning. You could also make an easy homemade tartar sauce. And also have some lemon wedges and/or hot sauce on hand. Here’s some of my recipes to make these crab cakes into a complete meal –

• Shrimp Macaroni Pasta Salad
• Air Fryer Corn on the Cob
• Coconut Key Lime Crinkle Cookies

Storage directions

Crab cakes are best eaten at their peak of freshness. Store any leftover crab cakes in an airtight container. They will last up to three days in the refrigerator. Or up to one month in the freezer.

Kitchen tools

• I use a Philips XXL Air Fryer to test all of my recipes
• This is the large cookie scoop I used to help form the crab cakes

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