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Grilled crab cakes in serving dishes topped with aioli

Griddle Grilled Crab Cakes with Rosemary Aioli Recipe

3.67 from 56 votes
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Jumbo lump crab meat shines is the star of the show in this delicious grilled crab cakes recipe.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings: 8 crab cakes
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Difficulty: Moderate

Ingredients
 
 

Rosemary Aioli
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 cup loosely packed parsley
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
  • 1/4 teaspoon Morton Coarse Kosher Salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
The Crab Cake
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
  • 2 cups panko breadcrumbs (2/3 cup (40 g) for binder, 1 1/3 cup (80 g) for exterior coating)
  • 1 pound jumbo lump crab meat
  • 3 tablespoons canola oil

Method
 

  1. Prep. To create the rosemary aioli, begin by mincing the garlic and finely chop the rosemary.
  2. Combine the mayonnaise, garlic, parsley, lemon juice, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a blender. Puree the mixture until smooth. Refrigerate the rosemary aioli until ready to use.
  3. In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, egg, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay seasoning, and 2/3 cup (40 g) of the Panko breadcrumbs (the remainder of the breadcrumbs with be used to coat the exterior of the crab cakes). Mix ingredients until fully combined. Gently fold the crab meat into the mixture trying not to break up the crab meat any more than necessary.
  4. Divide the crab mixture into 1/4 cup (31.3 g) portions then gently form into 6 to 8 1-inch (2.5-cm) thick patties. Pour the remaining panko breadcrumbs into a shallow bowl. Coat each side of the crab cake patties with the panko breadcrumbs. Refrigerate the crab cakes while you pre-heat the grill.
  5. Fire up. Prepare a grill for direct cooking by evenly spreading a chimney full of pre-heated charcoal briquets across the grill’s charcoal grate. Adjust the grill vents to bring the temperature to about 375°F (190.6°C). On a gas grill, adjust the temperature knobs to maintain a temperature of approximately 375°F (190.6°C). 
  6. Add a griddle to the main grill grate and let it preheat for at least 5 minutes.
  7. Once the griddle is hot, coat the top with canola oil.
  8. Cook. Griddle grill the crab cakes, flipping every 2 minutes until cooked through and golden brown on both sides, approximately 8 to 10 minutes total. Note that hot spots on the griddle may require you to move some of the crab cakes to another part of the griddle if they are browning too quickly.
    Crab cakes cooking on a griddle
  9. Serve. Remove the crab cakes from the griddle, plate, and top with the rosemary aioli. Serve immediately.

Notes

About the salt. Remember, kosher salt is half the concentration of table salt so if you use table salt, use half as much. Click here to read more about salt and how it works.

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