Coconut-Lime Crab Cakes with Spicy Chili Mayo

You don’t need to live in Maryland to enjoy excellent crab cakes. They’re simple to make at home and cook in under 10 minutes.

Crab cakes vary widely — some are packed with sweet crab meat, and others end up mostly breadcrumbs. This recipe delivers a high crab-to-filler ratio: expect big bites of jumbo lump crab with minimal binder.

How to Make Crab Cakes

The foundation is real crab meat — avoid imitation. Look for lump crab meat, and if possible buy jumbo lump for those larger, satisfying pieces.

Crab cakes need a binder to hold them together. Typical binders include an egg, mayonnaise, and a breadcrumb like panko or crushed saltines. Mix those with the crab, aromatics such as onion or garlic if you like, and seasonings. Form the mixture into patties and cook until golden.

Chilling the formed patties before cooking helps them hold their shape. You can also freeze formed cakes and cook them later after thawing.

What Makes These Crab Cakes So Light

Some crab cakes can feel heavy and greasy; these are light and bright with tropical notes. Instead of using all mayonnaise, this version uses coconut milk to lighten the texture and add flavor. Lime juice and zest bring acidity, and a bit of minced jalapeno adds heat.

Rather than deep-frying, these cakes are seared on a well-oiled griddle or flat top, which gives a crisp exterior without soaking them in oil. Since the ingredients are already cooked, the goal of cooking is to develop color and texture on the outside.

Crab Cake Sauce

Skip tartar sauce for this dish and make a chili mayo that includes coconut milk, lime, and sambal oelek for a tangy, slightly spicy dipping sauce. If you prefer milder heat, reduce the sambal or increase the coconut milk to temper the spice. This recipe yields eight generous crab cakes — perfect as an appetizer, main, or in a sandwich.

Ingredients

• Coconut Milk: Use full-fat for best flavor.
• Mayonnaise
• Large Egg
• Lime
• Kosher Salt
• White Pepper
• Jumbo Lump Crab Meat: Pre-picked crab meat is available near the seafood section.
• Panko Breadcrumbs
• Jalapeno
• Canola Oil: Or another high-heat oil such as corn or avocado oil.

Chili Mayo Ingredients

• Mayonnaise
• Sambal Oelek: Find this in the Asian aisle.
• Coconut Milk
• Lime
• Salt

SUBSTITUTIONS: If you prefer not to make the chili mayo, serve the crab cakes with a good hot sauce on the side.

See the recipe card below for exact measurements and servings.

How to cook crab cakes on a griddle

You can prepare the cakes ahead of time: form them and refrigerate for 1–2 days, then sear on a griddle or in a large skillet when ready.

1. Mix wet ingredients: Whisk together 1/4 cup coconut milk, 2 tablespoons mayo, 1 egg, juice and zest of 1 lime, and salt and white pepper.
2. Add crab: Pick through crab for shells. Gently fold in the crab, 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs, and 1 tablespoon minced jalapeno. Mix thoroughly but keep the crab in large pieces. Chill 30 minutes.
3. Form: Shape the mixture into 8 crab cakes. Chill at least 30 minutes.

4. Make sauce: Whisk 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons sambal oelek, 2 tablespoons coconut milk, juice and zest from half a lime, and a pinch of salt. Chill. Cut remaining lime into wedges.
5. Heat griddle: Preheat a skillet or griddle over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons canola oil.
6. Sear: Fry the crab cakes 4–5 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.

How to serve crab cakes

For an attractive presentation, smear chili mayo on a platter or on individual plates and place the seared crab cakes on top. Serve extra sauce and lime wedges alongside, and garnish with parsley or cilantro if desired.

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–4 days. Reheat gently in an air fryer or microwave, or enjoy cold. Crab cakes can also be frozen — thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.

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Coconut Lime Crab Cakes with Chili Mayo

By: Christie Vanover

These crab cakes are easy to make at home and cook quickly while showcasing the sweet flavor of lump crab.

Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 8 crab cakes

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 egg
• 1 lime (juice + zest)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 1 lb jumbo lump crab meat
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp jalapeno, minced
• 2 tbsp canola oil

Chili Mayo

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp sambal oelek
• 2 tbsp coconut milk
• 1 lime (juice + zest)
• pinch salt

Instructions

• Mix wet ingredients: In a medium bowl whisk 1/4 cup coconut milk, 2 tablespoons mayo, 1 egg, juice and zest from 1 lime, and salt and white pepper.
• Add crab: Pick through crab for shells. Fold in the crab, panko, and jalapeno, mixing gently so the crab remains in large pieces. Chill 30 minutes.
• Form: Shape into 8 crab cakes and chill at least 30 minutes.
• Make sauce: Whisk 1/2 cup mayo, 2 tablespoons sambal oelek, 2 tablespoons coconut milk, juice and zest from half a lime, and a pinch of salt. Chill and cut lime wedges.
• Heat griddle: Preheat a skillet or griddle over medium-high and add canola oil.
• Sear: Cook 4–5 minutes per side until golden. Remove and season with a pinch of salt.
• Serve: Plate with chili mayo and lime wedges.

Nutrition

Calories: 236kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 12gFat: 18g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: American

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