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Crispy Crab Cake Bites with Zesty Lemon-Dill Sauce Recipe

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★★★★★

4.6 from 119 reviews

Delight in these crispy crab cake bites featuring tender lump crab meat mixed with creamy cheese and zesty seasonings, baked to golden perfection in a mini muffin pan. Served with a refreshing lemon-dill dipping sauce, they make a perfect appetizer or party snack that’s full of flavor and texture.

Ingredients

Scale

Crab Cake Bites

  • 1 lb Lump Crab Meat (Fresh is best, canned can substitute)
  • 8 oz Cream Cheese (Softened for easy blending)
  • 1/4 cup Sour Cream (Can swap half with Greek yogurt)
  • 1 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning (Or mix paprika, celery salt, and black pepper)
  • 1/4 cup Chives (Chopped, can swap with green onions or parsley)
  • 1 large Egg (Acts as a binder; use a flax egg for vegan option)
  • 1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs (Creates a crispy crust)
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese (Freshly grated is ideal)
  • 1 tbsp Lemon Zest
  • 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
  • 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
  • 1 tbsp Melted Butter
  • Salt and Pepper (To taste)

Zesty Lemon-Dill Sauce

  • Remaining 3 tbsp Sour Cream
  • Chives (Remaining from initial quantity, finely chopped)
  • 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
  • 1/2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning

Instructions

  1. Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan thoroughly with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
  2. Mix Crab Cake Filling: In a large bowl, combine the lump crab meat, softened cream cheese, egg, one-third of the grated Parmesan cheese, Old Bay seasoning, sour cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and chopped chives. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste, then gently mix until just combined to maintain the crab’s texture.
  3. Prepare Panko-Parmesan Crust: In a separate bowl, mix the remaining Parmesan cheese, panko bread crumbs, and melted butter until evenly combined. This mixture will form the crispy bottom crust for your bites.
  4. Create the Crust in Muffin Cups: Press the panko-parmesan mixture firmly into the bottom of each mini muffin cup to form a base layer.
  5. Fill Muffin Cups with Crab Mixture: Scoop the crab cake filling on top of the prepared panko crusts in each muffin cup, filling them almost to the top but leaving a little room to avoid overflow as they bake.
  6. Bake: Place the muffin pan in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the crab cake bites are golden brown and crispy on top.
  7. Prepare Lemon-Dill Sauce: While the bites are baking, combine the remaining sour cream, chopped chives, lemon juice, and Old Bay seasoning in a small bowl. Stir until smooth and refrigerate until ready to serve.
  8. Cool and Serve: Remove the crab cake bites from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes in the pan. Carefully remove from the muffin tin and serve warm with the zesty lemon-dill dipping sauce on the side.

Notes

  • For a vegetarian-friendly version, replace the crab meat with finely diced hearts of palm or artichoke hearts and use a flax egg instead of a chicken egg.
  • Fresh lump crab meat is preferred for best flavor, but canned crab meat can be used as a convenient alternative.
  • If you want extra crispiness, broil the bites for an additional 1-2 minutes at the end of baking, watching carefully to avoid burning.
  • The Old Bay seasoning can be substituted with a homemade blend of paprika, celery salt, and black pepper if unavailable.
  • Make sure not to overmix the crab filling to keep the lump crab pieces intact and tender.
  • These bites can be prepared ahead of time, assembled and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking.

Keywords: crab cakes, appetizer, seafood bites, lemon dill sauce, party food, mini crab cakes, crispy crab cakes

Find it online: https://www.sanacooks.com/crispy-crab-cake-bites-with-zesty-lemon-dill-sauce-recipe/