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5 from 1 vote

Gluten Free Crab Cakes with Chili-Garlic Mayo

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Cooling Time1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time1 hour 55 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: crab, dinner, gluten free, seafood
Author: GFchow @ gfchow.com

Ingredients

For the Chili Mayo Sauce

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 3 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • Reserve ½ of sauce for binding the crab cakes

For the Crab Cake

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil (for each additional batch add more olive oil as needed)
  • 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper green, orange or yellow peppers can be used too
  • 1/2 cup chopped celery approx. 2 stalks
  • 1/2 cup chopped red or white onion
  • 2 tablespoons chopped seeded jalapeño chili optional
  • 1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat
  • 1/2 cup chili-garlic mayonnaise
  • 1 large egg beaten
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2-3/4 cup gluten free bread crumbs I use Ian’s or WhatuSee chickpea crumbs

Instructions

For the Mayo Sauce

  • Mix mayonnaise, chili-garlic sauce, and 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice in small bowl. Use half of mayo mixture in the crab cake mixture. Cover and refrigerate remaining chili-garlic mayonnaise until ready to serve crab cakes.

For the Crab Cakes

  • Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper, celery, onion, and jalapeño(if using); sauté until browned on the edges, approximately 5-7 minutes. Transfer to large bowl. Let cool.
  • Mix crab, egg, 1/2 cup chili-garlic mayonnaise, remaining 2 teaspoons lemon juice and breadcrumbs in with cooled sautéed vegetables. Gently toss trying to keep the big lumps of crab together.
  • Cover and refrigerate mixture for a minimum 30 minutes if time allows, this will make it easier to form the crab cakes. (The longer the mixture is refrigerated the easier it will be to form the cakes AND work with them in the pan as you are cooking them.) You can make free-form cakes or use round molding rings.
  • Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, add four crab cakes to the pan and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 4-5 minutes per side/8-10 minutes total. Use a spatula (or two!), to carefully flip crab cakes. Take your time doing this. It's the hardest part of the recipe. Transfer crab cakes to plates or a platter. Serve with remaining chili-garlic mayonnaise.

Notes

The original recipe calls for five cups of breadcrumbs.  I significantly reduced the amount because I like less filler in my crab cakes.  But feel free to add up to 5 cups of gluten free breadcrumbs especially if you are trying to stretch this recipe and make more crab cakes. If not following a gluten free diet, use Panko Crumbs (Japanese Bread Crumbs) or your favorite bread crumbs.
Only cook 4 crab cakes at a time. This allows enough space for two spatulas to get underneath the crab cakes making it easier to turn them in the pan.
This recipe can also be used to make mini-crab cakes (approx. 18-22 cakes) for a party, if desired.  
Add capers or scallions to enhance the recipe.
Refrigerating or freezing the crab cakes before sautéing them will help them keep their form so that when you flip them they won't fall apart.
If serving these for a party, they can be cooked ahead, refrigerated and then reheated before you're ready to serve. Reheat them covered with foil at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until heated through. 
Jumbo lump crabmeat is expensive so I buy it at Costco because they sell it for the best price. If you don't want to pay the premium for the jumbo lump, these cakes can just as easily be made with other grades of crabmeat.