Easy Gluten Free Crab Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Remoulade

HOW. How did I not have a crab cake recipe on Kit’s Kitchen until now?? Crab cakes are one of my favorite dishes and if it’s on a menu at a restaurant I almost always order it. I just LOVE ’em. Like most people, I do prefer a crab-heavy crab cake with as little filler as possible. I mean, who wouldn’t? But I really haven’t met a crab cake that I didn’t like.

So what makes my recipe so special? Well, crab cakes are usually made with crushed up saltine crackers, breadcrumbs, or white bread as a binder. I don’t follow a strict gluten free diet anymore, but I still try to limit the amount of gluten that I eat. So I knew I needed to recreate the classic crab cake and make it gluten free!

Let’s talk sauce. So I really don’t think crab cakes need a sauce. Especially these. I mean, they’re practically 99% juicy, tender crab after all. But alas, some people really like to eat their crab cakes with a sauce. And you know I’m not gonna leave ya hangin’. If you’re a sauce-lover then you’re in luck because I’ve included a delicious roasted red pepper remoulade with this recipe! It’s super easy to make and has a nice delicate flavor that doesn’t overpower the crab. Plus, it’s paleo! Woohoo!

To bind the crab meat together I like to use gluten free panko bread crumbs. I love the Aleia’s brand beause it tastes really authentic and the texture is perfectly crispy and crunchy. It is not paleo because it contains a bit of canola oil, rice flour, and a few other non-paleo ingredients. But let’s be real, we are not eating the stuff by the spoonful and the amount you have per serving is only 1 Tbsp. I don’t think it’s going to wreck havoc on your body if you eat 1 Tbsp. But, of course, that’s up for you to decide. So if you are trying to eat strict paleo, then Aleia’s brand is not for you. Keep in mind that if you choose to use a different brand of gluten free panko or make your own gluten free bread crumbs, the crab cakes may not hold together like they should. It may take a bit more experimentation with the ratio of bread crumbs to egg to mayo to get them to hold together.

For this recipe I always use homemade olive oil mayo. To make it just whisk together 2 egg yolks, the juice of half a lemon, a dash of salt, and a bit of dijon mustard (maybe 1/2 tsp). Then drizzle in about 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil slowly while whisking vigorously. That’s it! So easy. You can even do it with a stick blender or food processor! I like the simplicity and ease of cleanup with just a bowl and a whisk. BUT for this sauce recipe you’re going to use your food processor, blender, or stick blender anyway, so you may as well use that to make the mayo too. You can also use store-bought paleo mayo like the Primal Kitchen brand, but I think the taste of homemade is MUCH better. And its so easy and affordable to make at home, so why not?

Lastly, let’s talk crab meat. I recommend using all jumbo lump crab meat. I know, I know, it’s expensive. But these are really a treat and worth the splurge every once and a while. Plus, it’s much cheaper than getting them at a restaurant anyway!

If you want a more affordable option, you can try using a mix of jumbo lump and either backfin or special crab for this recipe. It should work and hold together just fine. But I really like using all lump meat because of those big beautiful chunks. They make for a better crab cake overall and a beautiful presentation. Perfect as a party appetizer or for a special date night in.

If you want something similar but aren’t looking to splurge on crab meat, make sure to check out my other healthy seafood cake recipes! So good!!

• Paleo Shrimp Cakes with Tangy Lemon Aioli
• Lemon Caper Fish Cakes
• Paleo Salmon Cakes

Now, on to the recipe! Enjoy!

Okay I went a little crazy with the remoulade there in the last pic 😁

Join My Community!

Want to get my new recipes delivered straight to your inbox?
Sign up for my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe!

Subscribe

Easy Gluten Free Crab Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Remoulade

• Gluten-Free
• Dairy-Free
• Paleo
• Pescatarian

5 from 1 vote

Print

Prep Time: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 10 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Servings: 4 dinner servings or 8 appetizer servings

Ingredients 

Crab Cakes

• 1 lb 450g jumbo lump crab meat
• 1/3 cup 80g paleo mayonnaise
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp 10g dijon mustard
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp finely chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1 green onion finely chopped
• 1/4 cup 35g Aleia's gluten free panko bread crumbs (see notes for link)
• Lemon wedges for serving
• 2-3 Tbsp grass-fed butter ghee, or avocado oil

Roasted Red Pepper Remoulade

• 1/2 cup paleo mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup 100g roasted red bell pepper, patted dry (about 1 pepper if you are roasting it yourself)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp Tabasco 1/2 tsp if you like it spicy!
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

Instructions

Crab Cakes

• Place crab meat on paper towels and allow any water to drain off. Be careful not to break up the large chunks.
• Grab a large mixing bowl and add in mayo, egg, dijon, lemon juice, Worcestershire, Old Bay, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine.
• Add in parsley, green onion, and panko and stir with a spatula.
• Last, gently fold in the crab meat using the spatula. Be really careful to keep the large pieces intact.
• Once it is well-mixed, press it down just a bit into an even layer, cover, and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. This will allow the mixture to set up so the crab cakes will hold together during the cooking process.
• After 1-2 hours in the fridge, remove the crab mixture.
• If your oven is slow to heat up, go ahead and set your broiler to high now.
• Heat 2-3 Tbsp butter or avocado oil in a large cast iron skillet or other oven-safe skillet over medium heat.
• While the pan is heating up, form the crab mixture into 6 crab cakes. I like to use a 1/2 cup measure to scoop it out, press it gently into the measuring cup to compact it just a bit, then remove it, shape a little more with my hands, then place it on a sheet of parchment paper.
• Once the pan is hot, carefully place the crab cakes in the pan, spacing them evenly.
• Allow to cook for 5 minutes.
• Using a pastry brush, VERY gently dab some of the oil from the pan onto the tops of the crab cakes. If you're using butter, you can place a thin slice of butter on top of each crab cake instead (saving you from potentially breaking the crab cake apart while dabbing it with the pastry brush). And if you have avocado oil in a spray form then this would be the perfect time to use that! Just quickly spray the tops of the crab cakes.
• Now move the skillet to the oven and broil on high until the tops are nicely browned (about 5-10 minutes, depending on your oven). Just keep an eye on them so they don't burn!
• Serve immediately with remoulade and lemon wedges.

Roasted Red Pepper Remoulade

• While the crab cakes are chilling in the refrigerator you can make the remoulade.
• Using a food processor, blender, or stick blender, blend together all of the ingredients until smooth. That's it!
• Pour in serving dish, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.

Did you love the recipe? I would love it if you left me a 5-star review below!

Category:

• American
• Appetizers & Snacks
• Birthday
• Comfort Foods
• Dairy-Free
• Date Night
• Dinner
• Fall
• Family Friendly
• Gluten-Free
• Main Dish
• New Year's
• Paleo
• Party Food
• Pescatarian
• Shellfish / Mollusks / Bivalves
• Spring
• Summer
• Valentine's Day
• Winter

Author: Kit

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @itskitskitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #kitskitchen

What’s your favorite crab recipe? Let me know in the comments section below!

xx Kit

*Disclosure: Kit’s Coastal is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Affiliate programs like this help me keep this blog up and running. When you purchase through an affiliate link I receive a small commission. So, if you love the blog and you’d like to support me, then you know what to do 🙂