Dungeness Crab Cakes with Lemon Scallion Sauce
Fresh Dungeness crab meat from the waters of Bodega Bay California. With seasonings similar to old bay seasoning and fresh herbs, served with a delicious sauce. Dungeness Crab Cakes with Lemon Scallion Sauce can be the perfect appetizer or part of a main meal.

Just in time for crab season, which I have come to learn that the season runs from November to June and in some places, year round.
I’m fortunate to live close to the Northern California coastal town of Bodega Bay. If you’ve seen the Hitchcock movie The Birds then you’ll know where it is, just north of San Francisco. It is also known for it’s fresh crab and find myself frequenting the bay very often.

The crab has to be the main focus of any crab cake and you really see (picture below) and taste the crab first and foremost in this recipe. That’s how it should be and because of this, is why I wanted the best possible and quality crab meat. The other ingredients are accent flavors of fresh dill, celery seed and lemon with just enough mayonnaise and breadcrumbs to hold them together.

One day, when I make it to Maryland, the first thing on the agenda is digging into their blue crabs and all the crab meat.

About the sauce: Do you call them scallions, spring onions or green onions? They are in season now and add a lovely, slight onion flavor to the sauce that complements the fresh lemon. I also love adding them to Coleslaw.
The preparing of the crab cakes comes with a few must-do’s to ensure the perfect outcome. The first is mix carefully. You want to keep as much of the lump crab meat in-tact as possible. Secondly, refrigeration of the crab meat. The cooled mix helps them stay together and not fall apart when you cook them.

Dungeness Crab Cakes with Lemon Scallion Sauce

Fresh dungeness crab with seasonings and fresh herbs, served with lemon scallion sauce.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (65 grams) good mayonnaise
- 1 large egg, whisked
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons fresh dill, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon (1/2 lemon) fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/3 cups (100 grams) Panko or regular breadcrumbs
- 1 pound Dungeness or lump crab meat (pick through for any shells)
- For the sauce:
- 1 cup (258 grams) good mayonnaise
- 4 scallions/spring onions, chopped
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper to your taste
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
Instructions
- Add the mayonnaise, egg, mustard, celery seed, paprika, dill and salt and lemon juice and half of the breadcrumbs to a large bowl, whisk to mix well. Add the crab meat and the rest of the breadcrumbs. Use a fork or hands to carefully mix well, being careful not to break up the meat. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Divide the mix into 4 equal parts. Take 1/4 of the mix and press together firmly with your hands so they hold together then shape into round, flat patties. Place on a plate and refrigerate. While they chill, make the sauce.
- To a blender add the mayonnaise, scallions/spring onions, lemon zest and juice, mustard, salt, pepper, olive oil and honey. Blend until smooth, set aside.
- To a large, heavy skillet add the oil over medium heat. Carefully place the crab cakes in the pan, do not crowd. Cook for 5 minutes until browned and turn. Cook until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 145°F/63°C using a meat thermometer.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 435Total Fat 34gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 27gCholesterol 159mgSodium 1259mgCarbohydrates 10gFiber 1gSugar 4gProtein 24g
This nutrition calculation is provided by Nutronix that is only a guideline and not intended for any particular diet.
16 Comments on “Dungeness Crab Cakes with Lemon Scallion Sauce”
Crab season opens next Saturday November 5th bodega bay, I will be on the water! What are you thoughts on making half dollar size crab cakes for a big group, recipe looks great ,just hoping to give everyone a couple crab cakes to try
Crab season is the best. I think that making half dollar size cakes is a wonderful idea. You may want to double or triple the recipe since this is just enough for 4 regular size cakes. Enjoy your crabbing and let me know if you have any other questions.
Wow! So full of crab and they stay together. good flavors.
Thank you so much.
Perfect recipe, with just the right amount of filler
Thank you so much 🙂
Can I use regular breadcrumbs?
You can use regular, they are just more dense so they may make the cakes more dense.
Wow, great flavors
Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed them.
Made last night. Everyone loved them
Yay, I’m so happy you enjoyed them.
We just left Bodgea Bay yesterday and had crab. I’ll make these when I get back to OregonÂ
Great, enjoy 🙂
I’m going to make these for lunch today, wish me luck. I’ll cook them in my airfryer.
Yum! Enjoy 🙂