Gluten-Free Crab Cakes

I made up these gluten-free crab cakes for my dad who is gluten intolerant.  He's a retired fisherman who's eaten a lot of crab cakes over the years (read about our crab cake competitions in this post here) so these had to live up to the expectation of a classic cake without the gluten. A small amount of parmesan creates a gluten-free crispy coating while the crab is sumptuous and tender inside. I think you'll agree, they taste just as great as the originals...maybe even better!

Wondering what goes with crab cakes? I've got you covered with this post on "What to serve with crab cakes".

Why this recipe works

Many recipes and especially restaurants make them with a ton of filler (flour and bread crumbs) which makes them pretty unhealthy and not as tasty.  My recipes keeps the crab front and center with just one egg as a binding agent and some Parmesan and just a tablespoon of cornstarch so that you still get that delicious crispy outside.

I love seafood. It's healthy and fast cooking. If you do too, try out some of my other favourite recipes like Scallops Vongole Style , Rare Tuna Nicoise or browse through the 10+ Best Halibut Recipes.

Recipe Ingredients

• Dungeness crab - while you can certainly use other crab, I think this is the best crab you can buy. Sweet large chunks of meat that work perfectly in crab cakes.
• Parmesan cheese - fresh parmesan is the key to the crisp coating. This takes the place of bread crumbs.
• Egg and mayonnaise - these act as the binder, holding these delicate cakes together with minimal other ingredients.

Step By Step Instructions

The crab cakes are very simple and straightforward.

1. Beat egg until frothy then add herbs, salt, pepper and tobacco and whisk in. Add crab and stir gently just until mixed.
2. In a separate bowl, sprinkle cornstarch over grated parmesan cheese and stir to coat.
3. Preheat a large frying pan to medium heat. Add oil shortly before frying crab cakes.
4. Form crab mixture into 4 cakes and press gently into cheese mixture flipping to coat both sides lightly, then put into preheated pan. Fry until they are browned and crispy, then flip and brown other side. When finished, drain briefly on a paper towel lined plate before serving.

For the red pepper dipping sauce,

1. Whiz roasted peppers in food processor or blender until smooth, then add herbs, tabasco, salt, pepper and vinegar and blend. Last add the yogurt and pulse just until blended.
2. Pour ¼ c sauce into each of 4 bowls and top with a crispy crab cake. Garnish with lettuce or herbs if you like.

Variations and Substitutions

• You can substitute other crab such as snow crab. If using canned crab, it is essential to squeeze all the extra liquid out before adding.
• There are many dipping sauces that go great with crab cakes and are gluten-free too. Tartar sauce is a classic and you'll find my favorite lemon aioli here. Spicy mayo and remoulade are other great choices and sometimes just a squish of fresh lemon juice is just perfect.

Dungeness Crabbing Tips

Have you tried crabbing? It's a fun and simple way to catch your own Dungeness. There are two ways you can do it but make sure you have your fishing license first. (You can get that here)

The first way is simply to don your tall gum boots or chest waders, get a long 1-3" diameter stick and walk in with a bucket. You'll want to ask around or look for areas that crabs like. Often long sandy or somewhat flat beaches that the tide goes up and down over.

Walk slowly so as not to disturb the sea life and look for crabs. Once you spot one, put your stick in front and let him grab on. You might have to try a few times, but once the crab is fighting mad or defensive, it should grab your stick and you quickly lift and deposit it into your bucket. I will admit that it can be hard to find them this way but the advantage is that you don't need special equipment and can make a fun outing at the beach.

The second and more common way to catch Dungeness is to set a trap.

You can find crab traps at Canadian Tire, fishing stores and even on Amazon.

Best Bait For Dungeness Crab

Any type of leftover meat or seafood works great as bait. We often freeze the bony carcass from a fish we've eaten for dinner, then when we go crabbing, we just tie it in the middle of the crab trap and set it. In a pinch, you can use a tin of canned fish. Using a can opener, cut small holes around so the smell can get out but the fish will mostly stay in the tin.

How To Set A Crab Trap

To set your crab trap, you'll need enough rope to attach it from the trap to the surface (remember to add a little extra 6-10 feet at least, to account for rising tide). You also need a float that will mark the spot and allow you to pull it up from the depths. Once trap, rope and float are all tied together, choose a spot and lower your trap. Leave it a minimum of an hour or up to a day or two or even a week. It may take some guessing and testing to find a successful spot but you'll be rewarded with good eating when you do. (Make sure you have a measuring tape and know how to tell males and females apart. It is only legal to keep the males.)

Below is my daughter and her cousins with Grampa after a successful day crabbing.

How To Cook Dungeness Crab

The tried and true, simple method I use is to boil or steam the crab for 10 minutes. Using a large pot that will hold your crab with plenty of room, fill ½ full with water. Add 2 tablespoon salt per liter of water. You want your water about as salty as the sea. In fact you can even boil your crab in sea water if you have access to clean ocean water. We often do this out commercial fishing. Bring your water to a boil and then add your crab. Set your timer for 10 minutes and remove immediately at that point. I run cold water over mine for a minute to stop it from cooking more (but not so much that it's not still quite warm) but you can leave it hot if eating right away.

Enjoy Friends! And let me know what you think!

If you have any questions or comments, you can find me on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. I try to answer any recipe related questions quickly as I know you might be in the middle of making it.

Also check out my FREE PRINTABLE meal planner to make menu planning and grocery shopping a breeze and my shopping guide. And if you like this recipe, I would love it if you give it a star rating in the recipe card.

Cheers and happy cooking, Friends! Sabrina

Have a delicious day!

Sabrina

📖 Recipe

Dungeness Crab Cake Recipe (Gluten Free, Low Carb)

Delicious, crispy Dungeness crab cakes without the flour or filler! A small bit of parmesan adds a crispy salty outside.

5 from 21 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizer

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 245kcal

Author: Sabrina Currie

Ingredients

Dungeness Crab Cakes

• ▢ 1 c Dungeness Crab Meat
• ▢ 1 Egg
• ▢ 2 teaspoon Parsley finely chopped
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon Salt use ¼ teaspoon if crab was cooked in unsalted water
• ▢ 4 drops Tabasco Sauce
• ▢ 1 c Grated Parmesan Cheese (100 g)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon Black Pepper ground finely
• ▢ 2 tablespoon Vegetable Oil

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

• ▢ 2 Roasted Red Peppers (1 Cup)
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon Salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Red Wine Vinegar
• ▢ 6-8 drops Tabasco Sauce use more or less to taste
• ▢ 2 teaspoon Parsley finely chopped
• ▢ 2 teaspoon Chives finely chopped
• ▢ Black Pepper freshly ground to taste
• ▢ ½ c Non Fat Plain Greek Yogurt

Instructions

• Beat egg until frothy then add herbs, salt, pepper and tobacco and whisk in.  Add crab and stir gently just until mixed.
• In a separate bowl, sprinkle cornstarch over grated parmesan cheese and stir to coat.
• Preheat a large frying pan to medium heat. Add oil shortly before frying crab cakes.
• Form crab mixture into 4 cakes and press gently into cheese mixture flipping to coat both sides lightly, then put into preheated pan.  Fry until they are browned and crispy, then flip and brown other side.  When finished, drain briefly on a paper towel lined plate before serving.

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

• Whiz peppers in food processor or blender until smooth, then add herbs, tobasco, salt, pepper and vinegar and blend. Last add the yogurt and pulse just until blended.
• Pour ¼ c sauce into each of 4 bowls and top with a crispy crab cake. 
• Optional: Serve with lettuce leaves or pea shoots and garnish with chive blossoms and chopped parsley. 

Notes

While these crab cakes hold together great once they are cooked, they are tricky to form and stick together when raw because there is no flour or bread crumbs.  Hold them firmly in your hand and press firmly but gently into the parmesan mixture then lift and flip other side into mixture as well. Then using your hand, gently put them into pan. If some bits have fallen away, use your spoon and gently press them back on once in pan. 

Nutrition

Calories: 245kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 1296mg | Potassium: 201mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 418IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 339mg | Iron: 1mg

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