Old Bay Crab Cakes with Homemade Tartar Sauce
Using Old Bay Seasoning (yes it’s gluten-free!) gives a wonderful flavor to these succulent crab cakes.

Old Bay Crab Cakes with Homemade Tartar Sauce
Ingredients
Tartar Sauce
- 3/4 cup GF mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup dill pickles finely chopped
- 1 ½ Tbsp scallions finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped
- 4 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp GF Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp GF Worcestershire sauce
- ½ tsp GF hot sauce
Crab Cakes
- 1 cup GF mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp parsley finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp GF Dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 ½ cups GF Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 lb lump crabmeat
Instructions
- Mix together all ingredients for tartar sauce, and let refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend.
- For the crab cakes, in a large bowl mix together everything except breadcrumbs and crabmeat, until well blended. Gently stir in the remaining ingredients, until just combined.
- Shape into 3” wide patties, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Fry in a hot oiled skillet until golden on both sides.
- Serve hot with tartar sauce and lemon wedges.
Notes
What is the measurement for the GF panko breadcrumbs. It just says 1 1/2 . Is that tbsps or cups???????
Oops sorry! It’s 1 1/2 cups :o) Thanks for the catch!
Thanks looking forward to trying them.
GF Panko Breadcrumbs? Didn’t realize there was such a thing. Must look for these…
If you look at the picture at the bottom of the recipe, you’ll see a picture of the box so you know what to look for at the store. The brand I use is by Kinnikinnick, and is available at my local grocery store. Most large grocery chains have access to this brand, so if you can’t find it in the store ask them to bring it in. With more people eating gluten free, I find stores are more than willing to bring in new products like this. If you can’t get panko style, you can always substitute it with regular gluten free breadcrumbs.
Do you happen to have gm measurements?
I don’t, but you can always run the measurements through a conversion – there are several free ones online.
What make breadcrumbs “Panko” ?
Panko is a Japanese-style breadcrumb (panko is the Japanese word for bread crumbs), that is made without the crusts. Compared to traditional breadcrumbs, they are more coarsely ground, resulting in large flakes. These large flakes produce a crunchier coating when baked or fried, as well they don’t tend to absorb as much grease. You can easily substitute Panko for regular breadcrumbs in any recipe (gluten free of course!)
Where can I purchase Old Bay seasoning?
Thank you.
I have found that the gluten free bread I make is a much cheaper substitute for Panko, which we used a lot before going GF. It tends to dry very hard and thus makes a great, crunchy outside coating for everything. I have a particular bread recipe that I make specifically for it’s “dry” application. I bake all my own GF bread and have tried many recipes, so I also have access to the bread crumbs. While slicing any bread with my electric knife, I save the bread crumbs and add them to the jar.
Almost all large grocery chains will carry this in their spice & seasonings section.
I love crabcakes but stopped eating them because I did not know I could eat Old Bay. Thanks for the info.
I agree that specialty products like GF panko can get pricey, especially if you use it a lot. Saving the breadcrumbs when cutting crusty loaves of gluten free bread is a great idea!!! Keep those tips coming!
It really is a uniquely flavored spice, that adds soo much flavor. Try Old Bay in our tasty Corn & Shrimp Chowder – this is one of my favorites!
I think I made too much, can I freeze them?
To freeze, place the uncooked crab cakes on a baking sheet in the freezer just until firm, about 2 hours. Wrap each cake in plastic wrap and place in a plastic freezer bag. Freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost the crab cakes in the refrigerator overnight before cooking.