Easy Keto Crab Cakes Recipe With Pork Rinds

Most seafood cakes contain wheat flour. But, this easy keto crab cakes recipe will delight your taste buds without the unnecessary gluten and carbs. With a touch of lemon and old bay seasoning, these moist crab cakes will be a hit at your next get-together!

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Crab cakes make amazing lunch ideas or side dishes on seafood night. If you want the best authentic crab cakes, then you have to go to Maryland.

I live in Connecticut, which isn’t that far away, but even if you’re one state away from MD (like in Pennsylvania), finding a restaurant that serves the real-deal crab cake is difficult.

When I see “Maryland-style crab cake” on a menu in Connecticut, I know that it’s not going to taste anything like those blue-collar shacks that serve it in the Baltimore and Chesapeake Bay region.

If you don’t live near the Chesapeake and love crab cakes, this easy keto crab cake recipe is second best. And, it’s certainly healthier than most restaurant versions as it contains no flour fillers.

Ingredients Needed For Low-Carb Crab Cakes

To make low-carb crab cakes, you will use lots of the same ingredients that are in traditional crab cakes.

Crab Meat

If you have access to it, use fresh crab meat. If not, canned will work just as well.

Egg Yolks

You only need one yolk for this entire recipe. It binds all the ingredients together. If you leave it out, the crab cake will just fall apart.

Mayonnaise

Use your favorite type of mayo. I used avocado mayo since it has so many healthy fats (which are important on a keto diet).

You could also make your own homemade mayo too.

Old Bay Seasoning

If you are trying to make Maryland-style crab cakes, then Old Bay Seasoning is required. It is a staple in seafood in this state!

Spices

In addition to salt and pepper, I used both lemon juice and my homemade Worcestershire sauce.

Pork Rinds

I used pork rinds as a breadcrumbs substitute. This keeps the crab cakes gluten-free and keto-friendly.

Please note: Check out the recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients used to make this low-carb recipe.

Quick Tips:

• I like to pre-crush the rinds and keep them in the freezer as it helps remove some of the pork flavor and odor. Then, I have them ready to use in recipes like nearly no-carb bread!
• Alternatively, you can take whole pork rinds and place them in a ziplock baggie and roll over them with a rolling pin to crush them.
• Remember to remove any pieces of crab shells if you used fresh crab. Even if you are careful, pieces of the shell end up in the meat.

How To Make Keto-Friendly Crab Cakes

All of the step-by-step directions are written out in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. First, here are some additional tips.

Prepare The Crab Meat

To begin, if you have fresh crabs, steam them. (If you used canned crab meat, you can skip this step).

Boil water, lager, vinegar, and seafood seasoning. Then, layer the crabs in the steamer insert, generously sprinkling the salt and remaining seafood seasoning on each layer of crabs. Cover the pot and steam for about 30 minutes.

When it is fully cooked, set it aside.

Combine Crab Cake Mixture

Next, in a mixing bowl, combine the egg yolk, mayo, crab meat, pork rinds, and seasoning. Also, add the Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and salt and pepper.

Be careful, however, not to overmix. I find that just a couple of minutes, max, does the trick.

Fry The Crab Cakes

After a couple of minutes of mixing, you’ll want to create some patties out of the keto crab cake concoction. Then, take a skillet and, over low-medium heat, ever so delicately lay the cakes in the frying pan.

It only takes 3-4 minutes for each side to develop that golden griddle color.

But, don’t eat it right away – it’s way too hot at this point. To make it less oily, drain the cakes.

All that’s left is drizzling some lemon juice and the garnish.

What To Serve With Crab Cakes

These are delicious as a light lunch so just serve some cauliflower rice with them.

If you would rather eat them as a seafood side dish, then serve them with keto-baked cod. It is both light and filling!

These crab cakes also work fantastically as a party appetizer. They taste fantastic with gluten-free coconut shrimp too.

Frequently Asked Questions About Low-Carb Crab Cakes

Before we get to the recipe card, here are some questions people often ask about keto crab cakes.

Are these better than store-bought crab cakes?

Yes, it’s always better to make your food at home whenever you can.

This easy keto crab cakes recipe has far less cholesterol than the non-keto, regular version. Furthermore, many businesses that ship crab cakes around the country add preservatives to the cakes, such as sodium benzoate.

Store-purchased crab cakes can also contain corn syrup. That’s an obvious no-no if you’re trying to cut down on your net carbs.

Why should I use pork rinds on crab cakes?

So why have pork rinds been making their way into Paleo-approved crab cake recipes?

The simple answer is that pork rinds make for an excellent high-carb breading surrogate. Sure, pork rinds don’t sound healthy.

When you think of the term, you might think back to old-school vending machines that sold them in bags. Of course, those pork rinds were unhealthy.

If you can buy some organic pasture-raised pork rinds, you’ll be sticking to a Paleo-approved ingredient.

So how do you get pork rinds looking like bread crumbs? In this recipe, I just add the pre-crushed rinds to the other ingredients and mix them in a bowl.

How many crab cakes is one serving?

The serving size for these low-carb crab cakes is about one 2-inch cake.

Do you need tartar sauce for crab cakes?

Some people think that you need tartar sauce as a topping for crab cakes. But as I mention in the intro to this recipe, if you do them up the proper way, you certainly won’t need any tartar.

Plus, if you become an expert at making this easy keto crab cakes recipe, you probably won’t need any lemon juice to top it off either.

Let me know how your version comes out and if you have any questions.

More Keto Seafood Recipes

If you enjoyed these crispy crab cakes, then I have more low-carb seafood recipes you should try next. They are some of my go-to’s!

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First published August 30, 2018. Post updated on August 5, 2021, with clearer images and additional recipe information.