Mexican Crab Cakes with Serrano Cream use rich, buttery, Dungeness crab and just enough Panko with a creamy serrano cilantro lime sauce.
Crab cakes are so versatile. Pairing crab with end of summer vegetables like corn and zucchini makes for a seasonal favorite. I tend to pick up on the Mexican inspired flavor with almost every dish I make. I like the bright, colorful ingredients and love the spice.
This recipe calls for Dungeness crab, local to the Pacific Northwest. It’s a rich, buttery, dense meat. I have been known to eat an entire bowl of shelled Dungeness crab all to myself. It’s memories for me. We would spend the weekends crabbing and fishing in the San Juan Islands. Bringing home our catch, there were crab to shell and fish to fillet. My love for seafood started young and continues into my passion for cooking and sharing recipes with you.
Ingredients in Mexican Crab Cakes with Serrano Cream
- Dungeness Crab – Rich, buttery crab shelled and all juices gently squeezed out.
- Corn on the Cob – Yellow for color, cut off the cob.
- Zucchini – Small fresh zucchini.
- Panko Bread Crumbs – Plain Panko bread crumbs are light and crispy.
- Red Bell Pepper – Adds that little bit of texture and color.
- Celery – Fine diced celery adds a fresh flavor.
- Green Onion – a.k.a. scallions
- Garlic – I keep a bottle of minced garlic in my refrigerator.
- Serrano Pepper – Serrano has a similar heat to jalapeno, but more flavor.
- Sour Cream – Either sour cream or Mexican Crema would work.
- Cilantro – Fresh cilantro.
- Lime – Fresh squeezable lime.
- Avocado – Just ripe and ready to slice.
- Spices – Chipotle powder, salt and pepper
- Pantry Items – Agave nectar, mayonnaise, avocado oil
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Mexican Crab Cakes with Serrano Cream
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. Dungeness lump crab meat
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1 tsp green onion minced
- 1/4 cup red bell pepper diced
- 1/8 cup celery minced
- 1/4 tsp minced garlic
- salt and pepper
- 1 1/2 tbsp. butter
- 1 tbsp. avocado oil
Serrano Cream
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 serrano pepper diced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
- 1 tsp. minced garlic
- 1 lime juiced and zested
- 1 tsp. agave nectar
Garnish
- 1 ear yellow corn cut off the cob
- 1 cup zucchini diced
- 1 pinch chipotle or cayenne powder
- 1/2 tbsp. avocado oil
- salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp. fresh cilantro chopped
- 1/2 avocado sliced
Instructions
Crab Cakes
- Gather lump crab meat in a paper towel and squeeze out excess moisture. Place lump crab meat in a mixing bowl with mayonnaise, Panko bread crumbs and green onion.
- Sauté red bell pepper, celery and garlic in 1/2 tbsp. butter over medium high heat for about 1 minute, until just softened. Remove from heat and let cool, then add to lump crab mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
- Gently combine ingredients, making sure not to over mix. You want the lump crab to remain in lump form. When combined, form into 4 even patties. Place on a plate, cover with saran wrap and refrigerate at least an hour, preferably overnight.
- When ready to cook, pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Remove crab cakes from refrigerator and let rest while you heat your sauté pan to medium high. Add avocado oil to pan and let warm. Place crab cakes in pan and brown for about 2 1/2 minutes on each side, adding remaining 1 tbsp. butter to pan after flipping to second side. Remove from sauté pan, place on sheet pan and bake in oven for about 5 minutes while you make serrano cream and garnish.
Serrano Cream
- Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
Garnish
- Sauté zucchini and corn in avocado oil a small pan over medium high heat for about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat, season with salt, pepper and chipotle powder. Toss in cilantro.
- Plate crab cakes over a spoonful of Serrano Cream with garnish of zucchini and corn on top. Place sliced avocado on top of that.
