Mini Crab Cakes with Yogurt Dill Sauce

These Mini Crab Cakes with Yogurt Dill Sauce are make ahead and freezer friendly. They’re so tasty and are perfect for entertaining.

Making Delicious Mini Crab Cakes

I’ve been making crab cakes for many years with a tried-and-true recipe I’ve had for some time. I find these crab cakes to be a wonderful appetizer as well as a nice, lighter dinner. They’re also perfect for a cozy date night.

I like these crab cakes as they are easy to make and taste amazing. I also love them because they’re perfect for making ahead and they’re great for entertaining. They freeze beautifully and reheat well in the oven.  

For quite some time, I served these with a simple tartar sauce. But, there are some people in my family that aren’t big fans of said tartar sauce. So, I started experimenting to find a crab cake sauce everyone would enjoy. 

How to Make the Mini Crab Cake Sauce

After some research, I decided to go with a mayo/yogurt mixture. That provided a base that was both tasty and versatile (for example, you can thin down the sauce and use as a salad dressing).

The rice wine vinegar allows me to thin it out a bit while keeping the tangy taste of the yogurt. Finally, the dill is just a perfect compliment to both the sauce as well as the crab cakes. Simply stir together in a small bowl and you are ready to go!

Can You Freeze Mini Crab Cakes?

Yes, you can freeze these mini crab cakes. It’s a two-step process.

1. Place crab cakes in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet (so they don’t stick) and place into the freezer.
2. Once frozen, take off the baking sheet, put into an airtight container or freezer bag and place back in the freezer.

You can freeze these for up to three months prior to reheating. When you are ready to serve, reheat from frozen in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for about 10-15 minutes, or when heated through.

I highly recommend you make the sauce at the time you are ready to serve. It won’t thaw well, a fresh sauce tastes so much better and frankly, it’s such a simple sauce to make!

These Mini Crab Cakes Are Not Just for Appetizers

While these crab cakes with yogurt dill sauce are a perfect appetizer, they’re also great to serve as sliders on a bun with the dill sauce, lettuce and tomato. Or, you can thin out the sauce, use it as salad dressing and serve the crab cakes on top of mixed greens for a light dinner. So many options!

Any way you decide to serve these, you won’t be disappointed, they’re absolutely delish!

Tips and Tricks

• The crab cakes can be frozen. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (so they don’t stick) in a single layer and then freeze. Once frozen, place crab cakes in an airtight container or a zip top bag and store in the freezer until ready to use.
• When you’re ready to serve them, reheat from frozen in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until heated through.
• The crab cakes are also delicious served with cocktail sauce or tartar sauce.
• Lump crab meat, either refrigerated or canned is the best choice, rather than claw meat.
• Do not use imitation crab meat. One, it’s not actual crab meat (it’s pulverized white fish and starch!) and the consistency won’t work with this mini crab cakes recipe.

Ingredients Needed to Make Crab Cakes with Yogurt Dill Sauce

Full Instructions can be found below in the recipe card

• Olive oil
• Red onion – I prefer red onion, but yellow onion can be substituted.
• Green onions
• Celery
• Red bell pepper – You can substitute orange or yellow pepper, but I wouldn’t recommend green pepper because it’s not as sweet.
• Garlic 
• White wine – If you don’t have any white wine on hand, you can substitute white or red wine vinegar.
• Lump crab meat – I have tested this recipe with both refrigerated and shelf stable canned lump crab meat. Either one works well in this recipe. I do not recommend crab claw meat.
• Plain panko bread crumbs – I don’t recommend using Italian style bread crumbs as they don’t blend well with the rest of the flavors in the crab cakes.
• Grated parmesan 
• Fresh lime juice – My preference is lime juice, but lemon juice can be substituted.
• Eggs – The eggs are important for binding the ingredients together. 
• Fresh parsley
• Dijon mustard – This adds flavor and a little creaminess.
• Old Bay seasoning – This seasoning is readily available in the spice section of your market.
• Salt
• Pepper
• Rice wine vinegar – This gives just the right flavor to the dipping sauce.
• Reduced fat mayonnaise – I like to use reduced fat, but full fat mayo will work equally well.
• Greek yogurt – Fat free, low fat and full fat all work for the dip recipe.
• Fresh or dried dill – Either works fine.

 

How to Make Mini Crab Cakes with Yogurt Dill Sauce

• Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat.
• Saute onions, celery and red pepper for about 5 minutes, until tender.
• Add garlic to the pan for the last minute of cooking.
• Stir in wine and cook for another minute.  
• In a large bowl, combine veggie mixture with the crab, mixing well.
• Add the bread crumbs, parmesan, lime juice, eggs, parsley, Dijon, Old Bay, salt and pepper to the crab mixture.  
• Mix until well combined.
• Form into 12 patties (an ice cream scoop works well to get a uniform size), and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Coat the bottom of a large skillet with olive oil, about 3 tbsp and heat over medium heat.
• Add half of the crab cakes and cook for about 3 minutes per side, until golden brown, remove from pan.
• Cook the remaining crab cakes in the same manner, adding more olive oil, if necessary.
• To make sauce, combine vinegar, mayo, yogurt and dill in a small bowl.
• Serve crab cakes immediately with the sauce or freeze for later. 

More Party Appetizers to Try

• Coconut Shrimp with Sweet and Spicy Asian Dipping Sauce
• Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Mushrooms
• Mini Pretzel Dogs with Apricot Mustard Dip
• Bacon Wrapped Shrimp with Homemade Eel Sauce
• Sauerkraut Bacon and Swiss Cheese Ball
• Baked Brie with Honey
• Whipped Feta Dip