This stuffed lemon crab cakes recipe takes ‘easy squeezy lemon peasy‘ to the next level! The lemons make the ultimate vessel for this lemon crab cakes recipe that is impeccably moist with a crunchy top. They are citrusy, meaty, and the perfect single-serve appetizer idea for your next get-together! They will surely make your guests wonder “why haven’t I stuffed a lemon before?!”
The Delicious Crab Cakes
This moist crab cake recipe is perfectly seasoned and absolutely delicious. Garlic powder and cayenne are the only two spices used. Since the crumbled Ritz crackers have so much flavor and salt, you don’t need to use many seasonings in these baked crab cakes.
You’re Going To Love This
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Important Tips
Make Ahead Baked Crab Cakes
I think the best part of this creative and unique lemon recipe is that you can prepare them the day before! It really only takes about 15 minutes to prep, but that’s 15 minutes that you could spend chatting with friends or sitting down with a frosty glass of Pinot Grigio on the day of the event.
To Make Them The Day Before An Event
Bake the crab cake mixture in a large bowl, and cover it with a lid or plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.
Cut the lemons in half, and scoop out the insides. Slice the bottom of each lemon half so they don’t fall over, being careful not to slice a hole in the bottom.
Place the lemon halves on a baking sheet or casserole dish, cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge overnight.
On the day of, all you have to do is preheat the oven, scoop the crab cake mixture into each lemon and bake them!
What To Serve With Crab Cake Stuffed Lemons
This is honestly the best crab cakes recipe, because you really don’t need to serve it with anything! It is great by itself. But if you decide you want a little something more, I highly recommend a side of tartar sauce. Don’t feel like you have to make it from scratch! Since you only need a tiny dollop, store bought is fine.
For the more adventurous palate, you might want to try a little hot sauce! There is nothing like the zing of hot sauce to spice up crab cakes! Garnish them with a little more dill and parsley for that beautiful pop of green that our eye craves, and you’re good to go.
What Makes This A Mediterranean Appetizer?
Cirtus orchards are a major contributor to the Mediterranean landscape, and lemons are one of the most important cultivated fruits in the region. Lemon is used almost daily in Mediterranean cuisine and cooking.
Have you heard of ‘Blue Zones’? They are regions of the world thought to have a higher than usual number of people who live longer than average. The island of Ikaria in Greece and the island of Sardinia in Italy are two of the five blue zones, and lemons reign supreme on both of these islands.
So much so that lemons are listed as one of eight key fruits to consume as part of the Blue Zone diet!
And of course, we can’t forget about crab! The Mediterranean diet encourages the consumption of fish and seafood at least twice a week as a lean protein source.
Want to learn more about the Mediterranean diet? Check out my ‘What Is The Mediterranean Diet‘ blog post here, with a free Mediterranean foods list printable!
When To Serve Crab Cake Stuffed Lemons
This recipe is one of the best lemon recipes because it can be prepped ahead of time and everyone always loves it! I actually made these crab cake stuffed lemons as elegant seafood appetizers for Christmas, and they were a huge hit!
I also made them at a backyard bbq in the middle of summer. They were a nice change from the traditional hamburgers and hot dogs.
But honestly, you can never go wrong serving this recipe. You don’t even need an occasion!
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Stuffed Lemon Crab Cakes Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 egg yolks
- 16 oz lumb crab meat
- 1 tbsp chopped dill
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 sleeve original Ritz crackers
- 5 large lemons (6 or 7 small lemons)
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Cut each lemon in half. Scoop the insides of the lemon out using a spoon. Start where the lemon flesh meets the white pith of the lemon and press the spoon between the two. Work your way around the lemon being careful to not rip the lemon or make any holes.
- Taking one half, cut a thin piece off of the bottom of the lemon so that the lemon will sit flat. Try not to cut all of the way through: there should not be a hole in the bottom of the lemon. (if there is, don't worry, you can still use it).
- In a large bowl, crumble the Ritz crackers with your hands so they are almost completely crumbs. Now add the mayonnaise, garlic powder, cayenne, egg yolks, parsley, dill, crab meat and lemon juice. Mix to fully combine.*When you're adding the crab, use your fingers to feel if there are any shell pieces.
- Place each lemon half on a baking sheet or muffin pan. Scoop the crab mixture into each lemon.Place in the oven and cook for 25 minutes, until the tops of the crab cakes become brown. Remove from the oven, squeeze lemon juice over the top and garnish with parsley and dill. Serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- Don’t stuff the crab cakes too much ahead of time. Since we scoop out the flesh of the lemon and are left with only the bitter pith, if you stuff them too far ahead of time, that bitterness gets into the crab cakes. See blog post for how to prepare ahead of time for a party.
- When you are cutting off the bottom of the lemons to help them stand flat, be careful not to slice all of the way through the pith. If you do, they will still cook fine, but some of the crab cake might get onto your guests hands if they are holding them.
- You use a muffin tin to help keep them upright while baking, but you don’t have to!
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