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Here’s how to make a dreamy Maryland-style crab cake sandwich with our classic Old Bay crab cakes and homemade tartar sauce. It’s a real crowd-pleaser.
Why we love this recipe
When you want a sandwich, you want a sandwich. I think we can agree on that. And this perfect little crab cake number is among the best. It’s:
- Savory and satisfying
- Just the right balance of flavors and textures
- The perfect size
- Make-ahead friendly
- Casual yet special
What you’ll need
Here’s a glance at the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe. The quantities here are for one sandwich — of course feel free to scale up to suit your needs.
- One glorious crab cake is the money ingredient in this sandwich. You can make a batch in advance and even freeze them (before or after cooking) if you like.
- Homemade tartar sauce makes a quick, easy, and classic condiment for this sandwich. It keeps in the fridge for a week.
- Choose a good roll that’s about the same size as the crab cake. Here I’ve pictured a petite Kaiser roll, which I’ve toasted very lightly. A brioche roll, potato bun, or even English muffin would make nice options, too.
- A nice soft lettuce leaf adds crunch and freshness. I’ve pictured butterhead lettuce here.
- One large or several small slices of juicy, ripe tomato top things off. I’ve used plum tomato here because that’s what looked best at the market, but there are no wrong choices.
How to make it
Here’s an overview of what you’ll do to make a fabulous crab cake sandwich. You can see the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post, and get all the details in the recipe card below.
- First you’ll make the crab cakes. You can do this up to a week in advance to store in the fridge, or up to three months in advance if you want to freeze them.
- Make the tartar sauce at least 30 minutes in advance — this is quick and easy.
- Split your roll, toast if you like, and spread with tartar sauce on both sides. Layer on the crab cake.
- Top with lettuce and tomato. A sprinkle of salt and some hot sauce are optional. That’s it!
Expert tips and FAQs
You can make the elements well in advance per the instructions in the recipe card. Assemble the sandwiches right before serving.
More favorite seafood sandwiches
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Crab Cake Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 petite Kaiser, brioche, or potato roll
- 2 tablespoons tartar sauce, more to taste
- 1 crab cake
- 1 leaf soft lettuce, such as butterhead
- 1 large or a few small slices ripe tomato
- A few dashes Tabasco sauce, optional
Instructions
- Split the roll and toast it lightly if you like.
- Spread both halves with tartar sauce.
- Place the crab cake on top of the bottom half.
- Top with lettuce and tomato.
- Add a sprinkle of salt and a few dashes of Tabasco if you like.
- Close the sandwich and serve right away.
Notes
- Choose a good roll that's about the same size as the crab cake. Here I've pictured a petite Kaiser roll, which I've toasted very lightly. A brioche roll, potato bun, or even English muffin would make nice options, too.
- A nice soft lettuce leaf adds crunch and freshness. I've pictured butterhead lettuce here.
- One large or several small slices of juicy, ripe tomato top things off. I've used plum tomato here because that's what looked best at the market, but there are no wrong choices.
- You can make the crab cakes up to a week in advance to store in the fridge or up to three months in advance if you'd like to freeze them either before or after cooking. Please refer to the storing, freezeing, and defrosting instructions in the crab cake recipe for details.
- You can make the tartar sauce up to a week in advance and store in an airtight container in the fridge. (If you'll be adding any of the optional fresh herbs, consider mixing them in shortly before serving.)
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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