Crab Cake Sliders
Crab Cake Sliders- Mini crab cakes stuffed in a brioche bun with crisp veggies and Old Bay remoulade make the perfect little sandwich!
October 16, 2023 by Nicole Collins
Today, we’re making Crab Cake Sliders!
I’ve officially entered the last year of my 30’s. I’m ok. You’re ok. We’re OK. I heard this quote on a TV show (Virgin River) that I’ve really been trying to embrace: “Everyone gets to be young, but not everyone gets to grow old.” I’m really trying to appreciate the fact that I get to grow older.
We all know I love to celebrate my birthday. And, we all know that I typically celebrate my birthday with some kind of crab and some kind of dessert. Well, we already made fun and spooky little desserts to kick off the weekend. So, now it’s time for crab to enter the chat. And that’s where these precious little sliders stuffed with mini crab cakes, crunchy veggies, and Old Bay remoulade come in.
Let’s start with the sauce. We’ve made this Old Bay remoulade here a few times before. And, with good reason. It’s EPIC. We’re going to get some mayo, a little apple cider vinegar, some sweet relish, a couple chopped capers, a squeeze of mustard, some minced green onion, and a healthy scoop of Old Bay right into a little mixing bowl. Stir everything together until combined, let it hang out in the fridge for a few so those flavors can blend together, and that’s our sauce. Easy breezy!
For our crab cakes, we’re going to make my MD crab cake recipe but form the crab into smaller patties than normal. Here in Maryland, we don’t mess around when it comes to crab cakes. We’re not loading these up with weird veggies and tons of fillers. NO. We keep things very simple around here so the crab can shine. Lump blue crab (jumbo lump if you can swing it), a couple seasonings like lemon, Old Bay, mustard, parsley and worcestershire, and minimal binding ingredients like mayo, an egg, and a couple saltine crackers is all we need for the perfect crab cakes. We’ll gently mix everything together, form them into little patties, pop them under the broiler for a few minutes, and that’s all there is to it.
All that’s left to do is assemble our little sammies. We’re going to start with some mini brioche slider buns that we’ll toast in a dry skillet just for a little color and texture. We’ll give both sides of the bun a good schmear of remoulade. Layer in some leafy green lettuce, a couple thin slices of tomato, and a mini crab cake. And, close that baby up. It truly could not be any easier.
What’s simple in execution is complex in flavor! These little sammies hit all the marks. They’re savory. They’re a little tangy. They’re crisp. They’re playing with warm and cool temps. But most importantly, they’re utterly delish! And, they’re kinda beautiful too.
OK, everyone! We’ve made it through my birthday which means I’m ready to fast forward right to Christmas. Who’s with me?!?
I hope you guys enjoy. And, let’s eat!
Crab Cake Sliders
Serves: 8 Print
Ingredients:
For the Old Bay Remoulade:
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp Old Bay
1 tsp sweet relish
1 ½ tsp stone ground mustard
1 ½ tsp capers, chopped
1 green onion (green parts only), finely chopped
For the Sliders:
1 lb lump crab meat, picked through for shells
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 tsp dried parsley
2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
2 tsp dijon mustard
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
½ tbsp lemon juice
1 egg
12 saltine crackers, crushed to crumbs
cooking spray
8 brioche slider rolls
½ cup leafy green lettuce, torn
1 roma tomato, thinly sliced to 8 slices
Directions:
Make the Old Bay Remoulade: In a small bowl, mix ½ cup mayo, vinegar, 1 tsp Old Bay, relish, stone ground mustard, capers, and green onion. Stir well until combined. Set aside in the fridge.
Make the Crab Cakes: Preheat the oven to broil. Arrange the top oven rack 6 inches from the heating unit. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spray it with cooking spray. Set aside.
To a mixing bowl, add ¼ cup mayonnaise, parsley, 2 tsp Old Bay, dijon, worcestershire, lemon juice, and egg. Mix well until the wet ingredients are fully combined. Add crab and crushed crackers. Mix very gently until everything is just combined.
Divide the crab mix into 8 equal portions, then use your hands to very gently form into a mound. Do not pack the mix tightly; you want to work it enough to just keep the crab cake together. Place crab cake on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining crab mix. Broil crab cakes for 9-11 minutes until the outside of the crab cakes are light golden brown.
Assemble the sandwich: Heat a dry non stick skillet over medium high heat. Place each slider half, cut side down, in the pan for about 1-2 minutes until they start to toast. Schmear a small dollop of remoulade on each bottom bun. Top each with lettuce, one slice of tomato, and a crab cake. Give each top bun a big schmear of remoulade, and close the sandwich. Enjoy!
Recipe notes:
*Make sure you use original saltine crackers and not the unsalted variety. We need that extra little bit of salt in our crab cake.
*Definitely get fresh crab meat, if you can, as opposed to the stuff you buy in a can. The quality and taste is substantially different. To make this a traditional Maryland crab cake, use blue crab.
*If you’re note serving all of these sliders at once, wait to toast the buns and assemble the sandwiches until you’re ready to serve. The remoulade will keep in the fridge for up to a week.
