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How Long To Cook Frozen Crab Cakes In Air Fryer

How Long To Cook Frozen Crab Cakes In Air Fryer So They Are Crispy & Perfect

Do you want to know how long to cook frozen crab cakes in air fryer to get them perfect, this post is for you! If you want to feel like you work in a five-star restaurant, cooking crab cakes in the air fryer is an easy way to achieve that. The best part about using the air fryer for your crab cakes is that all you have to do is throw them in a bowl, combine the ingredients, form them into patties, and toss them into your air fryer. That’s it. The air fryer will do the rest.

This post will walk you through how long to cook your crab cakes in air fryer so that they come out perfect every time. These air fryer cakes are filled with aromatics, such as onions and peppers. You’ll get great flavors from seasoning like old bay seasoning, kosher salt, and much more. We will also go over topics such as:

  • What kind of crab do you use to make your crab cakes in your air fryer?
  • How To Cook Frozen Crab Cakes In Air Fryer?
  • Top Tips For Making The Best Crab Cakes
  • How to reheat your frozen crab cakes?

What kind of crab do you use to make your crab cakes in your air fryer?

For the recipe we will be looking at today, lump crab meat works best. They provide you with a great taste and texture, and it reminds you of the traditional crab cake flavor. It will also help get your crab cake to hold together while air frying. Sure, it is a bit on the expensive side, but the outcome will prove to be worth the costs. If you’re only making a crab cake for yourself, your lump crab meat also happens to be freezer friendly.

So, how do you make crab cakes in your fryer?

Simply follow the following steps.

  1. Set your air fryer to preheat to 370 degrees.
  2. Combine your crab cake ingredients into a bowl. for this specific recipe, we’ll be using lump crab meat, breadcrumbs, pepper, green onions, and mayonnaise. For seasoning, we’ll use a bit of lemon juice and some old bay seasoning along with salt and pepper. Add them all to your bowl and mix the combine.
  3. Make your crab patties. Use the mixture to form crab patties. Be sure to be careful when you’re handling the crab cakes as lump crab meat has a lot of juices inside. So, you want to keep as much of that as possible. You can make your crab patties using a mold, but I like to make it using my hands.
  4. Once your patties have been formed, add a piece of parchment round to the base of your air fryer basket. This will prevent the juices from seeping through your basket.
  5. Add your crab patties into the air fryer baskets. Be sure to leave a lot of space between the crab cakes so that the air can go through.
  6. Set to your air fryer to air fry for about 10 minutes or until the crust is golden.

Pro-tip: Crab cakes do not need to be flipped. Sure, some recipes call for flipping, but I have found that when you do not flip them, they tend to stay together better. Versus, when you flip them, most times, they fall apart.

  1. Once the timer goes off, remove your crab patties and serve with your favorite sauce. My personal favorite is to stick them in a hamburger bun and have it as a crab burger. You can squeeze extra lemon juice on top if you’d like. These will also store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days, or you can put them in the freezer for up to three months. That’s it!

Top Tips For When You Cook Frozen Crab Cakes In Air Fryer

Good Ingredients Are Key

Using lump crab meat, though expensive, will provide you with restaurant-quality crab cakes. Having the right breadcrumb ratio works wonders for various recipes as it helps to absorb the moisture in your crab patty.

Seasoning Matters

Consider using flavorful spices, such as Old Bay Seasoning, Cajun, if you like a bit of spice or even Cayenne. You want to use seasoning types that will enhance the crab flavor, instead of overpowering it.

Always Use Parchment Paper

Using parchment paper will enable you to air fry your meats without them sticking to the air fryer basket, as well as make it easier to clean up. Parchment paper is generally inexpensive and you can buy them in sets of up to 200 at your local variety store.

Always Be Gentle With Your Meat

Crabmeat is extremely finicky. So, you want to be careful. It has a lot of juices that you do not want to press out. Nor for your crab cakes to break up.

Throw Out The Oil

Crabmeat has a lot of juices in the meat itself. Therefore, no oil is needed to create crispy crab cakes in an air fryer.

When In Doubt Refrigerate

If your crab cake is too wet to hold together, stick it into the freezer for a few minutes or the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes for the crab patty to hold in place before air frying. You can even make these overnight and stick them in the fridge until you’re ready.

How To Make Frozen Crab Cakes In Air Fryer?

There are two ways to enjoy frozen crab cakes. One way, we just discussed. You can make the crab cakes ahead from scratch and stick them in the freezer overnight. Or you can buy frozen crab cake patties from your grocery store. If you prefer the latter and buy frozen crab cakes from your grocery store, these will mostly be pre-cooked. And as such, you have to eat heat them up in the air fryer using the following directions.

How Long To Cook Frozen Crab Cakes In Air Fryer

To do this:

  1. Set your air fryer to preheat to 400 degrees.
  2. Place the frozen crab cake in your air fryer basket.
  3. Set your air fryer to cook for seven to eight minutes or until fully cooked.
  4. You can use a thermometer to check the internal temperature off the patty, just to ensure that the insides are heated through.
  5. Remove the crab cakes from your air fryer. And that’s it! Enjoy!

Pro-tip: Every brand of air fryer is different. So, cooking times may vary. Consider doing a test batch before finalizing the time. If you buy mini crab cakes, these could also be reheated or cooked using the same method. However, those will take about five minutes since they’re about half the size of your normal crab cake.

Bottom Line

Crab cakes are delicious. All families love them. Now with the air fryer, it’s even simpler to create. Simply combine all your ingredients or purchase the pre-made patties from the grocery store. Toss them in your air fryer basket (with care) and let the air fryer do the work. They will be delicious, and your family will love them.

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