These crab cake poppers are so delicious and easy to make and a spicy aioli for dipping is the perfect pairing. I love making these for easy appetizers year-round, but especially during the holidays.
These past few weeks I’ve spent an absurd amount of time with some amazing food bloggers. Absurd to me only because I’m not sure I could have ever imagined the reality of my journey from an office stiff to a travel-when-the-opportunity-strikes online content creator.
While the time I spend ensconced in my home office or toiling away at the library allows me plenty of alone time, these blogging trips and the relationships I’ve created with my fellow bloggers are the glue that binds my love for what I do.
I love creating ebooks, magazines and photography, but creating recipes is the part of the job that truly, mainly because it’s part of my life, it’s what I do to survive. To make food and eat it.
So when I get to create recipes for partners, it’s surprisingly rewarding. Working within a theme, surprising myself with what I come up with and then sharing them with you.
Like these Crab Cake Poppers. A little bit of heaven in each bite and perfect for this time of year given tailgate time, playoffs and the looming of holiday entertaining right around the corner.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Crab Cake Poppers with Spicy Aioli
PrintIngredients
- 1 pound jumbo lump crab meat
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup green onion , diced
- 2 tablespoons red bell pepper , diced
- 2 tablespoons celery , diced
- Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon parsley minced
- 1 egg
- ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ teaspoon dry mustard
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or Sriracha sauce
- 1 ¼ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 ½ cup canola oil
For the Spicy Aioli
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- 1 teaspoon chili sauce
Instructions
- Rinse lump crab meat and pick through for any shells Drain well and add to large bowl. In medium sauté pan, melt butter and cook green onions, red bell pepper and celery. Season with kosher salt and cook for 3-5 minutes or until vegetables have softened. Add to lump crab meat with parsley. In small bowl combine egg, Worcestershire sauce, mayonnaise, dry mustard and cayenne pepper and add to crab meat. Stir gently to combine. Fold in ¾ cup Panko bread crumbs. Roll crab meat mixture into 1 inch balls, and coat in remaining Panko bread crumbs. Refrigerate crab balls for 30 minutes.
- Heat 1 cup of canola oil, or about ½ inch of oil, in large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Fry crab cake poppers in batches making sure not to crowd pan, gently turning balls so all sides are golden brown, about 3-4 minutes each side. Drain poppers on paper towel lined plate while frying remaining crab cake balls, adding more oil as necessary. Serve hot with Spicy Aioli.
For the Spicy Aioli
- Mix all ingredients together until smooth and serve on the side as a dipping sauce.
Nutrition
Last week when I was in Kohler, WI (more on what I learned coming soon) I became aware of this thing called the Love Language. I’ve referred to it plenty of times in the abstract, aka, macaroni and cheese is ‘my love language,’ but it wasn’t until I was sitting in front of a roaring fire in my pajamas with a crew of other food bloggers sampling 43 desserts and chatting about life, that I discovered what it really meant.
Basically it categorizes your personality by the philosophy “what you give of yourself is what you desire most” as outlined here and here.
While everyone in the group was sharing what their love language was, I was stumped as to what mine was. Then suddenly I had an epiphany.
“Words of affirmation” is my love language, because it’s what I give most to people, but don’t always get back. So is that what I’m looking for?
See, I’m always asking people about themselves, some have called it being nosy (who, me?) and I have certainly been pegged as “the interviewer.”
But one thing I know for sure is that people like to talk about themselves. So instead of sitting in an awkward silence during a conversation, it’s way easier to make others feel comfortable by asking them about themselves. But, rarely do people ask me about myself other than what I do to pay the mortgage or where I live.
So, how about we get to know each other a little better? Here are 10 things you probably don’t know about me.
1. I met my husband when we were working as servers at an upscale restaurant. My live-in-almost-to-be-engaged-boyfriend was not amused.
2. I snore.
3. In my lifetime I’ve been blessed with 5 dogs as my babies, and now one of them is dying of cancer.
4. I call my husband GDawg and he calls me GWhiz because on the inside we’re really gangsters.
5. My favorite color is orange.
6. I photographed the cast of Grey’s Anatomy and I designed Tori Spelling’s business cards.
7. I take a tub every. single. night.
8. I hate the words, “shut-up” and much prefer “be quiet.”
9. I’ve lost my big toenail so many times I now have an acrylic one in its place.
10. My favorite karaoke song is “Summer Lovin’” from Grease.
Have a great weekend friends, and get out there and cook something good.
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This looks quite fabulous! And with all those flavours, I can imagine it would be beautifully fragrant and tasty too :)
The good news is, I think all the bread is on the Italy’s table, not Canada’s…. which makes much more sense :)
I love this post! And I’m with you, words of affirmation is my love language. Or maybe it’s crab poppers. I’ll have to have a few just to be sure.
Those craaaaaaaaaab caaaaaaaaaaaake pooooooooooppers. I die.
Thanks for sharing my peppadews! Poppers + Peppadews = love. :)
I loved this post.
Am truly sorry about #3 though. I too have fur babies and they ARE my children (but not in a creepy obsessed way).
And just between you and I; I could probably use a couple of acrylic big toe nails. What’s up with that? I’m just grateful that its Ugg season and no longer sandal season.
hee hee. we all have our little secrets. And thank you for the sweet words for my sweet Gigi. She’s the best girl ever.
Great post! Gnarly nail issue :( I’m so stoked at the number of great food bloggers I’ve met, genuine people who really share the same passions and crazy quirks about blogging as I do :)
You’re one in a bundle of many Gerry, quirks and all.
Dude, Greys Anatomy? Man oh man – you know I’m obsessed with them, right? I mean their show is terrible now (it kind of plummeted after season 4-5ish) but still, I love them. I also love that you’re a gangster with your hubbie. I always end my sentences in “dog” when talking to Jason.
OMG! Love Languages are amazing and when you discover them and learn about yours and those you love all your relationships make so much more sense! I love that you blogged about them! These crab poppers look amazing too!
This is such a fun post! The crab cake poppers look amazing and might be the BEST reason I’ve found to finally pull the trigger and buy a cookie dough scoop! Here are a few things about me:
1. While living in Houston for four years, I managed to adopt three stray kittens, one of whom crossed in front of my car as I was driving to happy hour one particularly happy Friday. Their names are Cupcake, Otto, and Furpaws.
2. My favorite karaoke song (and song of all time) is Beast of Burden.
3. I discovered recently that potato chips dipped in caramel sauce are pretty much the best snack ever. Now I’m trying to decide if that’s enough of a recipe to post on my blog…
I have two favorite potato chip dippers: cottage cheese and as a teen it was ketchup. Who knew? Your babies sound adorable :)
Ok. This is FUN!!
1. I prefer pencils over pens when I;m writing.
2. I am a voracious reader! Sometimes I have 3-4 books going at once.
3. I iron everything I wear besides underwear.
4. My maiden name is 12 letters long and has a Z right smack in the middle.
5. I am in LOVE with these Crab Cake Poppers! :)
Hey! Thanks for playing. I suck at ironing and I prefer making my to-do lists in pencil too. But I”m a crazy pen person, and will only use one kind!
I think I know all those things. I love you, your posts your stories and your fabulous recipes. Can hardly wait to try the crab poppers, anything with crab grabs my attention. Congratulations to Heather on her cookbook. I know all about those bladders behind the eyeballs, wonderful, inspiring video. Xo
I know you snore (duh), I would have picked orange as your favorite color, I know you do tubs, I know about pup (hugs), and the gangsta thing just makes me smile. I also know you’re compassionate, funny, smart, and generous. Happy weekend, friend! xo
It took me about two seconds to realize what you meant by bladder behind the eyeballs. Yep. That’s me! Nice post!
I loved learning some quirky things about you! How did you lose your big toenail so many times? I’ve lost them both only once and I’m telling you they do not look the same.
Too many years of sports and jamming the ends into shoes!
I love this post and it’s great to learn some new and interesting things about you! I spent some time at the American Club last year (I think?) for a work conference and it was DELIGHTFUL. They actually had their first snow while we were there (which was super awesome bc I don’t get to see a lot of snow in Phoenix, AZ)
Those crab cake poppers are making me DROOL LIKE CRAZY! Seriously. I’m going to need a mop in a minute here… and those bacon and egg breakfast pies are PERFECT for our next brunch. Love it!
And seriously? Greys? Spelling? and eBook awards? You’re basically a movie star. SO AWESOME!
Now excuse me while I go to vote for you… <3
Thanks for the vote, Heather will be so happy if she wins!
What fab little poppers!
I am happy to say I knew 8 out of the 10 about you!! I LOVE THIS POST and I LOVE YOU!!
Ha! After 20 years, you should! And I love you right back.
You are so stinkin cool!! Loved this post and those crab cakes are driving me mad!! I need 1 or 20 now! Yummmm
I really loved reading every word of this post! I love learning about you and jeez, I never new you were a celeb favorite too. I mean Greys’ and Tory Spelling? So cool!
Oh and the crab cakes look amazing!
Let’s just say I have a past that dealt with a lot of celebs. One day over a glass of wine…once you turn of age of course.
Love this post! I, too am always the “interviewer” I love learning about other people and I always have so many questions. I’ve never thought about what my “love language” is – will have to do some digging. Thanks for a thought provoking read this morning – and will have to try the crab cakes,
I love this post!! You are an interviewer and I love that a about it! It also made me feel like less of a stalker when I asked for the story behind the name smudge within 5 minutes of meeting you. :-) And, you really are great with words of affirmation. For example, I’ll never forget that you described me as “charisma to spare.” :) xoxoxo