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Wondering what to serve with crab cakes? Here are the best side dishes for crab cakes to make this delicious appetizer into a meal.
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What’s better than a golden, crispy-on-the-outside, savory bite of crab cakes? These seafood patties are one of life’s great pleasures, and a tasty appetizer that graces the menus of many restaurants. You can serve them as an appetizer, but when we make them homemade, we like to make them into a light meal! What to serve with crab cakes? We’ve got a list of easy side dishes that are quick to whip up and complement the flavors perfectly. First up, though: let’s talk sauces!
What to serve with crab cakes: 5 sauces
When you serve crab cakes, a creamy, savory sauce is a must. What are the top crab cake sauces? The first two are the most common, and then we’ve got a few more unique ideas:
- Remoulade sauce: A tangy, mayo-based sauce from France that’s often served with seafood. Try Homemade Remoulade Sauce.
- Tartar sauce: Another mayo-based seafood sauce popular in American cuisine. Try Easy Tartar Sauce.
- Aioli: A creamy garlic sauce common in French and Spanish cuisine. Try Classic Aioli, Garlic Mayo (Mayo Aioli), Basil Aioli, Lemon Aioli, or our favorite: Pesto Aioli.
- Russian dressing: The key sauce in a Reuben…or a Big Mac. Try this Easy Russian Dressing.
- Chipotle ranch dressing: A spicy, smoky creamy dip. Try Chipotle Ranch Dressing.
Simply place the crab cakes on a pile of baby greens, then serve with the sauce of your choice! To make it a heartier meal though, add 1 or 2 of these side dishes for crab cakes to round out your plate. Ready to get cooking?
And now… the best side dishes for crab cakes!
Here’s one that’s on our new favorite back pocket concept that's the perfect side to serve with crab cakes: the Goat Cheese Salad with Arugula! It’s simple and comes together quickly, but my does it deliver on flavor! The crunch of the apples, creamy goat cheese, and fluffy arugula are the ideal pair for the tangy sweet dressing.
Classic is classic for a reason, and the classic wedge salad does not disappoint. Every time we serve it, people ooo and ahh. Because it really is perfection: the crunch of iceberg lettuce against the creamy, savory blue cheese dressing just makes sense. Not to mention it looks stunning! There’s a reason this salad has been impressing us all for 100 years.
A beyond simple side to serve with crab cakes? Broiled asparagus! It's a genius way to cook this green vegetable to charred and tender without even preheating your oven. Just throw it in the broiler with a few lemon wheels, and it comes out just like roasted asparagus…but even better.
Here's a perfect pair with crab cakes: Red Cabbage Slaw! The only veggies you need are a red cabbage and an onion! The coleslaw dressing has the perfect combination of savory, tangy, sweet and creamy and takes the crunchy cabbage strands to new heights. All you need is a few ingredients, and it comes together quickly.
When it comes to side dish recipes…this one is a staple for just about anything, including crab cakes. Try this easy Cilantro Lime Rice recipe! Sure, you can make a pot of rice as a side. But add cilantro, lime juice and lime zest and it catapults it to an entirely different level. The ways to serve it are endless: use it in burrito bowls, with crab cakes, or as a side for grilled shrimp skewers.
Here’s how to make the absolute best roasted Sweet Potato Wedges! Roast them up while you make the crab cakes on the stovetop. Every time we make these, we can’t help but sneak bites off the pan…until they almost disappear before we sit down to a meal. Here’s how to make sweet potato wedges in the oven that are browned, tender and seasoned to perfection!
Also try: Parmesan Potato Wedges
Brussels sprouts in a salad? Turns out, the mighty sprout is one of the best ways to make delicious, feathery salad greens. Combine them with a sweet and tangy Djion mustard dressing, apples, and dried cherries, and they’re a pretty darn perfect pair to serve with crab cakes.
Bright green string beans are a little underrated, if you ask us. But they make a perfect side dish to serve with crab cakes: delicious, healthy, and easy to make. These Sauteed Green Beans might sound too simple, but you do need a few tricks to sauté green beans perfection.
Carrot salad might sound humble, but it’s anything but. Serve this carrot salad to your friends and family, and they’ll be singing your praises! It’s simple and refreshing, featuring strings of carrots doused in a a tangy Mediterranean-style vinaigrette.
Another great pair for crab cakes? The best ever roasted Brussels sprouts! These really are next level, and here’s why. They’re impossibly crispy, baked until they’re caramelized and the outside layers flake off into darkened crunchy chips. Then they’re draped in a tangy maple balsamic glaze that heightens the flavors to their peak.
Whether you’re a lover or a hater, one thing is true. Quinoa right out of the pot is pretty bland. You’ve got to have a few tricks up your sleeve to make it taste amazing. Here’s our number 1 way of how to season quinoa: just a few simple ingredients transform it from bland to bursting with flavor! It's perfect for crab cakes: you could even place them on top for serving.
Here’s the fastest way to get loads of colorful veggies onto your plate next to those crab cakes: the Ultimate Sautéed Vegetables recipe. The good old veggie sauté is often done wrong: it’s super soggy, or completely bland in flavor. So not do a total makeover on the old veggie saute? These sauteed vegetables are beautifully colored, bursting with flavor and crisp tender in texture.
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What to Serve with Crab Cakes: 15 Sides!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 ¼ cups 1x
Description
Here’s how to make tartar sauce for crab cakes! This easy homemade recipe takes just a few minutes and results in incredible flavor. For all the sides to serve with crab cakes, scroll up.
Ingredients
- 1 large shallot, finely minced (1/3 to 1/2 cup)
- 1 tablespoon capers, finely minced
- 2 tablespoons dill relish (or finely minced pickles)
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup mayonnaise
Instructions
- In a bowl, stir together all ingredients. Serve immediately or allow to chill for 1 to 2 hours to allow the flavors to meld. Store refrigerated for up to 3 weeks.
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Stirred
- Cuisine: Seafood
- Diet: Gluten Free
More sides to go with…
Need more side dish ideas? We’ve got you covered: