Crab Crunchies
If you are a seafood lover, especially of crab, you will enjoy these. They are snack-sized, crunchy on the outside, savory in the middle, and the sauce is excellent.
Equipment
- Knives
- Small bowl
- Shallow dish
Ingredients
- 4 oz. Fresh or canned lump crab meat (See Notes)
- 2 oz. Cream cheese, softened
- 2 Tbsp Seasoned bread crumbs (not Italian seasoned bread crumbs)
- 1 Green onion, green parts only, sliced
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp Lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp Minced garlic
- 1/4 tsp Old Bay seasoning mix
- 1/4 tsp Tabasco sauce , optional
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 1/16 tsp Black pepper
- Neutral oil , for frying
For Coating
- 1/4 Cup Seasoned panko breadcrumbs (not Italian seasoned panko)
- 1 Large Egg
For Creamy Garlic Dipping Sauce
- 1/4 Cup Duke's light mayonnaise
- 1 tsp Minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp + 1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp Lemon juice
- 1/16 tsp Old Bay seasoning mix
Instructions
- Combine all the dipping sauce ingredients, mix well, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
- In a 1.5-quart mixing bowl, add the crab, cream cheese, seasoned bread crumbs, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, sliced green onion, minced garlic, Old Bay Seasoning, salt, pepper, and Tabasco. Stir until all are combined and smooth. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- Place panko bread crumbs in a shallow dish. Set aside. Beat an egg in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Depending on your deep fry pot, add enough oil to cover the 1 tablespoon-sized balls.
- Heat the oil over medium heat and maintain an oil temperature of 315℉.
- After refrigerating the crab mixture, form it into 1-tablespoon balls and place on wax paper. When all the balls are formed, place one ball at a time, first in beaten egg and then roll in panko crumbs. Completely cover the ball in panko. Do this for all the balls.
- Gently add a few at a time to the hot oil. Don’t crowd them; they should not be touching.
- Fry in the 315℉ oil for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove and place onto paper towels until all have been cooked.
- Serve hot with creamy garlic dipping sauce.
Notes
We used fresh crab, as it was in season. Make sure to pick over the crab for shell pieces if using fresh crab.
If you want a bit of heat, you can add a pinch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat in the oven or skillet for a crispy outside texture.
Serving suggestions and optional ingredients are not calculated as part of the nutritional facts. All nutritional facts are estimates only.
Nutrition
Serving: 4 Crunchies with 1/2 the SauceCalories: 320kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 10gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 60mgSodium: 530mgPotassium: 180mgSugar: 1gCalcium: 80mgIron: 0.8mg