Crab Cakes with Chipotle Sauce

What You’ll Need:

• Crab Cakes:
  • 1 large egg

  • 1/3 c mayonnaise

  • 1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper (about 1 small bell pepper)

  • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives

  • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

  • 1 tsp grated lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard

  • 2 tsp seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay OR 2 tsp Creole Seasoning

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 lb fresh lump or jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage

  • 3/4 c. Panko breadcrumbs

  • non-stick cooking spray, for the air-fryer basket and crab cakes

  • lemon wedges for serving

  • an air fryer 🙂

• Chipotle Sauce

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise

  • 1/4 c sour cream

  • 2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, finely chopped, plus 2 teaspoons adobo sauce

  • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives

  • 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

  • 1 tsp grated lemon zest plus 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

What To Do:

• For the crab cakes: Whisk together the egg, mayonnaise, bell pepper, chives, parsley, lemon zest and juice, mustard, seafood seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt and several grinds of black pepper in a large bowl. With a rubber spatula or large spoon, very gently fold the crab and Panko into the mixture. Try to avoid breaking up lumps of crab as much as possible. Cover the crab mixture with plastic wrap and allow to rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day. This will allow the Panko to absorb more liquid and help bind the crab cakes together better.
• For the chipotle sauce: While the crab mixture is resting, stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream, chipotles and adobo sauce, chives, parsley and lemon zest and juice in a small bowl until combined. Season with salt and black pepper and set aside. (The sauce can be refrigerated, covered with plastic wrap, up to 1 day.)
• Just before cooking, divide the crab-cake mixture into 4 portions. Lightly compact each portion to form a patty (about 3 1/2 inches in diameter) with your hands to ensure they hold their shape while cooking and place onto a large plate.
• Preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees F and spray the basket with cooking spray. Place the crab cakes into the basket and spray the tops with cooking spray. Cook until deep golden brown and crisp, flipping halfway through and spraying again with cooking spray, about 13 minutes. Serve warm with chipotle sauce and lemon wedges.

*Kudos to FoodNetwork.com for this AMAZINGLY delicious recipe!!