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Got some leftover crab cakes and wondering how you can reheat them?

No one wants soggy or rubbery crab.

So I did an experiment to find out the best way to reheat crab cakes.

I’ve also included a few tips on storing and freezing your crab cakes, so they stay fresh and tasty.

If you’re ready, let’s get started!

The best way to reheat crab cakes is in a skillet. Heat a small amount of butter or oil over medium heat. Pan-fry the crab cakes on one side for 2-3 minutes, then flip them over and repeat on the other side. Don’t go overboard on the oil, or the crab cakes will turn out greasy.

A note on my experiment

I grabbed some tasty Dungeness crab and fried a quick batch of crab cakes.

Not all of them made it into the experiment… but they did taste pretty good.

After leaving them in the fridge overnight, I tried out four methods to reheat my crab cakes:

In the oven/toaster oven (consistently good results)
In the microwave (avoid if you can)
In the skillet (my favorite method)
In the air fryer (almost as good as in the skillet)

The oven, skillet, and air fryer all worked well.

The microwave produced the worst results, but it was super quick.

Reheating crab cakes in the oven/toaster oven

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Take the crab cakes from the fridge and arrange them on a wire rack or a baking tray. Cover them with foil and heat for 15-20 minutes (less in a toaster oven). Remove the foil for the last 5 minutes or broil them until they’re crispy.

How to reheat crab cakes in the oven/toaster oven:

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
Place the crab cakes on a wire rack (or baking tray).
Cover the rack with foil to prevent the crab cakes from burning or drying out. Skip this step if you’re using a toaster oven.
Heat them for 15-10 minutes or less if you’re using a toaster oven.
Broil them at the end to get them crispy, or just remove the foil for the last 5 minutes.

Using a wire rack helps the heat get all around the crab cakes.

Flip the crab cakes halfway through if you’re using a baking tray.

You can opt to skip the foil in a toaster oven because the crab cakes won’t be in the oven long enough to dry out.

My verdict

This method was slower than the other ways I tried, but it produced consistent results.

The crab cakes were evenly warmed through with a crispy outside. You can also do lots at once, so it’s excellent for large family gatherings or parties.

Reheating crab cakes in the microwave

To reheat your crab cakes in the microwave, arrange a few of them on a microwave-safe plate. Cover them with a damp paper towel and set the power to 50%. Heat the crab cakes in 30-second intervals with a 10-second break in between. Let the crab cakes rest for 30 seconds before serving.

How to reheat crab cakes in the microwave:

Arrange the crab cakes on a microwave-safe plate.
Cover them with a damp paper towel to stop them from drying out.
Set the microwave to 50% power.
Heat at 30-second intervals with a 10-second break in between.

The microwave can dry out the crab cakes, so don’t forget the damp paper towel.

It’s best to heat 2 (or 3 small) crab cakes at a time to ensure they heat through evenly.

Using only 50% power means there’s less chance of the crab meat becoming rubbery or tough, which is a real risk in the microwave.

My verdict

This wasn’t a great method, but it was super-fast.

The crab cakes lost their crispy outside, and the crab meat was chewier than with other methods.

It’s okay for lunch for one, but I wouldn’t use this method for guests.

Reheating crab cakes in the skillet

To reheat the crab cakes in a skillet, heat a small amount of butter or oil over medium heat. Pan-fry the crab cakes on one side for 2-3 minutes, then flip them over and repeat on the other side. Don’t go overboard on the oil, or the crab cakes will turn out greasy.

How to reheat crab cakes in the skillet:

Heat a small amount of oil or butter in a skillet over medium heat.
Pan-fry the crab cakes on one side for 2-3 minutes.
Turn them over and fry the other side for a further 2-3 minutes.

Crabmeat is quite delicate, so you don’t want to overcook it.

As you’re frying the crab cakes, check that they’re not getting too brown.

If they are, flip them over and turn the heat down slightly.

Avoid rushing and use medium heat only. It allows the middle to heat through without burning the outside.

If the crab cakes seem overly dry, sprinkle some water around the pan and pop a lid on for a minute to steam.

My verdict

This was my favorite method.

You have to watch that you don’t overdo them, but I ended up with tasty crab cakes. It was an easy method that left them with a crunchy outside.

The only downside was having to wash the dirty pan afterward.

Reheating crab cakes in the air fryer

Set the air fryer to 350°F (180°C). Arrange your crab cakes in a single layer in the air fryer basket, leaving a little space between each one. A little cooking spray on the crab cakes helps to crisp the outsides. Heat them for 4 to 5 minutes until hot and crispy.

How to reheat crab cakes in the air fryer:

Preheat the air fryer to 350°F (180°C).
Spray the fish cakes with cooking spray or brush them with melted butter (optional).
Arrange the fish cakes in the air fryer in a single layer.
Heat them for 4-5 minutes – depending on thickness.
When they’re hot and crispy, remove them and serve.

Keeping the crab cakes in a single layer allows the air to circulate freely for better crisping.

If your crab cakes are big, they may take a while to heat through.

Don’t let the boiling hot outside fool you, as they could still be cold in the middle.

The oil or butter will help crisp the outside of the crab cakes, but if the crab cakes are already quite greasy or you want to avoid the extra calories, this step isn’t essential.

My verdict

This was a close runner-up to the skillet.

My crab cakes were delicious and crisp on the outside. But they were a little drier (I thought) than the ones from the skillet.

How to store crab cakes

Allow the crab cakes to cool to room temperature before storing them in the fridge. Arrange the crab cakes in layers in a paper towel-lined, airtight container. Separate the layers with parchment paper or more paper towels. The crab cakes will last 2-3 days.

The paper towels keep the crab cakes crispy and soak up any excess moisture or oil.

The crab cakes must cool down before you place them in the air-tight container. Otherwise, the condensation will make them soggy.

Can you freeze crab cakes?

Yes, you can freeze crab cakes. Cooked crab cakes last about one month in the freezer. Uncooked crab cakes last for three months when frozen. Ensure that there is no air in the freezer bag to avoid freezer burn. You can reheat the crab cakes from frozen or defrost them in the fridge overnight.

How to freeze crab cakes:

Cover a baking tray with parchment paper.
Arrange room temperature crab cakes on the baking tray.
Flash freeze them in the coldest part of the freezer for 2-3 hours.
Transfer the frozen crab cakes to a freezer bag.
Remove all the air from the freezer bag to prevent freezer burn.
Label and date the freezer bag and store it in the freezer for up to a month.

Flash freezing the crab cakes first means they won’t stick together in the freezer bag, so you can easily take out one or two at a time.

If you don’t want to do the flash freezing step, you can simply wrap each crab cake individually in plastic wrap before putting them in the freezer bag.

You have a few options to remove the air from the freezer bag.

You can suck it out with a straw, or you can dunk the freezer bag in some water which will force the air out.

How to reheat frozen crab cakes

To reheat frozen crab cakes, preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Arrange the crab cakes on a baking tray and cover them with foil. Allow them to heat for 20-30 minutes. Flip them over halfway through and remove the foil for the last 5 minutes so they can crisp.