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If you’re wondering what to serve with your crab cakes, you’ve come to the right place.

In this article, I list 45 of the most popular side dishes for crab cakes.

In a rush? Here’s the short answer.

The best dishes to serve with crab cakes are arugula salad, sauteed asparagus, pasta al limone, and rainbow slaw. You can also serve eggs benedict, cheese grits, mango salsa, pesto roasted vegetables, and tomato soup. For sauces, try your crab cakes with garlic aioli and cocktail sauce.

Ready? Let’s jump right in.

Arugula salad

Don’t let this arugula salad’s simplicity fool you.

The combination of naturally peppery arugula, salty parmesan cheese, and a zesty lemon dressing will add a fresh bite to your crab cakes.

Why we love this recipe: it calls for just five ingredients but is packed with so much flavor.

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Arugula salad with lemon vinaigrette
Add a fruity note
Grilled peach and arugula salad
Make a classic
Caesar salad

Eggs benedict

Jazz up your eggs benedict by swapping the usual English muffins for crab cakes.

It’s a classic twist that’s guaranteed to taste amazing.

You can serve it for brunch as normal, but it will also work for a summery evening in the garden.

Psst… add some of the arugula salad I mentioned above as well.

Why we love this recipe: it includes a foolproof recipe for homemade hollandaise sauce.

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Eggs benedict with hollandaise sauce
Add veggies
Heirloom tomatoes and swiss chard eggs benedict
Skip the English muffins
Portobello mushroom eggs florentine

Garlic aioli

Garlic aioli is one of the best sauces to serve with your crab cakes.

It’s a rich, luscious sauce with lots of garlic and citrusy notes, thanks to the lashings of lemon juice.

The key to the perfect aioli is properly emulsifying the oil – whether you’re using a blender, a whisk, or an immersion blender, remember to slowly drizzle it in.

Why we love this recipe: it features classic and shortcut methods for making this yummy dip.

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Garlic aioli
Make it dairy-free
Toum (egg-free garlic aioli)
Change the flavor
Cilantro aioli

Pasta al limone

Creamy pasta dishes are superb with crab cakes.

I especially like pasta al limone – a no-frills Italian pasta dish featuring bright and citrusy flavors that perfectly contrasts your crab cakes.

Why we love this recipe: it’s a tasty, simple dish you can whip up in just 30 minutes.

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Pasta al limone
Make it different
Lemon ricotta pasta and spinach
Try a classic
Asiago garlic alfredo pasta

Sauteed asparagus

Need something healthy to serve with your crab cakes?

You can’t go wrong with asparagus.

Sauteing them in butter and aromatics gives your asparagus a satisfying crisp-tender bite, an excellent contrast to your crunchy crab cakes.

Why we love this recipe: it’s a low-effort dish that’s low in calories and chock-full of vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

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Sauteed asparagus
Fire up the oven
Lemon garlic roasted asparagus
Make it indulgent
Asparagus casserole

Baked corn on the cob

Corn on the cob is a great, fun side dish.

They’re usually grilled or boiled, but you can also bake them for a completely hands-off cooking experience.

And you can season them with whatever you want… you can make them sweet or spicy.

Why we love this recipe: it features a butter parmesan mixture brushed over your corn before baking, making them even more irresistible.

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Baked corn on the cob
Make it easy to eat
Air fryer corn ribs
Make a salad
Mexican street corn salad

Rainbow slaw

Add a splash of vibrant colors to your crab cakes with this rainbow slaw.

It’s loaded with fresh produce and tossed in a unique tahini dressing (waaaay better than mayo. Trust me!).

Fair warning…. you’ll need some patience to grate all the veggies!

Why we love this recipe: it looks as good as it tastes.

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Rainbow slaw with tahini
Make it Asian-style
Crunchy Asian slaw
Make it heartier
Sesame quinoa slaw

Tomato soup

Turn your fancy crab cakes into the ultimate comfort meal with a generous helping of fresh-off-the-stove tomato soup.

And skip the canned stuff – the homemade version is so much better!

It’s great for dipping your crab cakes into.

Why we like this recipe: it’s made with basic ingredients that are probably already in your pantry.

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Creamy tomato soup
Make it no-cook
Bloody mary gazpacho
Change the flavor
Corn chowder

Shoestring fries

These shoestring fries are a blast from the past.

Much of their regained popularity can be credited to how crispy they are – they’re cut thinner than your usual fries, giving you that extra crunch.

Like crab cakes, these treats are fantastic with various dipping sauces from remoulades to ranch.

Why we love this recipe: it calls for using a mandolin slicer to ensure you get those extra thin potato slivers.

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Shoestring fries
Skip the deep-frying
Baked parmesan rosemary shoestring fries
Ditch the potato
Shoestring sweet potato fries

Cocktail sauce

Cocktail sauce is an element in the popular shrimp cocktail dish.

But its bright, zesty flavor pairs superbly with your crab cakes too.

It also has a delightful, spicy kick courtesy of the horseradish.

Why we like this recipe: this homemade version is fresh and tastes infinitely more flavorful than the bottled kinds you buy at the store.

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Cocktail sauce
Make it low-carb
Keto low-carb homemade cocktail sauce
Skip the horseradish
Cocktail sauce without horseradish

Mushroom rice

Make a hearty meal by serving your crab cakes with this tasty mushroom rice.

Adding umami-loaded mushrooms and cooking the rice in a flavorful chicken broth gives it a massive upgrade.

This dish takes little longer to make, but the wait is so worth it.

Why we love this recipe: you just need one pan to put it all together!

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Mushroom rice
Ditch the stove
Baked mushroom rice
Make it low-carb
Mushroom cauliflower rice skillet

Mango salsa

This colorful mango salsa is an excellent addition to your crispy crab cakes.

Worried about the sweet mangoes?

Fear not – this salsa also includes jalapenos, red onions, cilantro leaves, and a spritz of lime juice for the perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavors.

Why we love this recipe: it’s a foolproof dish anyone can make. And yes – I mean anyone!

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Fresh mango salsa
Add pineapples
Pineapple mango salsa
Make it creamy
Mango avocado salsa

Cheese grits

Grits are usually paired with shrimp, but they also taste fantastic with crab cakes.

This recipe calls for some simple cheddar cheese, but you can use any cheese you want. I like adding a sprinkling of gorgonzola when I’m feeling adventurous.

Why we love this recipe: it cheap and cheerful.

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Cheese grits
Make it spicy
Jalapeno cheddar cheese grits
Fire up the oven
Cheese grits casserole

Brioche buns

Brioche buns aren’t technically a side dish, but with crab cakes’ shape, it makes sense to turn them into burgers.

Skip the store-bought buns, though – making them yourself yields softer and fluffier buns.

Don’t forget to smear your favorite sauce. Remoulade’s my go-to pick.

Why we love this recipe: it uses the tangzhong method, ensuring these buns stay soft for days.

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Fluffiest b rioche buns
Make them quick
Quick and light brioche buns
Make them low-carb
Keto buns

Pesto roasted vegetables

Jazz up your traditional roasted vegetables with a spoonful of pesto sauce. You don’t need much to add a ton of flavor.

And the best part?

There are no strict rules over what veggies to use – try it with zucchini and squash for a summery combination.

Why we love this recipe: it’s a super tasty, low-effort dish!

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Pesto roasted vegetables
Make it Mediterranean
Mediterranean roast vegetables
Ditch the oven
Sauteed vegetables

The best side dishes for crab cakes

Arugula salad
Eggs benedict
Garlic aioli
Pasta al limone
Sauteed asparagus
Baked corn on the cob
Rainbow slaw
Tomato soup
Shoestring fries
Cocktail sauce
Mushroom rice
Mango salsa
Cheese grits
Brioche buns
Pesto roasted vegetables