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Crab Cake Sauce (Classic Remoulade + 8 More Sauces for Crab Cakes)
This crab cake sauce is the creamy, tangy, slightly spicy remoulade-style sauce served with crab cakes at seafood restaurants up and down the East Coast. It takes 5 minutes, uses pantry staples (mayonnaise, mustard, lemon, pickles, hot sauce and Old Bay), and tastes even better after a short rest in the fridge.
The answer to “what sauce goes with crab cakes” is usually this one, but it isn’t the only good choice. Below you’ll find the classic recipe and why each ingredient matters, eight more sauces for crab cakes (tartar, lemon garlic aioli, spicy mayo, cocktail sauce and more), a comparison table to help you pick, tips for serving, storage times and an FAQ. The printable recipe card for the classic sauce (about ¾ cup) is at the bottom.
What Makes a Good Crab Cake Sauce?
Crab meat is sweet and delicate, and crab cakes are usually pan-fried or baked until golden. A good sauce does three jobs:
- Adds acid. Lemon juice, vinegar or pickles cut through the richness of the fried crust.
- Adds creaminess. A mayonnaise base clings to each bite without soaking the crab cake.
- Adds a little heat and spice without hiding the crab. Hot sauce, horseradish, Cajun spice or Old Bay seasoning are classic.
The sauce should support the crab, not cover it. Serve it on the side or in a small spoonful on top, rather than drowning the cake.
Classic Crab Cake Sauce Ingredients
- Mayonnaise (½ cup). The base. Use a good full-fat mayonnaise for the best texture. Light mayo works but is a little thinner.
- Dijon or Creole mustard (2 tablespoons). Creole mustard (coarse, spicy, with whole seeds) gives the most authentic remoulade flavor; Dijon is easier to find.
- Fresh lemon juice (1 tablespoon). Brightens everything. Bottled juice tastes flat here.
- Sweet pickle relish or chopped capers (1 tablespoon). Relish adds sweetness and crunch; capers add briny tang. Dill relish is a middle ground.
- Prepared horseradish (1 teaspoon). A sinus-clearing bite that goes beautifully with seafood.
- Hot sauce (1 teaspoon). Louisiana-style hot sauce for vinegar and heat. Add more to taste.
- Old Bay seasoning (½ teaspoon). The classic Chesapeake crab seasoning of celery salt, paprika and spices.
- Smoked or sweet paprika (½ teaspoon). For color and gentle warmth.
- Garlic (1 small clove), finely grated.
- Fresh parsley (1 tablespoon), finely chopped, plus chives or green onion if you have them.
How to Make Crab Cake Sauce
- Grate the garlic on a fine grater or mince it to a paste with a pinch of salt so it disappears into the sauce.
- Whisk the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, horseradish and hot sauce in a small bowl until smooth.
- Stir in the relish or capers, Old Bay, paprika, garlic and parsley.
- Taste and adjust. More lemon for tang, more hot sauce for heat, a pinch of sugar if it’s too sharp, or a splash of pickle juice to thin it.
- Chill for 30 minutes if you can. The garlic mellows and the flavors blend.
That’s it. The sauce should be thick enough to hold its shape on a spoon but loose enough to dollop. If it’s too thick, stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons of water, lemon juice or pickle juice.
8 More Sauces for Crab Cakes
Each of these makes enough for 4 to 6 crab cakes. Whisk everything together and chill.
1. Classic tartar sauce
½ cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons dill pickle relish, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon capers (chopped), 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill, a pinch of salt and pepper. Tartar sauce is milder than remoulade and a good choice for kids.
2. Lemon garlic aioli
½ cup mayonnaise, 1 grated garlic clove, zest of ½ lemon, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon olive oil and a pinch of salt. Simple and bright, it lets the crab shine. This quick version starts with store-bought mayonnaise; if you make aioli from scratch with raw egg yolks, use pasteurized eggs.
3. Spicy sriracha mayo
½ cup mayonnaise, 1 to 2 tablespoons sriracha, 1 teaspoon lime juice and ½ teaspoon honey. Creamy and hot, with a little sweetness. Great on crab cake sliders.
4. Cajun remoulade
Make the classic sauce above, but swap the Old Bay for 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, use Creole mustard, and add 1 tablespoon finely chopped celery and green onion. Bolder and more Louisiana-style.
5. Old Bay mustard sauce
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon lemon juice and ½ teaspoon Old Bay. Tangy and sweet, a Maryland favorite.
6. Cocktail sauce
½ cup ketchup or chili sauce, 1 to 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire and a dash of hot sauce. Mayo-free and zippy, best if you like shrimp cocktail.
7. Lemon dill yogurt sauce
½ cup plain Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, a small grated garlic clove and salt. Lighter and fresh. It’s a cousin of our lemon dill sauce for salmon, which also works well with crab cakes.
8. Avocado lime crema
1 ripe avocado, ¼ cup sour cream, juice of 1 lime, a handful of cilantro, a small garlic clove and salt, blended until smooth. Cool and green, great with spicy crab cakes.
Which Sauce for Crab Cakes Should You Choose?
| Sauce | Flavor | Heat | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic crab cake sauce (remoulade-style) | Tangy, creamy, savory | Mild to medium | Any crab cake; the restaurant classic |
| Tartar sauce | Tangy, pickle-forward | None | Kids, fried crab cakes |
| Lemon garlic aioli | Bright, garlicky | None | Lump crab cakes with little filler |
| Spicy sriracha mayo | Creamy, sweet heat | Medium to hot | Sliders, sandwiches |
| Cajun remoulade | Bold, spiced | Medium | Southern-style or spicy crab cakes |
| Old Bay mustard sauce | Tangy, sweet | Mild | Maryland-style crab cakes |
| Cocktail sauce | Sharp, tomato, horseradish | Medium | Mayo-free option |
| Lemon dill yogurt | Fresh, light | None | Baked crab cakes, lighter meals |
| Avocado lime crema | Cool, creamy, herby | None | Spicy crab cakes, summer plates |
Remoulade vs Tartar Sauce: What’s the Difference?
Both are mayonnaise sauces with something briny, and both are classic with seafood, so they’re often confused.
- Tartar sauce is simple: mayonnaise, pickles or relish, lemon and sometimes capers and dill. It’s cool, tangy and mild.
- Remoulade starts the same way but adds mustard, spices and often hot sauce, horseradish, paprika and herbs. French remoulade is herby and pale; Louisiana remoulade is spicier and pinkish from paprika and Creole mustard.
Most “crab cake sauce” recipes, including this one, are a remoulade: richer and more seasoned than tartar sauce, but not as hot as a spicy mayo.
How to Serve Crab Cakes With Sauce
- As a main course: two crab cakes per person with a ramekin of sauce, lemon wedges, a green salad or coleslaw, and corn on the cob or roasted potatoes.
- As an appetizer: make mini crab cakes, top each with a small dollop of sauce and a parsley leaf.
- As a sandwich: a crab cake on a toasted brioche bun with lettuce, tomato and a thick layer of sauce.
- On a salad: thin the sauce with lemon juice to make a creamy dressing for greens topped with a warm crab cake.
Plan about 2 tablespoons of sauce per crab cake. For a party, offer two contrasting sauces, such as the classic remoulade and a light lemon dill yogurt, so guests can choose.
Other Seafood That Loves This Sauce
This sauce isn’t only for crab. Try it with:
- Salmon patties and croquettes. See our salmon patty recipe and salmon croquettes.
- Fried or grilled shrimp, like the ideas in our easy shrimp recipes.
- Seared tuna, sliced over salad. Our tuna steak recipe shows how.
- Fish tacos, fish sandwiches and fried fish.
- Fried green tomatoes, French fries and roasted potatoes.
For more ways to use pantry seafood, see our canned salmon recipes.
Tips for the Best Sauce
- Make it ahead. Sauces made 1 to 24 hours in advance taste better and more balanced.
- Grate the garlic finely. Chunks of raw garlic are harsh. A microplane turns it into a paste.
- Chop the add-ins small. Relish, capers, celery and herbs should be fine enough to cling to a forkful of crab cake.
- Season after chilling. Cold dulls flavor, so taste again right before serving and add a squeeze of lemon or pinch of salt.
- Balance heat with acid. If you add more hot sauce or horseradish, add a little more lemon too.
- Thin with pickle juice. It loosens the sauce and adds flavor at the same time.
- Serve it cold, crab cakes hot. The contrast between a chilled, creamy sauce and a hot, crisp crab cake is part of what makes the pairing so good, so keep the sauce in the fridge until the crab cakes come out of the pan.
Regional Styles of Sauce for Crab Cakes
Ask for a sauce for crab cakes in different parts of the country and you’ll get different answers:
| Region | Typical sauce | What sets it apart |
|---|---|---|
| Maryland and the Chesapeake | Tartar sauce or mustard sauce, often just lemon | Old Bay, minimal sauce so the lump crab stands out |
| Louisiana and the Gulf | Spicy Creole remoulade | Creole mustard, paprika, hot sauce, celery and green onion |
| Florida and the Southeast | Key lime or citrus aioli, mustard sauce | Bright citrus; stone crab is famous with mustard sauce |
| Pacific Northwest | Lemon aioli or herb sauce | Dungeness crab cakes with fresh herbs and lemon |
| Restaurants everywhere | Remoulade-style crab cake sauce like this one | A balance of creamy, tangy and a little spicy |
A Quick Crab Cake Method to Go With the Sauce
If you’re making the crab cakes too, here’s a simple method for 6 cakes:
- Gently mix 1 pound lump crab meat (picked over for shell) with 1 beaten egg, 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire, 1 teaspoon Old Bay, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley and ½ cup crushed saltine crackers or panko. Fold carefully to keep the lumps whole.
- Shape into 6 thick patties and chill for 30 minutes so they hold together.
- Pan-fry in 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat, about 4 to 5 minutes per side, until deep golden and hot in the center. Or bake on an oiled sheet pan at 400°F for 12 to 15 minutes.
- Serve hot with lemon wedges and the crab cake sauce.
Leftover crab cakes and sauce make a great sandwich the next day. For a similar patty made from pantry fish, see our salmon patties, linked below.
Scaling the Sauce
| Crab cakes | Mayonnaise | Mustard | Lemon juice | Yield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 to 6 | ½ cup | 2 tbsp | 1 tbsp | About ¾ cup |
| 8 to 10 | 1 cup | ¼ cup | 2 tbsp | About 1½ cups |
| 16 to 20 (party) | 2 cups | ½ cup | ¼ cup | About 3 cups |
| Mini crab cakes, 24 | ¾ cup | 3 tbsp | 1½ tbsp | About 1 cup |
Scale the seasonings by the same amount, then taste. Hot sauce and horseradish can get strong in big batches, so add them gradually.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Too much sauce. Crab is expensive and mild. Serve the sauce on the side so every bite isn’t hidden.
- Raw garlic chunks. Grate it finely or use a pinch of garlic powder instead.
- Bottled lemon juice. Fresh lemon tastes cleaner and brighter.
- Serving it straight from mixing. A 30-minute rest lets the flavors come together.
- Over-salting. Old Bay, mustard, pickles and hot sauce are all salty. Taste before adding any salt.
- Leaving it out too long. Put the bowl back in the fridge after serving.
How Long Does Crab Cake Sauce Last?
Store the sauce in a covered jar in the fridge and use it within about 5 days. Fresh garlic and herbs taste best in the first few days. Like other mayonnaise-based sauces, don’t leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F). The FoodSafety.gov cold food storage chart covers refrigerator times for mayonnaise and other cold foods.
Crab cake sauce doesn’t freeze well; mayonnaise separates when thawed. The avocado crema is best the same day; press plastic wrap onto the surface to slow browning.
When serving crab cakes and sauce at a party, keep the sauce cold by setting the bowl in a larger bowl of ice. The FDA’s guide to selecting and serving seafood safely covers keeping crab and other seafood cold before cooking and after serving.
Make It Lighter or Dairy-Free
- Lighter: replace half the mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt. The sauce becomes a little tangier and thinner.
- Egg-free or vegan: use a vegan mayonnaise; all other ingredients in the classic recipe are plant-based (check that your Worcestershire, if used, is vegan).
- Lower sodium: skip the Old Bay and use paprika, a pinch of celery seed and lemon zest instead.
Ingredient Swaps
| If you don’t have | Use instead |
|---|---|
| Creole or Dijon mustard | Whole-grain mustard, or 1 tablespoon yellow mustard plus a pinch of cayenne |
| Sweet pickle relish | Finely chopped dill pickles, cornichons or capers |
| Prepared horseradish | Extra hot sauce or a little wasabi paste |
| Fresh lemon | Fresh lime juice or a splash of white wine vinegar |
| Fresh parsley | Chives, dill, green onion or tarragon |
| Fresh garlic | ¼ teaspoon garlic powder |
Sides for Crab Cakes and Sauce
- Coleslaw with a vinegar dressing, for crunch and contrast
- Corn on the cob or a sweet corn salad, the classic summer pairing
- Roasted or fried potatoes, which also love a dip in the remoulade
- A simple arugula salad with lemon and olive oil
- Grilled asparagus or green beans
- Hush puppies or cornbread for a Southern-style plate
Whatever you choose, set out extra lemon wedges and a second small bowl of crab cake sauce; it always disappears faster than expected.
Crab Cake Sauce FAQ
What sauce is served with crab cakes?
The most common is a remoulade-style sauce like this one: mayonnaise, mustard, lemon, pickles, hot sauce and spices. Tartar sauce, lemon aioli and cocktail sauce are also popular.
Is crab cake sauce the same as tartar sauce?
Not quite. Tartar sauce is mayonnaise with pickles and lemon. Crab cake sauce, usually a remoulade, adds mustard, spices, hot sauce and horseradish for more flavor.
Is crab cake sauce spicy?
This version is mildly spicy from the hot sauce and horseradish. For no heat, leave both out and add a little more lemon. For more heat, double the hot sauce or stir in a pinch of cayenne or Cajun seasoning.
Can I use this sauce for crab cakes on fish sandwiches too?
Yes. It’s excellent on fried fish sandwiches, shrimp po’boys, burgers and as a dip for fries or fried green tomatoes. Spread it thickly on a toasted bun.
Can I make crab cake sauce without mayonnaise?
Yes. Use Greek yogurt or sour cream as the base, or choose the cocktail sauce or avocado lime crema above.
How far ahead can I make it?
Up to 2 days ahead for the best flavor. Store covered in the fridge and stir before serving.
What can I use instead of Old Bay?
Use ¼ teaspoon celery salt and ¼ teaspoon paprika with a pinch of cayenne and black pepper, or a pinch of Cajun seasoning.
How much sauce do I need for 8 crab cakes?
About 1 cup, or roughly 2 tablespoons per crab cake. Double the recipe card below.
Crab Cake Sauce Recipe Card
Calories are an estimate per 2-tablespoon serving (1/6 of the recipe) based on USDA FoodData Central values for mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, sweet pickle relish, horseradish and spices. For more fish and shellfish ideas, browse our seafood recipes.
Crab Cake Sauce (Remoulade-Style)
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Finely grate the garlic.
- Whisk the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, horseradish and hot sauce until smooth.
- Stir in the relish or capers, Old Bay, paprika, garlic and parsley.
- Taste and adjust with more lemon, hot sauce or a pinch of sugar. Thin with 1 to 2 teaspoons water or pickle juice if needed.
- Cover and chill 30 minutes before serving with crab cakes and lemon wedges.
