Cajun Crab Sliders With Tangy Homemade Remoulade

Crab cake sliders with a Cajun twist are just the ticket for a delicious seafood meal. Cajun seasoning pairs perfectly with crab cakes and takes the flavor up more than a notch. Crab cakes are appreciated on their own, but serving them as sliders is fun, not just for a special meal at home but as a convenient part of a party spread.

Recipe developer Michelle Bottalico has created a recipe for Cajun crab sliders with homemade remoulade sauce. The eight-spice seasoning blend pairs perfectly with the lump crab meat, adding a bold complementary flavor while still allowing the taste of the crab meat to shine. Good quality lump crab meat is recommended, but can sometimes be out of reach — we've recommended other options in the FAQ below. The crab cakes are nice and moist and hold together well, and they develop a nice crispy exterior after being pan fried in butter and olive oil.

Placed on slider buns with lettuce, tomato and creamy, tangy remoulade, these Cajun crab sliders are a real treat. The buns are toasted before assembly and brushed with melted butter right before serving, which gives them an even better flavor and texture. Serve the sliders with lemon wedges for a bright citrus touch if desired.

This recipe calls for quite a few ingredients, but you can make the remoulade, the Cajun seasoning, and even the (uncooked) crab cakes ahead of time if desired. Cover and refrigerate the crab cakes for up to a day before frying if you choose to make them ahead.

For the remoulade, you will need mayonnaise, pickles, scallion, Dijon mustard, Tabasco sauce, white wine vinegar, sweet paprika, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. The Cajun seasoning ingredients are ground paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.

For the crab cakes, grab lump crab meat, mayonnaise, egg, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, and breadcrumbs. Some people find that crushed buttery crackers or saltines are an effective substitutes for breadcrumbs if you're in a pinch. Make sure you have butter, olive oil, slider buns, lettuce, tomato, and melted butter too. Finally, lemon wedges are an optional ingredient for serving.

Place all the remoulade ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Whisk all the Cajun seasoning ingredients in a separate small bowl until evenly combined.

Begin the sliders: Place the mayonnaise, egg, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, and Cajun seasoning in a mixing bowl and stir to combine.

Gently fold in the breadcrumbs and crab meat, trying to keep the lumps intact.

Form the mixture into 6 evenly-sized patties.

Heat 1 tablespoon butter and olive oil in a heavy bottomed skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium heat.

When the oil is hot and the butter is bubbly, place the crab cakes in the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the bottoms are browned and crispy.

Flip and cook the other side an additional 3-4 minutes, until crispy. Once cooked, remove the crab cakes from heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, toast the slider buns.

Tear the lettuce into 6 pieces and divide them evenly across the bottom of the buns.

Add a tomato slice to each bun on top of the lettuce.

Add the crab cakes, followed by a dollop of remoulade sauce.

Brush the tops of the buns with melted butter. Serve the Cajun crab sliders right away, with lemon wedges if desired.

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Lump crab meat is recommended for its sweet flavor and larger chunks (which come from the crab's body), which are noticeable even when mixed with other ingredients in crab cakes. Don't mistake it for jumbo lump crab meat, which comes from a crab's large swimming muscles, of which there are only two per crab (or colossal crab meat, which comes from two muscles that are even larger). These are normally treated as a delicacy to eat alone because of the flavor and high cost.

Still, lump crab meat can have a high price tag due to specific factors that make crab meat so expensive. The large 1-pound refrigerated cans contain delicious lump crab meat, but look for smaller plastic tubs of lump crab meat in the refrigerator near the fish counter, which won't be as expensive as the 1-pound cans. Or, look for smaller tuna-sized cans of lump crab meat sold on the supermarket shelf in the canned fish aisle, which are less expensive than the tubs.

If lump crab meat is not an option, you can make crab cakes with other kinds. Special crab meat (medium sized white body meat) and claw crab meat (more strongly-flavored meat from the claws) also work. The least expensive choice is canned white crab meat. The pieces are much smaller, so the texture won't be very noticeable, and the quality depends on the brand, but you'll still get a crab flavor and tasty crab cakes.

The first way you can customize this recipe is to play with the Cajun seasoning mix to suit your tastes. Add a smoky vibe with smoked paprika instead of sweet paprika. Other spices you could mix and match include white pepper, mustard powder and cumin. For more texture, consider using granulated onion and granulated garlic instead of the powdered versions. You can leave out the dried green herbs (oregano and thyme), which aren't always present in Cajun seasoning, or add more by adding dried basil too. If you don't like the heat, leave the cayenne out. You can leave the salt out for a version that's lighter on the sodium.

You don't have to pan-fry the crab cakes, and baking is another great cooking option. Bake them at 450 F for 12-14 minutes. On the other hand, you can deep-fry them for 2-3 minutes in oil heated to 350 F. These crab cakes would also be enjoyable when made full size and served on larger buns. Or, serve them without the buns and toppings, but don't forget the sauce.

You can change the spices and the sauce if you like. They won't be Cajun-inspired, but they will still be terrific. Use Old Bay spice blend instead of Cajun seasoning and serve with tartar sauce. Or, for a green spin, add fresh herbs like parsley, cilantro, tarragon, basil, and dill to the crab cake mixture and serve with green goddess dressing.

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