Southwestern Crab Cake Burgers with Avocado-Green Onion Mayo and Jicama-Carrot Slaw

Crab cake sandwich.
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  • Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

12ounces crab claw meat (you can use lump, but claw meat is cheaper and perfect for this recipe)
1/4 red bell pepper, finely minced
1/4cup corn kernels (thawed at room temp if using frozen)
1 green onion, finely minced
2tablespoons cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2teaspoon salt
1pinch black pepper
1pinch ground cumin
1pinch cayenne pepper
2tablespoons mayo
1/2teaspoon Dijon mustard
1cup Panko breadcrumbs, divided use
1 egg, beaten
1/4cup grated Parmesan cheese
Peanut or vegetable oil for frying
4 whole grain buns, toasted
Green leaf lettuce for burgers
1 lime, cut into 4 wedges for garnish
Avocado-Green Onion Mayo
Jicama-Carrot Slaw

Instructions

  1. To make the crab cakes place the crab meat in a medium-sized bowl, and all of the ingredients through the Dijon mustard.
  2. Then add ½ cup of the Panko breadcrumbs and the beaten egg, and gently fold all of these ingredients together until the crab cake mixture is well combined, being careful not to overwork it.
  3. Combine the remaining ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs with the ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese on a large plate and set aside.
  4. Make the patties by dividing the crab mixture into 4 equal amounts, and gently shape into 4 patties (the mixture may be a bit delicate, so try your best to shape the patties and press them together to keep their shape); coat each patty lightly in the Panko-Parmesan mixture, and set onto a clean plate to hold.
  5. To cook the patties lightly coat the bottom of a large pan with canola oil and allow the oil to become hot (about 350-360 degrees); once hot, add the 4 patties to the hot oil (or work in batches of 2, depending on the size of your pan), and fry for about 2 minutes per side, or until the patties are golden-brown in color, and crispy; remove the patties from the oil and place onto a paper towel to drain excess oil.
  6. To assemble the burgers, spread a generous amount of the Avocado-Green Onion Mayo onto each toasted burger bun, add a lettuce leaf to the bottom bun, and next add a crab cake patty and cover with the top bun; serve with the Jicama-Carrot Slaw on the side, and garnish with a lime wedge to squeeze over the crab cake patty, if desired.

Recipe courtesy of Ingrid Beer the recipe developer, personal chef and author of food blog The Cozy Apron. She’s a family gal, and lives in the Los Angeles area with her husband Michael, who is the photographer of their blog, their son, and their beloved family dog, Lola.