The Best Way To Reheat Crab Cakes Without Them Totally Falling Apart

Crab cakes are a delicious, comforting dish packed with chunky crabmeat, soft breadcrumbs, and an assortment of herbs, spices, and sauces. The egg inside these moreish cakes is essential to bind the other ingredients and keep the patty in shape. Unfortunately, sometimes the egg needs some help to keep those cakes from falling apart. Before cooking, temperature is the key factor in stopping your cakes from breaking, but how can you stop a crumbly mess when you decide to reheat these wonders?

When reheating anything, you always risk the dish drying out; the same applies to crab cakes too. Ultimately drying out the cakes won't only ruin the taste but could also impact the shape of the cakes. To avoid this at all costs, it's important to introduce a little moisture into the reheating process. Spreading butter onto each cake is the best way to reheat crab cakes. It will keep the leftover patties moist and delectable while also preserving their lovely round shape.

If you have an oven, the best way to reheat these savory cakes is to spread them onto a tray and top each cake with a cold slice of butter. Salted butter will work best, adding a little extra seasoning to the cakes. Cook in a preheated oven until they're hot through, and enjoy. You may be nervous about how an oven will affect the moisture in the cakes, but that's what the butter is for. It'll prevent them from drying out, keeping the cakes succulent while adding a crunchy bottom.

You can also broil the cakes with a little butter as well. The only potential downside is the risk that the cakes will burn; to avoid this keep a watchful eye on them at all times. Reheating the cakes inside a saucepan is also a viable option; cook the patties in a small amount of water, and they almost become steamed and fried simultaneously. Using a steamer alone to reheat is not the best idea as it'll loosen the crab cakes and leave you with crab cake pieces. The same applies to popping them into the microwave, too, as this will change the shape of the cake and dry out the moist center.

Once reheated, crab cakes can take on a completely new form. Crab cake burgers or sliders are an easy yet exciting way to switch it up, and they are completely customizable—a great way to use up other waste items too. To give the burgers a little kick, spread a good dollop of spicy mayonnaise onto each bun. In a similar fashion, if your crab cakes are thin, they'll slide easily into a delicious and decadent cheese toastie: cheesy crab goodness.

Sometimes all the effort in the world cannot stop your leftover crab cakes from falling apart. Either way, it is not game over. You can effectively use the crab cake remnants as a base for a wonderful omelet. In a frying pan, make sure the cake pieces are hot all the way through before pouring in some beaten eggs. Perhaps the best breakfast, brunch, or lunch idea ever. The next time you plan to reheat crab cakes, use butter and one of the foolproof methods mentioned above. Step away from the microwave.