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    Home » Recipes » Vegan Seafood

    April 14, 2021 50 Comments

    Easy Vegan Crab Cakes

    2.5K shares
    Jump to Recipe

    I gotta admit it, after watching Seaspiracy I'm feeling even more inspired to come up with vegan seafood dishes! Last week I gave you Vegan Lobster, a few weeks earlier was my Jackfruit Salad Sandwich and before that, there was Heart of Palm Calamari, and Tofish and Chips, to name a few! This week, I'm tackling Crab Cakes! Or, I should say Easy Vegan Crab Cakes to be exact 😉

    Just 9 ingredients and super-easy to make. These Easy Vegan Crab Cakes can be made in a skillet or a pan but I have also included air-fryer instructions as well as baked options! Oh, and they can be made oil-free! Flaky, tender, and creamy, these Easy Vegan Crab Cakes are next-level good! #itdoesnttastelikechicken #vegancrabcakes

    Flaky, tender, and creamy, Easy Vegan Crab Cakes are next-level good! The nori (seaweed) adds slight fishiness to the taste. Just look how moist and delicate they are! A perfect option for an appetizer or a main, these are sure to please the seafood lover in your house, all the while leaving our fishy friends alone!

    Oooh baby, you are going to love how amazing these taste! Just 9 ingredients and super easy to make. Vegan Crab Cakes can be pan-fried or I also included air-fryer or oven instructions as well! Oh, and they can be made oil-free! Win win win.

    Just 9 ingredients and super-easy to make. These Easy Vegan Crab Cakes can be made in a skillet or a pan but I have also included air-fryer instructions as well as baked options! Oh, and they can be made oil-free! Flaky, tender, and creamy, these Easy Vegan Crab Cakes are next-level good! #itdoesnttastelikechicken #vegancrabcakes

    I've got so many Vegan Seafood options now - I had to make a new category on my blog dedicated to it! I hope you enjoy these Easy Vegan Crab Cakes as well as my other vegan seafood dishes! I really believe we can do our part to help save the oceans - one meal at a time 🙂

    How to make vegan crab cakes:

    Pulse all the ingredients together in a food processor.

    To a food processor, add chickpeas, artichokes, panko breadcrumbs, chopped nori, vegan mayonnaise, lemon juice, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Pulse a few times to mix and break up the chickpeas and artichokes. Don't over mix, you want there to be texture still.

    If the mixture has reached the correct texture but the ingredients aren't mixed well, use a spoon or spatula to finish mixing.

    Form the dough into 6 patties.

    Divide the mixture into 6 and use your hands to form 6 patties. Alternatively, you can make more as smaller patties.

    Cook the chickpea and artichoke patties in a skillet.

    Heat the oil in a large skillet or non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot add the patties and fry 3 - 5 minutes per side until golden brown.

    See the recipe notes for air-fryer or baked methods, both of which can be made oil-free.

    Just 9 ingredients and super-easy to make. These Easy Vegan Crab Cakes can be made in a skillet or a pan but I have also included air-fryer instructions as well as baked options! Oh, and they can be made oil-free! Flaky, tender, and creamy, these Easy Vegan Crab Cakes are next-level good! #itdoesnttastelikechicken #vegancrabcakes

    These vegan crab cakes go beautifully with my Vegan Tartar Sauce (Page 144 in Fuss-Free Vegan) a squeeze of lemon, and a side serving of salad or cooked greens. Yum!

    Bon appetegan!

    Sam Turnbull.

    Print Recipe
    5 from 14 votes

    Easy Vegan Crab Cakes

    Just 9 ingredients and super-easy to make. Can be made in a skillet or a pan but I have also included air-fryer instructions as well as baked options! Oh, and they can be made oil-free! Flaky, tender, creamy, and next-level good!
    Adapted from Vegan Huggs and Tasty
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time10 mins
    Total Time20 mins
    Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    ingredient tag: beans, chickpeas
    Servings: 6 large vegan crab cakes
    Calories: 255kcal
    Author: Sam Turnbull • It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken

    Ingredients

    • 1 can (19 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
    • 1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts drained and rinsed
    • ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs (gluten-free if preferred)
    • 1 sheet nori, chopped into small flakes
    • ¼ cup vegan mayonnaise
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • 2 tablespoons light oil, for frying (optional)
    • For garnish: lemon wedges, chopped parsley, chopped dill, and/or vegan tartar sauce (optional)
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    Instructions

    • To a food processor, add the chickpeas, artichokes, panko bread-crumbs, chopped nori, vegan mayonnaise, lemon juice, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Pulse a few times to mix and break up the chickpeas and artichokes. Don't over mix, you want there to be texture still. If the mixture has reached the correct texture but the ingredients aren't mixed well, use a spoon or spatula to finish mixing.
    • Divide the mixture into 6 and use your hands to form 6 patties.
    • Heat the oil in a large skillet or non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot add the patties, and fry 3 - 5 minutes per side until golden brown. Serve hot.

    Notes

    Air-fryer method (oil-free): Preheat your air-fryer. Lay the patties in the bottom of the air fryer in a single layer, do not overlap. You may need to do them in batches. Air-fry at 380F for about 15 minutes until they are golden brown. 
    Baked method (oil-free optional): Preheat your oven to 400F. Lightly grease a large baking pan or line it with parchment paper. Bake for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway through until the vegan crab cakes are golden brown.
    Nori: nori is the seaweed you use to make sushi with, it's what adds a fishy taste. If you prefer you can omit it, but your vegan crab cakes won't taste very crab-like. It doesn't get ground up in the food processor well so make sure to chop it into small flakes before adding. I usually use kitchen scissors to do this. 
    Make ahead: these vegan crab cakes store well at almost any stage of the process. The prepared mixture, the shaped uncooked patties, or the fully cooked vegan crab cakes can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for 4 -5 days or it should freeze well too.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1vegan crab cake without oil (recipe makes 6 crab cakes) | Calories: 255kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 484mg | Potassium: 285mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 48IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 3mg
    Did You Make This Recipe?Tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram and Hashtag #itdoesnttastelikechicken
    « Vegan Lobster (garlic butter heart of palm)
    Vegan Garlic Seared Scallops »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Joy Griffin says

      September 28, 2022 at 7:26 am

      I loved the ease of the recipe but felt it needs some spices. I sprinkled the top with Old Bay but still not quite there for us.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        October 06, 2022 at 12:07 pm

        Feel free to up the spices according to your taste preferences 🙂

        Reply
    2. Jane says

      September 15, 2022 at 9:15 pm

      5 stars
      These were amazing! Easy, great flavor and texture. Seriously great recipe. We served them with roasted asparagus, boiled potatoes, and tartar sauce made with the vegenaise. I did add a dash of old bay, but it was minuscule; i also used homemade bread crumbs, since i had some in the freezer. Thank you!! Definitely a keeper!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        September 16, 2022 at 4:25 pm

        Wonderful, so happy you loved them Jane!!

        Reply
    3. Fernanda P. McVey says

      August 19, 2022 at 1:44 am

      5 stars
      I simply love this recipe.
      I’ve already made few times.
      Thank you very much for sharing ❤️❤️

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        August 19, 2022 at 11:13 am

        You're most welcome! SO happy you love it 🙂

        Reply
    4. Char says

      April 23, 2022 at 3:39 pm

      I HATE meat. I haven't had a piece of meat since I was 16 years old. I am 60.

      Almost all of the recipes are in reference with MEAT.

      They are special. They need a name of there own.

      I would like to try this recipe only after reading it. The reference to meat had me skip it. The email in which it came had 9 other "Meat" items. I will have to go back and read each one because the name does not fit the dish.

      The name of the recipe should be in reference of the food. Also, I think people that are trying to become vegan are expecting the items to taste like meat. I don't think that is the goal.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        May 26, 2022 at 9:55 am

        Hi Char, Most people go vegan for the animals, for their own health, and for the environment. Most people aren't born vegan, they switch to vegan later in life. For example, I grew up enjoying meat, eggs and dairy in a house that literally had animal heads on the walls- not in the least vegan! But when I went vegan, I had to switch my diet and find foods that were just as satisfying to me. Now, I don’t know a single person who went vegan because they hated the taste of animal products. Some people might crave an animal product that they used to enjoy, or sometimes certain foods or dishes can be associated with traditions or memories. Vegan versions of these dishes allow people to still enjoy some of their favourite foods without harming any animals, so it’s really win-win.

        Reply
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