Description
Mini Crab Cake Sliders with Orange Aïoli feature tender crab cakes, citrusy sauce, and soft buns—perfect for parties and special gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Orange Aïoli
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
- 2–3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Crab Cakes
- 3/4 cup crushed butter crackers (18–24 crackers)
- 1/4–1/2 cup mayonnaise, plus more for schmearing buns
- 1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh parsley
- 1 1/2 teaspoons seafood seasoning (such as Old Bay), plus more for sprinkling
- 8 dashes hot sauce
- 1 large egg, beaten
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 pounds lump blue crabmeat, picked over
- Butter, for spreading
- 24 potato slider buns, split
- Mesclun greens, for topping
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together all orange aïoli ingredients. Season to taste and refrigerate.
- In a large bowl, combine cracker crumbs, mayonnaise, parsley, seafood seasoning, hot sauce, egg, salt, and pepper.
- Gently fold in crabmeat, being careful not to break up the lumps.
- Form mixture into 24 small patties and chill for 20 minutes.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat and lightly butter.
- Cook crab cakes 3–4 minutes per side until golden and heated through.
- Butter slider buns and toast lightly.
- Spread buns with mayonnaise or orange aïoli.
- Assemble sliders with crab cakes, mesclun greens, and extra aïoli.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Handle crab gently to maintain texture.
Chill cakes before cooking for better structure.
Taste crab mixture before forming to adjust seasoning.