Make frozen crab cakes in the air fryer straight from frozen in about 10 minutes. Air fryer crab cakes have a perfectly crispy, crunchy coating and warm, meaty inside. Serve as an appetizer or main dish.

Fresh crab cakes are delicious but take a little extra time and effort to make. Frozen crab cakes can be just as good and can be made in just minutes with the help of an air fryer.

What makes these so good

Easy – No extra oil is needed to make these, all you need is the frozen crab cake. If you do like them extra crispy, you can lightly spray them with olive oil before cooking.

Fast – Frozen crab cakes can be cooked straight from frozen. No thawing is required. Since they are precooked, you just need to cook them long enough to heat through.

Easy clean-up – The air fryer is so simple to clean. You can even use air fryer parchment paper to make it even easier.

Taste – The circulating hot air helps to make the crab cake coating golden brown and crispy while keeping the inside warm and tender.

Ingredients needed

Frozen crab cakes – These can be found in the freezer aisle of most grocery stores. There are several brands to choose from. I have even seen them at Walmart and Target.

Air fryer – These can be made with a basket style or oven style air fryer. I am using a 5.8 quart Cosori basket style in these pictures.

How to make frozen crab cakes in the air fryer

1. Place frozen crab cakes in the air fryer basket. Make sure not to stack them. If you are worried they might stick to the basket you can lightly mist with olive oil.
2. Cook at 380 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until warmed through. If you are making mini crab cakes, check them after cooking for 5 minutes. If yours are on the larger side, they might take up to 12-15 minutes.
3. Carefully remove them and enjoy warm.

How to store and reheat

Store: Let the crab cakes completely cool before storing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Reheat: Place crab cakes in the air fryer and cook at 350 degrees for 4-5 minutes or until heated through.

What are the best frozen crab cakes?

There are many different brands to choose from in the freezer aisle. We really enjoy the Phillips Maryland Style Crab Cakes and Trader Joe’s crab cakes. Here are some other options that work well:

• SeaPak
• Handy Crab Cakes
• Dockside Classics
• Publix brand
• Costco brand – Rastelli Market

What to serve with crab cakes

Crab cakes can be served as a main dish or even as an appetizer. They are delicious served with a dipping sauce like tartar sauce and cocktail sauce. We have a list of 25 crab cake side dishes. Here are a few side dish ideas to make a complete meal:

• Sweet potato fries
• Baked potato
• Okra
• Seasoned rice

Recipe tips

Make sure not to stack the crab cakes in the air fryer. You want to make sure that the hot air can circulate around them for even cooking.

For extra crispy cakes, lightly spray the tops with olive oil. Use an oil mister, not aerosol spray.

Every air fryer cooks a little different. The size of the cake will also make a difference in cooking time. I recommend checking the crab cakes after 5 minutes of cooking to see how much more time is needed, usually 3-5 more minutes depending on the size of the cake.

More frozen foods in the air fryer

• Air fryer frozen burrito
• Air fryer frozen pierogies
• Air fryer frozen spring rolls
• Air fryer frozen chicken patties
• Air fryer frozen chicken strips

Love your air fryer? Join our Easy Air Fryer Recipes group on Facebook to share recipes and ask questions.