Thai crab cakes with potato are what happens when you take everything good about classic crab cakes and give them a Southeast Asian makeover. Instead of drowning sweet crab meat in mayo and breadcrumbs, this recipe uses mashed potato as the binder—which sounds weird until you try it. The potato keeps everything light and lets the crab flavor come through, while lime, cilantro, fish sauce, and a touch of Thai chili bring that addictive brightness that makes you reach for just one more.
This is honestly one of those recipes that looks fancy but comes together fast enough for a Tuesday dinner. The ingredient list is short, the technique is straightforward, and the payoff is huge. Whether you’re cooking for yourself or trying to impress someone, these deliver.
*Before You Start: You’ll find more explanation here than a basic recipe. That’s intentional—the aim is to educate, not just instruct.
What Makes These Thai Crab Cakes So Damn Good
❃ Ready in 30 minutes: Seriously. From raw ingredients to crispy cakes on your plate.
❃ Potato binder means no breadcrumbs: Naturally gluten-free and way lighter than traditional versions
❃ They actually hold together: No more crab cakes crumbling in the pan (we’ve all been there)
❃ Bright, balanced flavors: The lime and herbs cut through the richness perfectly
❃ Works with canned crab: Fresh is great, but good canned lump crab works beautifully and costs way less
❃ Make them ahead: Form the patties in the morning, cook them at dinner time
❃ Freezer-friendly: Stash a batch for those nights when you need something impressive in a hurry
What You’ll Need to Make Them
For the crab cakes:
• 1 lb lump crab meat (fresh or good-quality canned), picked over for shells
• 1 medium russet potato (about 8 oz), peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped (stems and leaves both)
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 Thai red chili, minced (or ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes if you can’t find them)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon lime zest
• 1 egg, beaten
• ½ teaspoon white pepper (black works too)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil for frying
For serving:
• Sweet chili sauce (the Thai kind, not American chili sauce)
• Fresh lime wedges
• Extra cilantro
Quick Note:
Crab meat: If you’re using canned, drain it really well and give it a gentle squeeze in paper towels. Too much moisture will make your cakes soggy. Imitation crab doesn’t work here—it’s too wet and doesn’t have the right texture.
Potato: Russets are your best bet because they’re starchy and mash smooth. Yukon golds work in a pinch. Red potatoes are too waxy and won’t bind properly.
From Pot to Plate, Step by Step
1 Cook the potato
Put your potato chunks in a small pot and cover them with cold water. Add a pinch of salt. Bring everything to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. You want the potato so tender it basically falls apart when you poke it with a fork. Drain it well and let it sit in the pot for a minute to steam off the extra moisture—this step matters more than you’d think.
2 Mash and cool
Mash the potato until it’s completely smooth. No lumps. Spread it out on a plate so it cools down to room temperature. This takes maybe 5 minutes. If you mix hot potato with raw egg, you’ll end up with scrambled egg bits in your crab cakes, which isn’t the vibe we’re going for.
3 Check the crab
Spread your crab meat out on a cutting board and go through it with your fingers. Even the good stuff sometimes has tiny shell pieces or cartilage. Takes an extra minute but saves you from an unpleasant crunch later.
4 Mix everything together
Put the crab in a big bowl. Add the cooled potato, cilantro, green onions, chili, garlic, fish sauce, lime juice, lime zest, egg, white pepper, and salt. Mix it gently with your hands or a fork. You want everything combined without mashing up all the crab chunks. The mixture should stick together when you squeeze it but still look kind of loose and shaggy. That’s exactly right.
5 Form the patties
Wet your hands (keeps the mixture from sticking) and divide everything into 8 portions. Shape each one into a patty about 2½ inches across and maybe ¾ inch thick. Put them on a plate as you go. If the mixture feels too soft to handle, stick the plate in the fridge for 15 minutes. They’ll firm up and be way easier to cook.
6 Pan-fry them
Heat your oil in a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. When a tiny bit of the mixture sizzles immediately when it hits the oil, you’re ready. Add your patties—don’t crowd the pan, cook in batches if you need to. Let them cook for 3-4 minutes without touching them. When you peek underneath and see a deep golden crust, flip them gently. Cook another 3-4 minutes on the other side.
7 Serve
Transfer the cakes to a paper towel for a quick drain, then get them on a plate. Serve right away while they’re hot and crispy with sweet chili sauce, lime wedges, and cilantro scattered on top.
A Few Tricks to Make These Thai crab cakes with potato Even Better
❃ Take your time with the shell check. Even fancy crab has bits sometimes. Better to spend two minutes now than bite into a shell later.
❃ Medium heat is your friend. Too hot and the outside burns while the inside stays cold. Too low and they’ll absorb oil like a sponge. Medium gives you that perfect golden crust.
❃ The fridge is your secret weapon. Form the patties and refrigerate them for up to a day before cooking. They hold together even better this way, and it makes dinner super fast.
❃ For make-ahead or meal prep. These freeze beautifully. Lay the uncooked patties on a baking sheet, freeze them solid (about 2 hours), then toss them in a freezer bag. Cook straight from frozen—just add 2-3 extra minutes per side.
❃ Texture troubleshooting. If your mix is too wet after combining, stir in a tablespoon of panko or cornstarch. Too dry and crumbly? Add a teaspoon of mayo.
Nutrition Info (per serving, makes 8 cakes)
• Calories: 145
• Protein: 13g
• Carbs: 8g
• Fat: 7g
• Fiber: 1g
• Sugar: 1g
• Sodium: 420mg
❃ Nutrition info is estimated based on standard ingredients and may vary depending on brands and portions.
Got Questions? Let’s Clear Them Up
➲ Can I use frozen crab meat?
Yeah, but thaw it completely in the fridge overnight first. Frozen crab releases more liquid than fresh, so drain it really well—press it between paper towels multiple times. You might need an extra tablespoon of potato to soak up the moisture.
➲ What if I don’t eat fish sauce?
Fish sauce is what gives these the authentic Thai flavor, but if you can’t do it, mix 2 teaspoons soy sauce with ½ teaspoon Worcestershire. Won’t be exactly the same but it’ll still taste good and have that savory depth.
➲ Can I bake these instead?
Absolutely. Heat your oven to 425°F. Put the cakes on a parchment-lined sheet, brush both sides with a little oil, and bake for 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway. They won’t get as crispy as pan-fried but they’re still delicious.
➲ How do leftovers reheat?
Best way is in a skillet with a little oil over medium heat, about 2-3 minutes per side. Gets them crispy again. Air fryer works great too—375°F for 5-6 minutes. Microwave works if you’re desperate but they’ll be soft.
One Last Thing Before You Hit the Kitchen
Look, there are a lot of crab cake recipes out there. But Thai crab cakes with potato hit different. The potato keeps them light without being boring, and the Thai flavors—lime, cilantro, that little kick from the chili—make them feel special without being complicated. Once you make these, regular crab cakes might feel a little… bland.
You may also like:
❃ Thai Crab Cakes That’ll Ruin Regular Crab Cakes Forever
❃ Crispy Crab Cake Recipe: 7 Steps to Restaurant Quality Results
❃ Homemade Bagel Recipe | Easy New York–Style (Ready in 3H!)
❃ Easy Hearty Beef Barley Soup (One-Pot Wonder!)
Made these Thai crab cakes with potato? Tell me how they turned out in the comments! Did you adjust the spice level? Use a different type of crab? Swap anything out? Always love hearing what works in your kitchen. And if you’re making these for someone special or just because it’s Tuesday and you deserve good food, snap a photo and tag me—nothing makes my day more than seeing these recipes come to life in your kitchen.
Crispy Thai Crab Cakes with Potato (No Breadcrumbs!)
Ingredients
- 1 lb lump crab meat picked over for shells
- 1 medium russet potato 8 oz, peeled and diced
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- 1 Thai red chili minced (or ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes)
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 1 large egg beaten
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil for frying
- Sweet chili sauce for serving
- Lime wedges for serving
- Extra cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Boil diced potato in salted water for 10 minutes until very tender. Drain well and let steam dry for 1 minute.
- Mash potato until completely smooth, then spread on a plate to cool for 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine crab meat, cooled potato, cilantro, green onions, chili, garlic, fish sauce, lime juice, lime zest, egg, white pepper, and salt. Mix gently until combined.
- Form mixture into 8 patties (about ¼ cup each), roughly 2½ inches wide and ¾ inch thick. Refrigerate 15 minutes if mixture feels too soft.
- Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add patties without crowding the pan.
- Cook 3-4 minutes per side until deep golden brown and crispy. Don’t flip too early.
- Drain briefly on paper towels, then serve hot with sweet chili sauce, lime wedges, and fresh cilantro.
