If you’re a fan of Maryland’s iconic crab cakes, just wait until you try them in ultra-portable, crunchy egg roll form! These crab cake egg rolls are taking the region by storm, stuffing all that luscious crab dip goodness into a crispy-fried exterior.
They’re the ultimate crowd-pleasing, handheld appetizer.
At their core, these crab cake egg rolls achieve the perfect balance of textures and flavors. You get that signature salty, creamy crab dip filling loaded with tender lump crab meat, tangy cream cheese, rich mayo, and kicked up with classics like Old Bay seasoning and Worcestershire. It’s basically all the greatest crab cake flavors amplified into one luscious, craveable bite.
But instead of being baked into a traditional cake shape, that crab dip base gets stuffed into an egg roll wrapper and fried until shatteringly crisp and golden brown. Every bite combines that glorious Maryland-style crab filling with the most addictive, delicate crunch from the wrapper’s crispy shell.
While definitely decadent, there’s something so satisfying about being able to easily enjoy all those crab cake flavors without utensils. They make for the perfect handheld, mess-free appetizer whether you’re hosting a big party or just want a snacky dinner at home.
The process for making crab cake egg rolls is also refreshingly simple. You just need to whip up the creamy crab filling, load it into the wrappers, and give them a quick freeze to help set the shape. Then you can fry them up in batches for an app that’s hot, crispy, and melty all at once.
Thanks to the freezing trick, the crab and creamy cheese never leaks or oozes out during frying. Each egg roll emerges from its bubbly oil bath with a delightfully crackly crunch that perfectly endures until the very last bite.
While certainly stellar unadorned, crab cake egg rolls are also the ideal canvas for fun dipping sauces and garnishes. They’re particularly outstanding with a creamy Sriracha aioli, zesty remoulade, or cool dill sauce for dunking.
