Copycat Ruth's Chris Sizzling Crab Cakes Recipe

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

Ruth's Chris Steak House may be best known for steak (the name pretty much gives it away!), but that doesn't mean seafood isn't on the menu. One fishy favorite that the chain offers is the sizzling crab cakes, an appetizer that highlights lump crab in all its glory, along with a lemon butter (and a sizzling one, at that) for added richness and flair. It's hard to go wrong with this appetizer at any given Ruth's Chris location, but if seafood-in-a-steakhouse isn't an option for you, then steakhouse-inspired seafood in your home might just be your best bet.

That's precisely where developer Julianne De Witt's copycat Ruth's Chris sizzling crab cakes recipe comes in handy. As De Witt tells us, "I've kept this recipe very close to what you get in the restaurant," meaning you can expect "tender, flaky, and crab-forward" cakes on the inside with a wonderfully golden, crispy texture on the outside. She notes that these crab cakes are super delicate by design, featuring very few binding ingredients so the lump crab meat can truly shine. 

Of course, true to Ruth's Chris form, this recipe also comes with that rich lemon butter for serving. If you want that full "sizzling experience," De Witt recommends adding the lemon butter to the hot pan with the crab cakes right before serving.

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

The star of the show here is lump crab meat, though you'll also need ingredients like mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay, minced parsley, a beaten egg, and crushed saltines to round out the cakes. You'll also need a bit of butter and vegetable oil to pan-fry the crab cakes.

The lemon butter (sizzling optional) simply consists of more butter plus lemon juice. Finally, to serve the crab cakes, you may want diced red and green bell peppers on hand for added color and freshness.

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

Although this crab cake recipe is pretty straightforward, De Witt has some prep and cooking best practices to ensure that the cakes turn out perfectly (and, most importantly, just like they would at Ruth's Chris). To start, make sure you pick over your crab meat and remove any lingering pieces of shell — nothing will dampen the crab cake mood quite like biting into a piece of shell. For optimal textural intrigue, don't skip the step where you chop up some of the crab meat. Not only does this help diversify the texture of the cakes, but the chopped meat also helps to bind the larger pieces of crab.

Since we're dealing with delicate-by-design crab cakes, that 1-hour refrigeration period is essential. If you skip it, your crab cakes will be too soft and will fall apart when you try to cook them. When it comes time to cook, make sure you're going for that butter/oil combo in the pan. "Use equal amounts of vegetable oil and butter to cook the crab cakes," De Witt says. "This ensures better flavor and browning, and the high smoke point of the oil will counterbalance the low smoke point of the butter so that it doesn't burn."

Also, when cooking, resist the urge to flip the crab cakes more than once so they don't break apart. Keep them over medium-high heat and cook that first side for about 5 minutes before flipping and cooking the other side. 

We've already covered the fact that De Witt very closely follows the Ruth's Chris approach with this copycat recipe, meaning that if you follow it exactly as written, you'll get something nearly identical to the steak house's version. Of course, if you're open to switching things up, there's plenty of room for creativity and building on the flavors that Ruth's Chris has perfected. 

To start, if parsley isn't your thing or you simply have other herbs on hand, considering adding different greenery to your cakes. De Witt specifically recommends minced chives or even tarragon for a more elegant flair. In a similar thread, brighten up the crab cakes by adding lemon zest to the mix, or add a little pungency by way of minced shallot. If spice is more your thing, minced jalapeño would work wonderfully here while also adding a pop of freshness, but in a pinch, cayenne pepper will add heat without the dicing hassle. You also aren't limited to saltine crackers when it comes to bready binder choice, and De Witt notes that panko breadcrumbs would work here (Ritz crackers are another popular choice).

You can also expand upon the lemon butter sauce, which as-is, quite literally just consists of lemon juice and butter. To add complexity without the need for another ingredient, considering browning the butter to add a nutty depth. Otherwise, a splash of cooking wine (like sherry) would add layers of flavor without much extra effort.