Frozen Crab Cakes In Air Fryer - The Typical Mom

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Frozen Crab Cakes in Air Fryer

By Justine

5 from 2 votes |

Published Jan 02, 2026

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Let me show you how to cook frozen crab cakes in an air fryer or Ninja Foodi perfectly! You can get them perfectly tender without defrosting for a quick snack this weekend using Gorton’s or SeaPak right out of the box.

Ok so first we went all the way with canned meat (fresh would be better but we are in Idaho so ya’ know) first and made homemade air fryer crab cakes. <—–You can certainly follow that recipe if you have the time. They are wonderful and you can add all of your favorite seasonings. Make a little spicy too if you love some heat to them.

For a quick seafood air fryer recipe though we have instructions on how to cook these right out of the box. If you haven’t tried frozen Maryland crab cakes yet let me tell you, they are amazing. Many times when fish isn’t fresh it’s just so so but even my husband said they were the best he had ever tasted.

A box of SeaPak Maryland Style Frozen Crab Cakes sits in front of an air fryer displaying a 400°F temperature, ready for delicious results with the Frozen Crab Cakes in Air Fryer method.

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How Long to Cook Frozen Crab Cakes in Air Fryer

You always want to start by preheating air fryer for 5 minutes to begin with. Then once set inside without overlapping you will cook for 10 minutes but leave in the basket for another 6 minutes without opening it in order for the middle to continue to warm so they are crispy outside and tender warm in the very center.

Should you defrost frozen crab cakes?

NO, they are meant to be cooked straight out of the box out of the freezer. This will give you the best texture when done so leave as is so the cook time listed is accurate.

Ninja Foodi Frozen Crab Cakes

It doesn’t matter what brand of machine you have. This dual function machine works just the same, just larger and can pressure cook too. You’ll just need to air crisp on this go around with the lid that is attached with the Ninja Foodi.

A hand holds a frozen crab cake in front of an air fryer with text: How to Cook Frozen Crab Cakes in Air Fryer.

Tips

Do not line your basket with parchment paper or anything. You want proper hot air flow to get the texture correct. I like to spray a bit of olive oil inside the basket so they don’t stick to begin with. Then preheat and you’re off with your Cosori air fryer recipe.

Sometimes when we are making things that should be really crispy I suggest using a bit of olive oil spray right at the end. That will really get the tops golden brown, I don’t think it would be necessary for these at all.

This is what ours looked like. The box contained 2 frozen crab cakes with a total weight of 8 ounces. Remember there is a butter sauce packet in there too so each one was actually 3 oz sized pieces. If yours is much larger you would need to increase the timing. Mini crab cakes wouldn’t take as long, you get my drift.

I saved the butter packets to drizzle over all of them at the end, adding 2 tbsp of cold butter at the beginning too. A dairy free alternative would work just as well if need be.

5 from 2 votes

Air Fryer Frozen Crab Cakes

By Justine Frozen crab cakes in air fryer instructions are here! How to get them perfectly tender without defrosting first. Quick air fryer snack or meal Prep: 5 minutes Cook: 10 minutes Servings: 2 Save RecipeSaved Recipe Pin Recipe Comment Print Recipe

Equipment

1 air fryer

Ingredients 1x2x3x

▢ 2 medium frozen crab cakes, frozen, used SeaPack, 8 oz. total
▢ 2 tbsp butter

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Instructions

Preheat air fryer to 380 degrees F for 5 minutes.
Place 2-4 frozen crab cakes at 4 oz. each into the basket. Put 1 tbsp pat of butter on top of each one.
Cook at 380 F for 10 minutes, then leave the basket closed for an additional 6 minutes (to continue to warm the center).
Remove from basket, spoon melted butter in the bottom of the air fryer basket on top of each one and enjoy.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1oz, Calories: 100kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 30mg, Sodium: 100mg, Potassium: 3mg, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 350IU, Calcium: 3mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Appetizer, Entree, SnackCuisine: American Tried this recipe?Mention @thetypical_mom or tag #thetypicalmom!

How to Serve

Once your cooked crab cakes are done just scoop them up with a spatula, spoon some of the melted butter underneath on top or squeeze with some lemon juice. These had a ton of flavor but if you cannot find this brand at the grocery store and yours are blander, a bit of Old Bay seasoning will liven them right up.

How to Save Leftovers

For leftovers, allow them to cool and slide into a zipped baggie. Push all the air out so they don’t dry out and place into the fridge. Reheat within 1-2 days in the microwave for about 1 minute. If you cut it in half before reheating it will warm evenly a lot better. Same goes for our air fryer tuna patties recipe if you make those too.

Other seafood recipes you’ll love

If you want to go all out and have a seafood dinner, make our air fryer shrimp boil, Instant Pot crab boil or scallops in air fryer with them. There are lots of possibilities right out of the freezer too like how to cook frozen scallops a number of ways so you can always have a meal on the table even on forgetful days.

We do this when making air fryer corn dogs and frozen pot pie in air fryer too. If you skip this step it won’t be completely done in the center.

FAQ

How long do you cook frozen crab cakes?

If you air fry them like we show you here you should set aside about 15 minutes. Seriously, that is all you need. If baking in the oven it could take up to 45 minutes to get them warmed and golden brown! Huge difference in cook time and let me tell you that the quicker method is so much better anyway.

Two frozen crab cakes with butter on top in an air fryer basket, reminiscent of the ease of cooking frozen crab cakes in an air fryer.

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About Justine

Justine is the creative mind behind The Typical Mom and The Typical Family on YouTube. She began blogging about easy recipes, budget friendly activities for kids, and fun family travel destinations in September 2012.

More About Me Close-up of a hand holding a breaded chicken nugget dipped in ranch sauce, with more nuggets and an air fryer hinting at perfectly crispy bites in the background.