Lump jackfruit cakes packed with corn and green onions are the next best thing! All simple ingredients and so easy to make. Pair these vegan jackfruit crab cakes with a creamy vegan tartar sauce for a satisfying meal or appetizer.
Calling all my seafood lovers!
This recipe is for you. As you know, finding seafood-like foods when vegetarian or vegan is well, hard.
But there’s nothing fishy here.
Just some vegan jackfruit “crab” cakes. While I can’t attest they taste like the sea, the jackfruit holds a similar texture to crab meat and the other flavor elements are present.
Trader Joe’s recently launched a jackfruit crab cake and I couldn’t wait to try. Trader Joe’s I love you oh so much, but your jackfruit cakes just didn’t do it for me. They taste very greasy and lack flavor.
So here we are. Making our own vegan (and healthy) crab cakes. And serving em’ with tartar sauce because we fancy like that.
Ingredients in jackfruit “crab” cakes:
Nothing but simple ingredients here. Jackfruit is the “meat” and we have breadcrumbs, vegan mayonnaise, and flax egg as the binders. Corn and green onion are added for flavor and the key seasoning is Old Bay spice.
Add some lemon juice for lightness and voila!
How to make vegan crab cakes:
- Start by separating the jackfruit. When purchased in a can, it is in chunks but with some mangling, it separates into this beautiful “shredded” texture. The best way to do this is with your hands!
- Add remaining ingredients and mix well with a rubber spatula.
Note: Jackfruit may have some seed casings and seeds. They are totally okay to eat, but I try to remove them as I’m breaking it apart.
Next, form into patties and roll in breadcrumbs. I added some more Old Bay spice to the breadcrumbs. Totally optional though!
The results speak for themselves! The jackfruit has a nice chunky/shredded texture that mimics crabmeat. They taste AMAZING fresh off the stove with a splash of lemon juice and tartar sauce.
Where to buy jackfruit:
Okay, so some of you may not be familiar with jackfruit. It comes in a can and can be found in Asian markets, Amazon, or Trader Joe’s. Thanks to its popularity in the vegan and vegetarian world, I’ve found it easier to find in the grocery stores.
Tip: Jackfruit is typically packed in water or brine (the can will specify). Sometimes it’s in syrup. This is rare, but just pay attention because you do not want syrup!
How to make vegan tartar sauce:
Simply mix vegan mayo (I like JUST mayo) with sweet relish, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Adjust the ingredients as needed but it’s very similar to the real deal!
How to serve jackfruit crab cakes:
I personally love them with butter lettuce and some lemon juice and tartar sauce (as pictured). You can add these cakes to a salad, or eat them as a sandwich with a toasted bun.
If you tried these vegan jackfruit crab cakes, let me know in the comments below and share a photo using #mindfulavocado. I’d love to hear from you! Want to see more recipes? Let’s get social! CONNECT WITH ME on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest to see what I’m currently cooking up!
If you are looking for more jackfruit recipes, you’ll LOVE:
Vegan Jackfruit “Crab” Cakes with Tartar Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 flax “egg” 1 Tablespoon ground flax seed + 3 Tablespoons water
- 1 20-ounce can jackfruit in brine or water
- 2 Tablespoons green onions chopped
- 1/3 cup frozen corn thawed
- juice from 1/2 lemon about a Tablespoon
- 1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise I like JUST mayo brand
- 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs plus more for rolling (I used whole wheat)
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay spice plus more for rolling
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1-2 Tablespoons canola oil or other neutral tasting oil like grapeseed
Tartar Sauce:
- 1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
- 1.5 Tablespoon sweet relish can used chopped dill pickle instead. See notes
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
Serving Suggestions:
- butter lettuce
Instructions
- Make flax egg: Mix ground flaxseed and water and let sit for 5-10 minutes.
- Drain jackfruit and put in a large mixing bowl. Using hands, break apart jackfruit chunks, discarding any seeds or seed casings.
- Add remaining ingredients minus canola oil for crab cakes into mixing bowl and mix well with a rubber spatula.
- Pour some breadcrumbs (about 1/4 cup) and Old Bay spice (about 1 teaspoon) onto a plate. Mix well.
- Using a 1/4 cup, scoop out crab cake mixture and form patties with hands. Roll in breadcrumbs, ensuring both sides are coated evenly.
- Place a nonstick pan on medium heat. Once hot, add 1/2 teaspoon canola oil and place patties onto the pan. Let cook 3-4 minutes on each side. I like to cook no more than 2 at a time. Add 1/2 teaspoon more oil between each round of cooking.
Make Tartar Sauce:
- Mix together all ingredients for the sauce. Adjust seasonings as needed.
To Serve (optional):
- Serve jackfruit cakes warm on butter lettuce. Add fresh lemon juice and server with tartar sauce.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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I tried these tonight and they were delicious. I hadn’t tried jackfruit before, therefore I was pleasantly surprised. I didn’t have enough mayonnaise, so I just used ketchup and needless to say it worked quite well.
So happy you enjoyed, Lois!
I’ve made these “crab cakes” numerous times. They are absolutely amazing. Hands down one of our favorite vegan recipes.
Ah that makes me so happy to hear! I love this recipe myself 🙂
I was devastated when Trader Joe’s discontinued their vegan crab cakes. They were too greasy, but I managed to squeeze out a lot of the oil with paper towels. Anyway, I began searching for a recipe online and found this one. Oh. My. Gosh. They are even better than Trader Joe’s!!! I did make one substitution. I don’t use oil, ever. So instead of mayo I used a combo of Kite Hill vegan Chive Cream Cheese and Trader Joe’s Tahini to make the 1/4 cup of mayo. It gave the right texture but didn’t alter the taste. Instead of frying them in oil, I used my air fryer. FABULOUS! Thank you so much for developing this recipe. I know it took a lot of time and effort.
So happy you enjoyed this recipe, Trena. Thank you for taking the time to review the recipe!