Aldi Premium Crab Cakes (Maryland & Boardwalk) Review
Author’s Note: These are my own crabby opinions. I was not paid or compensated in any way for this review. I have no affiliation with Aldi.
Because, science.
Aldi’s customer base must be ga-ga for crab cakes. Did you know they have TWO different store brands of frozen crab cakes? Well, you do now.
This is where it gets confusing. You can buy a bag full of frozen crab cakes from Fremont Fish Market store brand. OR, you can buy a slim box of just two “premium” crab cakes, from Specially Selected store brand. These are completely different products — different ingredients, and different quality.
I looked at the ingredients on the Fremont Crab Cakes, and there were some stuff I wasn’t happy about, so I passed. The Fremont variety are cheaper/ you get more crab cakes in the package, however.
So, I’m reviewing the “premium” Specially Selected brand. (BTW, I’m calling them “premium,” because that’s how my store receipt identified them! Ha.) Aldi sells these frozen crab cakes in two different “styles” — Maryland and Boardwalk. I decided to try both. Because, science. And because I was shopping on an empty stomach. Alas.
Anyway. These come neatly packaged in a slim plastic tray. You have the option to either bake them from frozen, or thaw overnight and pan-cook them. I tried both. Because…science?
I lined a baking sheet with parchment and baked one of each crab cake at 400 degrees. The directions said to bake for 13 minutes, then flip and bake another 5-6 minutes.
This was not nearly enough time. Mine were still pasty and pale, even after the maximum baking time. I ended up baking mine a total of 25 minutes to achieve a super light honey-colored crust.
These lose some oil during baking, but they hold their shape pretty well. None of mine fell apart. I used a flexible spatula and was verrry careful when “flipping” them, however.
Fine, but what do they taste like?
The end result is two crab cakes that are soft, and yet not mushy. I actually liked the texture. I found some nice lumps of crab meat in mine, in addition to the expected “shredded” crab texture.
There is very little “filler” in these cakes — so most of it is meat. I was also pleased to see that this is real crab meat, instead of the “imitation crab meat” that some brands have.
(If you’re looking for appetizer-sized crab cakes, perhaps you would enjoy my review of these Phillips Mini Crab Cakes.)
Although Aldi’s seafood cakes are not bland, they do benefit from an added drizzle of lemon juice — there’s not enough tanginess in the crab cakes as-is.
The Boardwalk-style crab cake has more colorful red peppers and more prominent onion pieces, whereas the Maryland-style is less colorful, but actually had a bit more savory flavors (and more protein! More about that later).
Unlike other crab cakes I’ve recently reviewed, these are not sweet. If you are planning a sauce to serve with your crab cakes, some sweetness in the sauce might be just the ticket. Sweetness, or tartness. They seem to need one or the other to reach their full potential.
I ate mine with some buttery chive mashed potatoes and some oddly yellow-ish brussels sprouts (thanks a lot, Aldi! Ha).
(If you’re looking for a seafood cake that needs no sauce to taste amazing, I recommend these Crab Cakes from The Fresh Market. Read my silly review here.)
I pan fried the thawed crab cakes the next day. Pan frying works fine — it’s quicker than baking — but you do have to watch carefully to avoid the crust getting too dark. The picture above is just 6 minutes total (3 minutes each side) in a ceramic skillet with a little butter.
Ingredients in Aldi Frozen Crab Cakes
Here is my best attempt at typing out the ingredients from the labels:
Boardwalk Style Ingredients
- Crab Meat (Portunus Pelagicus)
- Sauce (Soybean Oil, Water, Egg, Acetic Acid, Sugar, Salt, Worcestershire Sauce [Malt Vinegar, Spirit Vinegar, Molasses, Sugar, Salt, Anchovies, Tamarind Extract, Onions, Garlic Spice, Spice Flavor], Mustard Powder, Xanthan Gum and Tara Gum [stabilizers])
- Bread Crumbs (Wheat Flour, Salt, Sugar, Yeast)
- Red Bell Pepper
- Onions
- Green Bell Peppers
- Seafood Seasoning (Salt, Spices, Paprika)
- Parsley
- Green Onion
Maryland Style Ingredients
- Crab Meat (Portunus Pelagicus)
- Sauce (Soybean Oil, Water, Egg, Acetic Acid, Sugar, Salt, Worcestershire Sauce [Malt Vinegar, Spirit Vinegar, Molasses, Sugar, Salt, Anchovies, Tamarind Extract, Onions, Garlic Spice, Spice Flavor], Mustard Powder, Xanthan Gum and Tara Gum [stabilizers])
- Bread Crumbs (Wheat Flour, Salt, Sugar, Yeast)
- Red Bell Pepper
- Seasoning
- Parsley
More information from the label:
- Wild Caught (location: FAO 71 & FAO 57 — Pacific and Indian)
- Product of Indonesia
- Catch Method: Crab Trap and Fish Trap
- Handmade
I do appreciate that Aldi lists the species name, catch method, and location on the label. Transparency is always good.
Nutrition Facts in Crab Cakes from Aldi
A serving is one crab cake. I ate two. Because, science. Or maybe because I am greedy. But I ate two. There is not much protein in one crab cake. Interestingly, each crab cake style has a significantly different amount of calories and nutrition. Here are both labels, for comparison:
Boardwalk Style Nutrition Facts
Maryland Style Nutrition Facts
There’s substantially more fat and less protein in the Boardwalk style, compared to the Maryland.
Interestingly, there are 0 grams “added sugars” in each variety, despite sugar and molasses listed in the ingredients. Since these don’t taste sweet, it must be a very small amount. Nice.
Price and Servings
Each 2-pack cost an eye-watering $6.49. Since a serving is supposed to be one crab cake, each serving should cost $3.25. Which is not bad at all. Of course, I ate two…so it was a comparatively expensive meal. For me.
Shelf Life
My package has a best-by date approximately 18 months in the future, which is great.
As a side note, I was pleased that my crab cakes did not have a “fishy” odor after thawing. Whew. They seem very fresh.
Cooking Instructions
Here are the actual cooking instructions, from the labels:
After trying both methods, I preferred the oven baking. Not only is this more immediate (no thawing), the crab cakes seemed to cook more evenly.
The pan sauté method is better for developing a darker, crisper crust — but mine tended to get nearly burnt on the outside, whilst barely cooked on the inside, even on medium-low heat.
Dramatic Conclusion
I liked both of Aldi’s “premium” crab cakes, although I slightly preferred the “Maryland” style. The “Boardwalk” style is more visually appealing, however. Both types had good quality meat and a pleasantly soft-but-structured patty. Considering these cost the same, and only taste slightly different, I would choose the ones with more protein, i.e., the Maryland Style.
The End.
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