Ancho Chile Corn and Poblano Crab Cakes with Pineapple Pico de Gallo and Cilantro Lime Sauce

These crab cakes are a great twist on the more traditional Maryland-style ones you may have had in the past. The addition of Mexican spices, roasted poblanos, and some pan-roasted corn really makes for a delicious appetizer or main course. These Ancho Chile Corn and Poblano Crab Cakes are exploding with summer flavors, topped with a tropical pineapple pico de gallo and cilantro lime cream sauce.

What makes these Crab Cakes so flavorful?

The corn and poblano pepper added to the crab cakes makes these gems stand out. Crab, corn, and roasted poblano chiles go so well together making this a natural fit. The Ancho chile powder and Mexican hot sauce give some great flavor as well, while still allowing the crab to shine through as the main star.

If you are a big crab cake fan, you should also check out our Cajun Crab Cakes recipe as well!

What Type of Crab is Best for Crab Cakes

To make these crab cakes, we prefer to buy jumbo lump crab meat. This meat is generally from the body of the crab giving it a sturdier consistency, which is great for making crab cakes. Most grocery stores will carry fresh lump crab meat in the refrigerated section of the store near the fresh seafood section.

What is Ancho Chile Powder?

We prefer ancho chile powder (which is derived from the poblano pepper) to give these crab cakes a rich dark color, amazing flavor profile, and a milder heat level. These crab cakes are not spicy but have a depth of Mexican and Southwestern flavors throughout.

Ancho chile powder may not be readily available in your local grocery stores, especially if you don’t live in the southern and southwest parts of the United States. But you can order it online HERE.

If you love Ancho Chile flavors like we do, check out our recipe for Chicken Fried Steak with Ancho Poblano Gravy.

Can I substitute the Ancho Chile Powder?

Yep! Although, the flavor profile will change depending on what you use. Feel free to sub out the Ancho Chile Powder for a different chili powder of your choice. We love experimenting with different chili powders to change up the flavor profile on these crab cakes.

Other Substitutes

Fresh Corn: We prefer fresh corn in this recipe, but you can substitute fresh corn for frozen corn if desired. We do not recommend using canned corn in this recipe.

Jalapeño: For a spicier take on this recipe, you can use serrano peppers in place of jalapeños.

Breadcrumbs: We use Panko breadcrumbs in this recipe to give these a lighter, less dense texture. You can, however, substitute Panko breadcrumbs, with other breadcrumbs if desired. We have also substituted regular breadcrumbs with gluten free Panko breadcrumbs with great results as well.

Pineapple Pico De Gallo

The addition of a pineapple Pico de Gallo is a great way to turn this dish into a summer favorite. We chose to use jalapeño peppers in this Pico de Gallo instead of the traditional serrano peppers, but both will probably be available in your grocery store. There is just enough pineapple to accompany the rest of the ingredients to not over-sweeten it, but still add the distinctive pineapple flavor to an otherwise savory condiment.

Cilantro Lime Sauce

We believe crab cakes do well with a complimentary sauce and we wanted something simple and refreshing to serve them with. The sour cream sauce with lime and cilantro is a perfect addition and super easy to make! Tartar sauce, aioli, remoulade, and other sauces are common accompaniments to crab cakes, but we prefer the sour cream base for this crab cake recipe.

What cocktail pairs well with this crab cake recipe?

This dish is perfectly paired with a great new ranch water recipe on the blog made with Cenote Blanco Tequila. The Sparkling Pomegranate Ranch Water is a tequila based cocktail with lemon, lime, and pomegranate juice, simple syrup and Topo Chico! It is the ultimate summer sip perfect for those sizzling hot summer pool days.

Enjoy!

We hope that you enjoy this recipe for Ancho Chile Corn and Poblano Crab Cakes! f you give it a try and like it, leave us a comment and 5-star rating below! Or click the heart to like this recipe and share it with your friends! And, of course, make sure to tag us on Instagram @cooking_with_wine!

Looking for more recipes like this? Check these out:

Ancho Chile Corn and Poblano Crab Cakes

Course: Appetizers, Main CourseCuisine: Southern, Mexican-inspiredDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Total time

minutes

This recipe makes 6-8 crab cakes and serves 6-8 people as appetizers, or 3-4 people as a main dish (2 per person).

Ingredients

For the Crab Cakes
1 1 ear of sweet corn
3 tablespoon 3 unsalted butter - divided
1 large 1 poblano pepper
1 lb 1 lump crabmeat
2 teaspoon 2 kosher salt
Pinch black pepper
1 medium 1 jalapeño – seeded and diced small
1 cup 1 Panko bread crumbs
3 large 3 eggs
1 tablespoon 1 sour cream
1 teaspoon 1 Mexican hot sauce (we use Tapatio)
2 tablespoon 2 cilantro, chopped
Zest of 1 lime
2 tablespoon 2 Ancho Chile powder
For the Pineapple Pico de Gallo
1 large 1 tomato – seeded and diced
½ medium onion – diced
1 small 1 clove garlic – minced
1 1 lime – juice only
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 medium 1 jalapeño – seeded and diced small
1 cup 1 pineapple, diced
¼ cup cilantro leaves
For the Lime Cream Sauce
1 cup 1 sour cream
1 teaspoon 1 kosher salt
½ lime – zest and juice
2 tablespoon 2 cilantro – finely chopped

Directions

Make the Crab Cakes
The first step is to prepare the corn. Husk the corn and with a sharp knife, cut the kernels off the cob. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the corn and cover with a screen as the kernels will pop and fly out of the pan if you don’t have a screen. Cook for a few minutes until the corn gets some brown spots. Remove the corn to a bowl and set aside.
Next (or simultaneously) roast the poblano pepper. Roasting on an open flame of a gas stovetop or broiling in an oven work well. But do this until the poblano is black. Immediately place the poblano in a zip top bag or a container with a tight-fitting lid. Set aside for 10 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Peel the skin from the poblano (paper towels help with this process) then seed and dice small.
Ensure the crab you use has been drained well and patted dry. Extra moisture in the crabmeat is not beneficial to forming the crab cake. Then combine everything for the crab cakes to a bowl and mix well. Form the crab mixture into 6-8 small round patties.
Make the Pico de Gallo and Sauce
For both the Pico de Gallo and the cream sauce, combine the ingredients in separate small bowls and mix well. Set aside until the crab cakes are done.
Prepare the Crab Cakes
These can be made in batches – as you will want enough room to flip the cakes without damaging them. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter until melted. Then add the crab cakes and cook until a crust forms and browns – about 3-4 minutes. Gently and carefully flip each cake and cook another 3-4 minutes. Wipe down the pan, add the last tablespoon of butter and repeat with the remaining crab cakes. Serve with the Pico de Gallo and the cream sauce.