
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!

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