French-Style Crispy Crab Croquettes

Name: French-Style Crispy Crab Croquettes
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 25 servings
Cuisine: Française
Ingredients: 500 g fresh or canned crab meat; 2 shallots, finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 2 lemons (juice); 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard; 2 tablespoons thick crème fraîche or sour cream; 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped; 1 bunch chives, chopped; 1 egg, beaten; 100 g fine breadcrumbs; Olive oil; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; Sunflower oil for frying

By Marie Lefebvre · Updated September 17, 2026

Golden and crunchy on the outside, melt-in-your-mouth creamy on the inside — these French-style crab croquettes are an elegant seafood treat. Seasoned with Dijon mustard, fresh parsley, chives, and lemon zest, they make a show-stopping starter or party appetizer. Simple to prepare yet impressively refined.

Prep⏱️ 25 min

Servings👥 25 servings

Difficulty📊 Easy

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🛒 Ingredients

25 servings

500 g fresh or canned crab meat
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 lemons (juice)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons thick crème fraîche or sour cream
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 bunch chives, chopped
1 egg, beaten
100 g fine breadcrumbs
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sunflower oil for frying

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Directions

1
Rinse the crab meat under cold water and drain thoroughly. Drizzle with the juice of one lemon and marinate for 10 minutes.
2
Season the crab with salt, pepper, and the juice of the second lemon. Set aside.
3
In a skillet, sauté the shallots and garlic in a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat until translucent, about 3 minutes.
4
Add the crab meat and sauté everything together over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.
5
Remove from heat and stir in the parsley, chives, and Dijon mustard. Mix well.
6
Whisk the flour into the crème fraîche until smooth, then pour into the skillet.
7
Return to low heat and stir continuously until the mixture pulls away from the sides and forms a cohesive mass.
8
Transfer to a plate, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
9
Shape into small oval croquettes, dip each in beaten egg, then coat evenly with fine breadcrumbs.
10
Fry in hot sunflower oil (180 °C / 355 °F) until deep golden. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.