Cajun Crab Balls {Grain or Gluten Free}

My new Cajun crab balls are just the thing for spicing up your same-old, same-old menu routines, y’all. Fresh crab claw meat, picked over for shells and set aside lovingly, while the Cajun trinity veggies, garlic and roasted red peppers take the main cast iron skillet stage. Grain free almond flour or gluten free bread crumbs, lightly beaten eggs and delectable south Louisiana seasonings are well-incorporated into the shellfish and veggies before a final hand-rolling gets the mixture ready for baking. Fresh out of the oven, chilled homemade remoulade sauce takes the Cajun crab balls to their highest taste and presentation levels for snacks, apps or a fun, festive family dinner. Yep and yay…

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Oh Super Tasty, Succulent South Louisiana Blue Crab Claw Meat, It’s Been Way, Way Too Long….

On a recent grocery store shopping trip, the sight of a couple of crab claw tins stopped me dead in my buggy-pushing tracks, y’all. I love, love, love crab. And, I use it in all types of ways. However, my go-to seafood is usually shrimp, another trait that I picked up from my Cajun mom a long, long time ago. Yep.

Well, on this particular shopping day, I put the shrimp back and went in for the crab this time. Then, I came home, and I put the crab in my freezer for safe-keeping. Every time I opened the door I saw the crab claw meat. And I salivated a teeny, weeny bit before I closed the freezer door. But, I just didn’t know what I wanted to do with it yet. 

So, I waited. And, I waited. And, one day I decided that 8 ounces of crab claw meat were just a palate tease. So, I went back to the store and I bought another tin.

By this time, I had gone back and forth in my mind over my favorite recipes like a dozen times. And, as I pulled into my driveway, I decided that it was high time that I put Cajun crab balls on the blog. Indeed.

How I’ve Missed You Cajun Crab Balls…

A popular party buffet staple when I was growing up, Cajun crab balls are another one of those dishes that’s fallen by the wayside in recent years. Well, I just couldn’t let that be the case anymore, y’all. I had to throw it back out there for all of us. Especially those of us who have to be grain or gluten free.

So, here’s my grain or gluten free Cajun crab balls recipe. And it’s everything, y’all. The crab claw meat is cheaper than lump crab meat. So, that’s a huge bonus for this recipe.

However, the crab claw flavor is still on point. It stays ‘together’ much, much more than lump crab meat. So, every bite of these Cajun crab balls is a seafoody, meaty, yum-delicious treat that keeps you begging for your next crustacean-filled bite. And they’re sooo easy to make that once you make them once, you’ll be able to practically make them in your sleep the next 1,000 times. 

My quick and easy remoulade sauce recipe lets the crab balls at their highest possible taste level. So, honestly, these crab balls are just as perfect for a pick-me-up afternoon snack as they are for an impressive appetizer or scrumptious surprise family dinner. 

How to Make Cajun Crab Balls Grain or Gluten Free

Start off the Cajun crab balls by making the homemade remoulade sauce. Cover and refrigerate the sauce. Then, pour the crab claw meat into a large bowl. Pick over for shells, then set aside: 

Now, pour the chopped Cajun trinity of onion, bell pepper and celery and oil or butter into your cast iron skillet: 

Brown the trinity. When it looks like this, it’s time to add the other ingredients: 

First, add the roasted red peppers and cook down for 2 more minutes: 

Then, add the garlic:

Stir, and cook down for 1 additional minute. Then, remove the skillet from heat, and let the mixture cool for at least 5 minutes: 

Now pour the cooled veggies, crab claw meat and bread crumbs or almond flour into a large bowl. Top with all of the other remaining ingredients. Oh, and preheat your oven as well: 

Now, use a spoon to incorporate all of the ingredients together until they become one big beautiful sight to see: 

Now, use a retractable cookie scoop or your hands to form the mixture into same-sized balls. Then line them on top of an old-school roasting tray or a baking rack: 

And bake them for exactly 20 minutes, until they look like this: 

And that’s it y’all!

I have a hunch that you’ll likely be mesmerized by the smell of these Cajun crab balls baking several minutes before you actually take them out of the oven. So much so that it just might make you a bit beside yourself!

But, as soon as you think that you can’t take it anymore, they’re baked-to-golden-brown-perfection readiness!!

Let them cool for a few minutes so that you just don’t burn yourself, and then remove them off of the baking tray or rack very carefully. Then, dunk one of them into the remoulade sauce, and get your first glorious bite in!

The first thing you notice is the bold crab claw taste. And then the supporting Cajun trinity, garlic and roasted red pepper bits come through the flavor door, adding just the right amount of back-up taste and texture support that lets you know you are now enjoying something truly south Louisiana special.

At the finish, the pops of coolness from the remoulade sauce leave your taste buds satisfied. And you relish in the juxtaposition of the warm crab balls and the cool remoulade sauce just long enough to grab for your next mouthful.

Oh, the love of these, y’all. Mark and I have already finished off our first batch. So, I can’t wait to make another one to share with others. These grain or gluten free Cajun crab balls are definitely the dish to food-gift your loved ones, as their taste and texture live ALL the way up to their stunning presentation. Yep.

Share these Cajun crab balls with those who’ve given you your most cherished memories over the years. Much food love, and see y’all on the yum side…

Cajun Crab Balls {Grain or Gluten Free}

Ultra-flavorful carmelized Cajun trinity bits and fresh crab claw meat make these grain or gluten free Cajun crab balls the perfect appetizer or fancy dinner treat.

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Course: Appetizer/Main Dish

Cuisine: Cajun

Keyword: Cajun crab balls, crab balls, gluten free crab balls, grain free crab balls

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 4 people

Author: Lyn Corinne Liner | A Sprinkling of Cayenne

Ingredients

• 1 batch remoulade sauce
• 1 pound crab claw meat, picked over for shells
• 3 to 4 tablespoons butter or oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 2 tablespoons roasted red peppers, chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup gluten free bread crumbs or almond flour see notes below
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Louisiana hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried paprika
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste

Instructions

• Prepare the remoulade sauce, cover and refrigerate.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Heat oil or butter in a 10-inch enameled cast iron skillet.
• Brown the Cajun trinity of onion, bell pepper and celery in the skillet.
• When the trinity is browned, add the chopped roasted red peppers. Cook for 2 additional minutes.
• Add the garlic to the skillet, and cook down for 1 additional minute.
• Remove from heat, and let cool for at least 5 minutes.
• Pour the crab claw meat, browned veggies, lightly beaten eggs, gluten free bread crumbs or almond flour, hot sauce, paprika, onion powder, dried parsley flakes, and SP&C to taste into a large bowl.
• Use a large spoon, or your hands, to stir all of the ingredients together until well-incorporated.
• Use your hands, a retractable cookie scoop or a 1/4-cup measuring cup to form the mixture into balls. (I used my hands and got 20 balls out of the mixture).
• Cover a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Top with a well-greased oven-safe baking rack.
• Line the Cajun crab balls along the top of the rack, about an inch apart.
• Bake for 20 minutes.
• Remove from heat, and let cool slightly before serving with the remoulade sauce.

Notes

If you're using almond flour to make these Cajun crab balls grain free, place the rolled balls in the freezer for 10 minutes or the fridge for 20 minutes before baking. This will help them better retain their shape while baking, and make them less likely to fall apart after baking. 

I crushed 1 cup of gluten free crackers in my food processor to use as GF bread crumbs. If you do the same, you might want to go easy on the salt if you are sensitive to salt or on a low-salt diet 

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