Crispy, versatile, easy and delicious, you won’t believe these baked kani cakes weren’t fried in loads of oil!

I am obsessed with the flavor of kani! I’ll admit that when I first had sushi, it took me a few tries to get into the umami taste of the soy and fish, but once I did, I was smitten! For years I assumed kani could only be used in actual sushi and that I had to “save” those yummy flavors for when I was treating myself and ordering, because making homemade sushi just isn’t my thing. But then I discovered that sushi salad and kani cakes are both great ways to get all those incredible flavors in without having to make sushi! My daughter, who also loves kani, makes herself big kani salads when she comes home from school that are packed with protein and so filling.

For years, whenever I made any sort of fish croquette or patty, I fried them. While my family loved them, and they were great to have for supper, great to eat later as leftovers, great to freeze, and great to take on trips, I dreaded making them. I hate what frying does to my house, hate the smell it leaves, the messy splatters. Plus, I felt like I was taking a deliciously healthy dish and ruining it by dunking it in oil.

One day, when making these kani cakes, I took a few and tried oven-baking them. And what do you know? They came out just as delicious! My frying days were officially over! Baking them is so much quicker, my house doesn’t smell like a fish market and I’m not left with oil splatters everywhere. I use my favorite baking sheets, which really make a difference, as you still get that delicious, crisp outer layer.

You can use gluten-free crumbs instead of bread crumbs or any crumbs, as long as you have something in there as a binder to hold the cakes together and as a breading for the outside.

I like to serve these kani cakes with spicy mayo — I just mix some mayonnaise, sriracha sauce and a drop of toasted sesame oil. (The sesame oil makes all the difference!)

There are all kinds of ways to eat these. My son loves to eat his kani cake in a bun with some coleslaw, “po boy” style; my husband loves to cut his into little pieces almost like croutons and place them in a big salad. When I make them for supper, I serve them with pasta. I love the flavor combination of baked kani cakes with my creamy one-pot rose pasta.

You can even serve these on Yom Tov. When I do, I arrange them on a pretty platter with a small bowl of spicy mayo in the center. My family and guests always go nuts over them!

Crispy Oven Baked Kani Cakes

Crispy, easy and versatile, you won't believe these delicious kani cakes weren't fried!

Print Recipe

Ingredients

1 16-oz. package kani sticks or flakes
3 eggs (if doubling, use 5 eggs)
¾ cup bread crumbs, plus more for dipping
½ tsp salt
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
½ tsp black pepper
Oil, for baking

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400℉ and generously pour oil on a cookie sheet so there is a thin layer of oil covering the surface.
Place kani in a food processor fitted with the s-blade and blend.
Add remaining ingredients and pulse until just combined (don't overmix or the mixture can get gluey).
Place extra bread crumbs on a plate. Shape fish mixture into patties. Dip in bread crumbs on both sides. Place on prepared cookie sheet.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.
Remove pan from oven. Immediately flip over the kani cakes while oil is still hot and let them remain on the pan as they cool.