In a medium mixing bowl add the crab meat, diced bell pepper, diced onion, chopped cilantro, and diced jalapeno. Stir gently to combine.
In a small bowl add the add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, egg, and crushed crackers, and seasonings. Whisk until combined. Then pour over the crab meat and gently stir to coat.
Take about 1/2 cup of the crab mixture and form into a little patty. Place this on a baking sheet or plate. Continue until all the crab mixture is formed into patties.
Cover the crab cake patties with plastic wrap. Place the crab cakes into the refrigerator to chill for at least an hour.
Once the crab cakes are cooled and set, heat the cooking oil in a medium sized skillet over medium to high heat.
To Fry: Gently add two to three crab cakes to the pan and cook for about 4-5 minutes. Carefully flip the crab cake over and cook on the other side for another 4-5 minutes until cooked all the way through. Remove the crab cakes from the pan, place on a plate lined with a paper towel, this will soak up any extra oil. Continue until all the crab cakes have been cooked. Cook to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F (this recipe contains eggs).
To Bake: preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or spray with non stick cooking spray. Line the crab cakes on the baking sheet, brush with a small amount of melted butter and bake for 12-14 minutes until baked through. Should reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees F (this recipe contains eggs).