This delicious Crab Salad Recipe combines imitation crab meat, diced onion, and celery in a creamy mayonnaise dressing. Super easy to make, serve it over a bed of lettuce, scooped onto buttery crackers, or piled between your favorite sandwich roll.
Easy Crab Salad
Creamy crab salad made with imitation crab meat (or, yes, real crab meat) is absolutely delicious—I don’t care what anyone says. Perfectly tangy and salty with just the right amount of crunch, it’s incredibly difficult to resist shoving spoonfuls into your mouth once you’ve had a taste.
At least this was my experience.
You see, I didn’t grow up eating creamy seafood salads. My parents knew how to make a solid potato salad or the occasional pasta salad, but it wasn’t until later that I learned about crab salad. I can’t believe what I was missing out on all those years!
This salad is made with imitation crab meat, but you can substitute real lump crab meat if that’s more your style.
What is Imitation Crab (Krab)?
Imitation crab is made of surimi – fish flesh (typically pollock) that is washed and deboned to remove anything unwanted and then chopped and turned into a paste. This paste is then mixed with other ingredients, heated, and molded into shapes like sticks and flakes. Highly processed, imitation crab typically contains no crab, but it is made from seafood and is made to taste like crab.
How to Make Crab Salad
- Combine the crab meat, red onion, celery, and chives in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayo, sour cream, fresh lemon juice, dijon mustard, Old Bay seasoning, salt, and black pepper.
- Combine the creamy dressing with the crab and veggies – gently mix to combine, then season with additional salt and black pepper to taste.
Is Imitation Crab Salad Keto?
Crab salads made with imitation crab are not considered keto. This is because imitation crab meat is highly processed and is not keto-friendly. If you are following a strict keto diet, I recommend swapping the imitation crab for real lump crab meat instead.
Recipe Tips
- Imitation Crab Shape: You can use imitation crab flakes or sticks, it doesn’t really matter. For this recipe, I used one package of each.
- Substitutions: Feel free to use low-fat mayonnaise and/or substitute Greek yogurt for the sour cream.
- Optional Additions: Add other veggies and herbs like green onions, fresh dill, chopped bell pepper, or cucumbers. You can even add some small cooked shrimp to make it a seafood salad!
- Storage: This recipe is best enjoyed within 2 days. Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Freezing is not recommended.
How to Serve Imitation Crab Salad
One of the best ways to enjoy this easy recipe is by making it into a crab salad sandwich. Use your favorite sandwich bread, rolls, or hamburger buns and pile on with crisp lettuce and juicy tomatoes. Other delicious options ways to enjoy this crab salad include,
- On a Bed of Greens: Serve on top of a pile of mixed greens, arugula, or arugula with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
- With Crackers: The easiest way to enjoy this salad unless you choose to eat it by the spoonful.
- For Breakfast: Try adding a couple of spoonfuls to avocado toast or use it in place of the Canadian bacon in Eggs Benedict.
- With Pasta: Mix it into cooked and cooled pasta for the perfect creamy pasta salad.
More Salad Recipes
- Grinder Salad
- Caesar Salad Recipe
- Avocado Egg Salad
- Ham Salad Recipe
- Taco Salad Recipe
- Chinese Chicken Salad Recipe
If you try making this Imitation Crab Salad Recipe, please leave me a comment and let me know! I always love to hear your thoughts.
RECIPE CARD
Crab Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 24 ounces imitation crab meat - flaked style or sticks, chopped
- ½ red onion - diced
- 1 stalk celery - diced
- 2 tablespoons chives - chopped, plus more for serving
- ¾ cup mayonnaise - full-fat or low-fat
- ¼ cup sour cream - or plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- salt + pepper - to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine the imitation crab meat, red onion, celery, and chives.
- In a separate mixing bowl mix together the mayo, sour cream, fresh lemon juice, dijon mustard, Old Bay seasoning, salt, and black pepper.
- Pour the creamy mayo dressing over the crab and gently mix to combine. Season with additional salt and black pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately or transfer to an airtight container and keep stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Jessica’s Notes
- This recipe can also be made with real lump crab meat.
- Keep leftovers stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Best enjoyed within 2 days.
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
The recipe was perfect spot on more fresh than what I received from Kroger and Tom Thumb. I love it my family love it. Proportions were perfect thank you so much.
Thanks for the feedback and rating, Shelby 🙂
Thank you.. Thank you.. finally a delicious recipe that I really enjoy..
I appreciate that MB – thank you 🙂
This is a very easy recipe and the results are A+. I love the taste. Exactly what I wanted it to taste like.
I appreciate the A+ feedback Kim 🙂
Made this earlier today, and just ate a sandwich on a crusty roll. DELICIOUS!! As a Marylander, I did increase the Old Bay. 😉 A keeper recipe for sure!
I appreciate the delicious feedback and rating, Suzanne 🙂
Excellent! My husband and I love it! Thank you!
I appreciate your excellent feedback, Lynette 🙂
I can’t find old bay seasoning in my country, what can I substitute it with?
If you need a substitute for Old Bay seasoning, you can create a homemade blend that mimics its warm, spicy, and slightly sweet flavor profile. Old Bay is known for its unique mix of herbs and spices, primarily used in seafood dishes but versatile enough for a wide range of recipes. Here’s a simple DIY mix you can try:
– 1 tablespoon celery salt
– 1/4 teaspoon paprika (preferably smoked paprika for added depth)
– 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
– 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to taste for heat)
– A pinch of ground dry mustard
– A pinch of ground nutmeg
– A pinch of ground cinnamon
– A pinch of ground ginger
– A pinch of allspice
Mix these ingredients together, and adjust the quantities to suit your taste. This blend will get you close to the distinctive flavor of Old Bay seasoning and works well in seafood dishes, as well as poultry, meat, and vegetable recipes.
Thank you so so much 🙏 I’ll try it for lunch tomorrow with a brioche roll ♥️
Great recipe! I doubled it and added more juice from 2 sm.lemons & juice from a key lime w cilantro.Very refreshing as well as delicious.Thank you🦀🍋.
Ps.Its great in a wrap and and in a croissant 🥐
Thanks for the great feedback and rating, Shelia 🙂
Ok I just made this. I subbed a half cup of mayo, mostly because I was low. Greek yogurt, and dill. This is awesome. Awesome. I’ve been putting it on crackers. This will not last long!
Excellent recipe, easy to prepare!
Delicious!
This recipe was excellent. Thank you so much.💕
Thanks for the excellent feedback and rating, Tammy 😀
My family loves this! We love on a multi generational house and a recipe that EVERYONE loves is rare. I added dill and agave.
Does the recipe call for 24 oz of crab meat?
yes 🙂
I love this imitation crab seafood salad recipe. I’m very impressed with its flavor from the seasonings. I used all the items in the recipe, and I also added dill and bell pepper at their suggestion for added items.
🦀I will definitely make this again ❣️
Thanks for the lovely feedback and rating, Chris 😀
This is my go to recipe! But, I only use 1/4 cup mayo. It is delicious.
I tell my family to let me know. If they like something or if it’s horrible. I trust they would tell me the truth. I used butter milk instead of sour cream an the family loved it.
this was the exact kind of crab salad I was looking for, and it turned out very well.