Imitation Crab Salad

Content… Imitation vs. Real Crab Recipe Ingredients How to Make It Recipe Variations Tips and Tricks Make-Ahead Instructions Serving and Storage Instructions What to Serve More Delightful Crab Recipes to Try

Imitation vs. Real Crab in Crab Salad

If you can get your hands on real crab meat for this salad or feel like indulging in the real deal, go for it! This salad tastes pretty spectacular either way you make it. The truth is I use imitation crab meat most of the time.

Technically, it’s ground white fish formed into chunks with starch (that’s why some people call this dish a seafood salad). For me, it’s a question of convenience and economics because imitation crab meat is more readily available and a lot cheaper. Plus, imitation crab meat makes prep work for this salad a breeze. 😅

Recipe Ingredients

1. Crab Meat – I use imitation crab meat for this salad, but feel free to replace it with real crab meat. 
2. Onions – Finely diced white or yellow onion and some chopped green onion add flavor and texture to this salad. 
3. Celery – To keep things crunchy (and colorful), I like to add minced celery.
4. Dressing – The tangy dressing for this salad contains mayo, Dijon mustard, Creole seasoning, and lemon juice.
5. Dill – A bright and flavorful garnish that pairs excellently with seafood, dill is a must here. I like fresh dill best, but dried dill works just fine.

How to Make an Imitation Crab Salad

• Mix Salad – In a large bowl, mix the crab meat, onions, green onions, and celery.
• Dressing – In a smaller bowl, mix the mayonnaise, mustard, Creole seasoning, and lemon juice. Chill until ready to use.
• Assemble – Add the mayonnaise dressing to the crab mixture and thoroughly combine—season with salt and pepper.
• Serve – Garnish with dill and serve on a baguette, lettuce and avocados, or crackers. The choice is yours. 😉

Recipe Variations

1. Swap out the mayo. If you are not into mayo, replace it with plain Greek yogurt or sour cream. You just have to season it more since mayo gives this salad a pretty nice flavor.
2. Choose a different protein. This salad would work with a whole host of proteins! Keep it seafood with lobster or tuna, or turn it into a fantastic chicken salad. 
3. Add extras! Add diced cucumber, tomatoes, and boiled eggs. Or sprinkle some raisins for a fruity touch. The ways you can doll up this crab salad are practically endless.
4. Imitation crab pasta salad. Add cooked macaroni, penne pasta, or your favorite pasta style for a hearty one-dish salad.

Tips and Tricks

1. Refrigerate an hour before serving because this tastes best chilled. ❄️
2. Add more mayonnaise for a juicier salad texture.
3. Keep the dressing and salad ingredients separate until just before serving for a fresh, crunchy bite to your salad.

Make-Ahead Instructions

Feel free to make this salad a day ahead of time. Simply store the dressing and salad ingredients separately in the fridge in airtight containers. Mix them no more than an hour before you’re ready to serve them. 

Serving and Storage Instructions 

Serve this crab salad chilled and garnished with dill. If you have leftovers, refrigerate them in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Freezing isn’t a good idea because it ruins the texture of raw vegetables.

What Goes With Imitation Crab Salad

Make a meal out of imitation crab salad by digging straight in with a fork and serving Hawaiian sweet rolls or coconut rice along with a glass of your favorite lemonade. For dessert, serve easy lemon bars. 🍋

More Delightful Crab Recipes to Try

1. Baked Crab Legs in Butter Sauce
2. She-Crab Soup
3. Creamy Crab Bisque
4. Crab Rangoon
5. Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

This blog post was originally published in August 2018 and has been updated with additional tips and gorgeous photos