This Crab Salad recipe is not only easy, it’s versatile. It is the perfect base to make crab dip, crab macaroni salad, and crab salad sandwiches!
The BEST Crab Salad
This is how we would make crab salad at the restaurant I worked at in Hawaii and it was always a favorite! I love making this crab salad as a quick snack or an easy lunch. You can either have it plain, as a crab dip, as crab macaroni salad, or as a crab salad sandwich. I have had it all three ways and I honestly can’t pick a favorite.
Crab Salad Ingredients
Some people like to add all sorts of fancy stuff to their crab salad (onions, dill, chopped cucumber, cumin, etc.) but, I like my crab salad SUPER simple. Not to say that the above mentioned add-ins are bad, they just alter the taste too much in my opinion. If you feel like adding any extras, feel free. As mentioned above, we would serve this is the restaurant I worked at in Hawaii and it was always a crowd favorite. Everyone wanted to know the secret to why it was so good, and really, there was no secret at all! It is the easiest, most simple crab salad recipe ever.
Crab Salad Recipe (Plain)
This recipe is great just as-is. When serving plain, you can serve on lettuce leaves or individual glass dishes (Martini glasses are really pretty if you want to be fancy with it). You can easily dress this recipe up or down depending on what you are serving. This crab salad recipe can also be used as a dip on crackers, along with pasta in a pasta salad, or as a delicious sandwich filling.
Crab Salad Dip
I LOVE crab salad as a dip. If you are making it as a dip you will want to chop the crab up into smaller pieces (so it can fit on a cracker). We like serving it with club crackers or Ritz crackers. We also like using the whole-grain “Food Should Taste Good” chips that you can get at Costco.
Crab Pasta Salad
This is much like our Hawaiian Macaroni Salad recipe. You can either make our Hawaiian Macaroni Salad and add imitation crab meat OR you can make this recipe and add a cup or two of cooked your favorite shaped pasta. This is a great side dish for potlucks or neighborhood BBQs. It is also a great side-dish for simple weeknight meals to serve along with sandwiches, wraps, or burgers.
Crab Salad Sandwiches
Crab salad sandwiches are a great alternative to tuna sandwiches. I love serving the crab salad on Hawaiian rolls because they are so soft and slightly sweet. These are great for quick lunches, snacks, or even as appetizers.
More Recipes with Crab and Shellfish
Can’t get enough crab and seafood? Try some of these other delicious recipes:
How to Make Crab Salad
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds crab meat (or imitation crab meat)
- 2 stalks celery
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2/3 cup Best Foods mayonnaise (or Hellmann's)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Break imitation crab meat into small pieces with hands, or coarsely chop with a knife.
- Finely chop the celery. This gives the crab salad a little crunch, but not too much.
- Toss crab, celery, salt, and pepper together in a medium-sized bowl.
- Stir in mayonnaise and lemon until crab is evenly coated.
For Crab Dip:
- Chop the crab into smaller pieces and prepare as directed above. Serve with chips, club crackers, or Ritz crackers.
For Crab Pasta Salad:
- Add 2-3 cups of cooked and cooled shaped pasta. Stir until well mixed
For Crab Salad Sandwiches/Sliders:
- Place crab salad on Hawaiian-style rolls and serve!
Cindy moyer says
Easy to make and will enjoy eating it
Lucinda Bell says
I love crab salad. This recipe is awesome. The only thing I change is not salt & pepper but old bay seasoning. I also rehydrate dried roasted onions instead of celery. And yes real crab is best. You can buy it in a can already out of its shell. Blue crab is sweet and awesome and can be purchased on sale for $9.99 1 pound crab meat. Works so well together.
Cheri Wate says
Where did you buy for 9.99?
TT says
Amen to Old Bay seasoning. I am a Maryland girl.
Darla Hardy says
I have read the comments and I just want to say, I’m real happy for those who can afford to use real crab in a salad. Personally I can’t and when I do purchase real crab I want to dip it in drawn butter like lobster. This recipe is wonderful and if no one told me I wouldn’t even know it was imitation. It’s so good and I don’t have to feel guilty over what I spent and can still afford to eat the next day.
TM will says
Perfect!
Ashley says
This really is so easy. We loved it!
Sandi says
I am excited to try this since I found crab at the market.
Debbie Lakey says
This is my Mom’s crab salad recipe.
1 lb. box pasta, corkscrew or shells
1 lb. Imitation crab meat flaked
1 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 large bottlel of Hidden Valley ranch dressing
1 medium onion chopped fine
a little shredded carrot for color
Mix all together and chill.
Lynn says
Can we use frozen imitation crab?
Favorite Family Recipes says
Sure!
SHANIKA says
This Crab Salad looks so amazing! The perfect side dish for the summer!
Anjali says
I couldn’t believe how easy this recipe was to make, but it turned out to be so flavorful and delicious! Perfect for summer!
Malinda says
Easy, and great taste. I use ditalini pasta, great summer side dish
Emily says
I love this crab salad recipe! It really is so delicious and tasted great in sliders, the whole family loved them!
Jere Cassidy says
Oh, I almost bought fresh crab yesterday, now I need to go back so I can make crab salad. I love that your recipe is simple without lots of ingredients that overpower the crab. Afterall, if I am paying $$$ for crab I want to taste it.
LYNN M COSNAHAN says
awesome!
Christine @ myblissfulmess says
This is a very simple no fuss crab salad recipe. I whipped it up within minutes. I used imitation crab, light mayo, and made a pita sandwich out of it using whole wheat pita pocket and lined it with fresh spinach and sliced tomato, then stuffed it with this crab salad, and it made a delicious WW friendly lunch. SmartPoints came out to 6 (Blue) 6 (Green) 6 (Purple). Thank you so much for such a great recipe!
Expertans.Com says
Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha’s Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you’re here.
Fotodor says
Just curious what knife brand do you use? I noticed a knife (couldn t see the brand) in one of pictures and since i m sure you do a lot of chopping I d ask. ??
Echo Blickenstaff says
The knife you saw in one of the photos is a Wusthof knife. They are pricey, but they are excellent knives!
Michele says
I love this recipe if only because for family holidays I can make enough of this with the imitation crab meat for 24 people and not hurt the holiday food budget too much. Real crab in the rural area we live in is just too pricey. I did make it once with real crab meat just for me and hubby but will not do so again because to us there truly was no real difference in taste, it just cost more. This recipe is quick, easy, and pretty inexpensive with imitation crab. Perfect for us older folks on a budget.
Erica Walker says
Hi Michele- I am so glad you like this recipe! I agree– it is WAYYY cheaper than using fresh crab. Glad you found a way to enjoy this without breaking the bank!
Kate says
Simple and delicious and our new favorite snack recipe. Wonderful, thanks for sharing!
Kathleen Chandler says
Hello, I have a question, can I use boiled eggs in my crab salad?? Oh and I will use real crab meat!!
Favorite Family Recipes says
Absolutely! I have heard of others doing this– it just isn’t my cup of tea 😉 Give it a try and let us know how you like it!
Anne says
I can’t wait to try this! Crab salad has always been a secret favorite, but it’s usually not done well in the stores around me. It suddenly dawned on me that it can’t be hard to make! Imitation crab shouldn’t even be called crab… it’s a little weird and a little tasty, but definitely not crab! Thanks for showing me how easy it is!
Favorite Family Recipes says
Thank you, Anne! You will love how easy this is to make and how good it tastes!
Tomekia Patterson says
My aunt usually makes the best crab salad but after seeing this recipe, I challenged her..😂😂 til this day she don’t know how easy it is to make..but now she have me make it at every family event…she now says that I make the best crab salad ever..its funny because hers is very extravagant and mine is just this simple recipe..thank you my family loves it.
Favorite Family Recipes says
Oh my gosh this is the best story ever!!! haha you seriously made my day! Don’t worry, I won’t tell your aunt 😉 Your secret is safe with me 😀
Claudia says
Imitation crab meat in this recipe is just FINE. I fix it for supper as a salad on a plate of shredded lettuce w/ accompanying clam chowder when first prepared and a couple days later as a hoagie sandwich with shredded lettuce, tomato and onion. For all those with imitation crab strong opinions, call it SURMI SALAD and be done with it! Forget the words imitation and fake. Simply think of it as a food in its own right. I think of surmi as a good substitute in this recipe, not as a substitute for crab, therefore I call it Surmi Salad!
Karen Singrey says
Thank you so much for this simple recipe for crab salad. Most call for adding Ranch dressing, I think it is fine if you like ranch dressing. Hummm, maybe a touch of bleu cheese dressing….I think this plain recipe will be dinner tonight!
Favorite Family Recipes says
Thanks so much for the 5-stars! I definitely like my crab salad on the less ranch-y side too 😉 Never thought of adding blue cheese. Might have to try it sometime!
Dave says
Optional:
equal amounts of mayonnaise and ranch dressing
1/2 lb small shrimp, chopped
small jar pimentos, drained
Replace salt with 1/2 teaspoon Accent flavor enhancer
You will need to add a little more mayo or ranch to desired consistency
Favorite Family Recipes says
Love these ideas! Thanks!
Pat Sarver says
I live in the desert and real crab is WAAAY too expensie here
. The imitation crab suits my family just fine, made just the way this recipe says. It’s all accordig to what you’re used to and this is just fine and tasty with the imitation crab!
Richard Reed says
This recipe is so basic but so good. I did not even like crab until now.and I’m 61 years old.My friend left some crab after she came over for an afternoon BBQ. I did not want to waste it so I came across your recipe. This was so good that I invited my friend back that week for a quick bite at lunch. She was so impressed that we are now cooking buddies as well. I don’t have the heart to tell her that I really don’t know how to cook, thanks for the recipe!
Favorite Family Recipes says
This comment MADE MY DAY and warms my heart! So happy to hear that our recipe created a cooking friendship! THIS is why we do what we do. 🙂 Richard you are welcome here any time.
Barb Cadsby says
Great recipe!
I only use the real thing!
It’s easy & delicious!!
Courtney C. says
My father in law taught me this recipe years back, its a family favorite for bbq’s & thanksgiving. Kids always ask for more!
***we add diced apple to ours & sometimes red grapes if on hand.
Debra says
I just made this with imitation krab put it on a hoggie roll with shredded lettuce, thinly sliced tomatoes and chopped black olives. Wow! Soooo good. Will try canned lump crab next. A keeper either way I’m sure
Erica Walker says
Yum!!! That sounds delicious!
Carol says
I used to live on the Oregon coast and agree that the real thing is the best. I now live in Nevada….. I don’t mind the imitation rab meat, especially as a salad. I also do lettuce rolls with the imitation.
Deborah Morgan says
imitation crab should be illegal, it is so wrong, off taste, weird texture. If you don’t have fresh crab get it in the refrigerator section, or even canned, Mayonnaise, green onion, finely chopped , some kind of seasoning salt (I use the one with MSG, but any will do) a tbs. or so of creme fresh, salt and pepper, a tsp. lemon zest, and if la like, a little minced red pepper, mix and serve
Shiobhan says
You sound like political campaign. Make it illegal? Communists make lots of thing illegal and they ban thigs. Not everyone can afford a real crab. And people have a preferences. This is a free country.
Liza says
Wegman’s grocery sells real, lump crabmeat, in a tuna fish sized can for $39.99 per can.
Suggland757 says
Bout to make a crab salad now????????
Echo says
Yum! I’ll be over! 🙂
Johnnie McHan says
I do not ever use fake crab meat….what a poor substitute for the real thing…even canned is better. Purist Gulf Coast Mamaw!
Carol Billman says
I’m with you on this, must be real crab meat. Fake has an awful after taste.
Erica says
You can definitely use real crab meat — it will just be a lot more expensive :/ (but I agree, it will taste better)
Peter says
Not unless you catch it yourself. 😁
Suzy Que says
Funny, I love the fake crab. It’s pollock, isn’t it?
Les says
Me, too!
Jo says
yes, it is. i saw a video once of it being processed into imitation crab.
Trisha Sharkey says
There is nothing like the real thing baby 🍷 real crab is worth every penny that we deserve 😀
Heather says
I totally agree. Imitation crab meat is awful much too sweet. The red dye? Nope. It’s just gross!
Jan Fleming says
It’s good but try adding equal amounts of mayonnaise and ranch dressing
Erica says
Great idea!
Carol says
I live these crabmeat recipes I have made the dip for my daughters wedding n it was a hit n I have been making it every since it’s always a big hit .love it
Brenda Ruffin says
Sounds better.
Andrea Metlika says
I really like how easy this is to make and that it’s so versatile. Can’t wait to try it.