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This creamy crab salad recipe takes just minutes to make but tastes like a deli favorite. All you need is a few simple ingredients and you’ve got yourself a cool, creamy, craveable crab salad.
5-Star Reader Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“This is a great crab salad. We use it as a snack with crackers. Sometimes we will add pasta, and shredded cheese to it for a crab pasta salad. The celery is a MUST, don’t skip it!!” – Donelda
“I Love this Crab Salad Recipe, is so easy to make in a few minutes, and to enjoy in the summer, good thing is that you get to create your own salad that you can enjoy with family and friens accompany with Ritz or Pasta or Chips Tortillas.
Thank you for the recipe!!!” – Ayda
“Love, love, love this recipe. It’s a keeper if you love crab salad as much as I do. It’s also good used in so many ways.” – Andrea
“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.” – Tomekia
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, crab pasta salad, crab salad sandwiches, or any of the other possibilities mentioned later on in this post. I have had it all the different ways and I honestly can’t pick a favorite.
When serving plain, you can serve on lettuce leaves or individual glass dishes (Martini glasses are pretty if you want to be all fancy with it). You can easily dress this recipe up or down, depending on the occasion. Add some fresh parsley or dill as a garnish to dress it up and add some color.
Enjoy!
🩷 Erica
Table of Contents
- 5-Star Reader Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- The BEST Crab Salad
- Classic Crab Salad Ingredients
- Imitation Crab Meat vs Real Crab Meat
- Easy Crab Salad in 4 Simple Steps
- Pro Tips and Variations
- Ways to Serve Crab Salad
- More Popular Ways to Use this Crab Salad Recipe
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Crab Salad Recipe
- Neptune Crab Salad
- More Seafood Recipes
Classic Crab Salad Ingredients
Some people like to add all sorts of fancy stuff to their crab salad (onions, dill, chopped cucumber, cumin, dijon mustard, 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 want to add any extras, feel free. As mentioned above, we would serve this in 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. Here’s what I use:
- Imitation crab meat (or real crab meat): Ironically, most crab salad (including this recipe) isn’t made from actual crab. Most crab salad is made from imitation crab meat (aka “krab meat” or “surimi”). It is more commonly found than actual crab meat and is much cheaper. Imitation crab meat is often found in California Rolls or simply eaten on its own as a snack.
- Celery: Celery adds a nice crunch to the salad. If you want the flavor without the crunch, add use celery seed seasoning.
- Mayonnaise: Best Foods Mayonnaise (aka Hellmann’s for you East Coasters) is my go-to brand. I have also had success with Duke’s and Kewpie mayo.
- Lemon Juice: This gives the dressing a little burst of citrus. Use fresh squeezed if you can.
- Seasonings: Fresh dill, salt, and pepper.
- Optional ingredients: onions, chopped cucumber, cumin, dijon mustard (see more add in options below).
Imitation Crab Meat vs Real Crab Meat
This is a huge debate. Of course if you make this with real crab it is going to taste the best. But have you noticed the price of real crab the past few years? It’s outrageous! It’s really up to you if you want to spend the extra money. We made this crab salad with fresh crab at the Oregon coast last year and it was absolutely delicious! It was just a little expensive. If you are looking for a cheaper alternative, imitation crab might be the best way to go.
Easy Crab Salad in 4 Simple Steps
- Prepare the Crab: Gently shred the imitation crab meat using your hands or coarsely chop with a knife.
- Add Celery and Season: Finely chop celery to give the crab salad a refreshing crunch. Combine the prepared crab meat, chopped celery, salt, freshly ground pepper and any other optional seasonings you prefer in a large mixing bowl. Toss thoroughly to evenly distribute flavors.
- Dress the Salad: Stir in mayonnaise and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Fully coat the crab mixture with the dressing. Adjust the amount of mayonnaise and lemon, if preferred.
- Serve or Store: Your crab salad is ready! Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve.
Pro Tips and Variations
Lighten it Up – For a lighter version, replace some or all of the mayo with Greek yogurt or sour cream. Add a splash of lemon juice for extra zing.
Switch up the seasoning – A lot of our community members have chimed in with some great seasoning ideas! Some suggestions have been using Old Bay seasoning, celery salt, garlic powder, or a dash of hot sauce.
Chill for best flavor – When I worked at the restaurant we would always make the crab salad a little ahead of time so the flavors would have a chance to meld with each other. Even just 30 minutes in the fridge will make a big difference.
Ways to Serve Crab Salad
Cold Crab Salad Dip
I LOVE crab salad as a dip. Check out our Cold Crab Dip recipe for a great way to enjoy 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). One really easy way to do this is to chop the crab in a food processor or blender. 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
Our Crab Pasta Salad recipe is a spin on regular crab salad. The pasta bulks up the dish to make it go further and serve a crowd. 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. You can also serve your crab salad on a hoagie roll, hero roll, or even on a croissant. These are great for quick lunches, snacks, or even as appetizers.
California Rolls (or Rice Bowls)
Make a super easy California Roll by rolling up a few tablespoons of crab salad, shredded carrot, and some slices of avocado with some sushi rice. If you don’t feel like making a sushi roll, just layer the rice, crab salad, and some avocado in a bowl. Top with some sriracha mayo and furikake (chopped seaweed with sesame seeds) and you’ve got yourself the best deconstructed California Roll Bowl.
More Popular Ways to Use this Crab Salad Recipe
Cucumber Crab Boat: A low-calorie, high-protein option is to serve your crab salad in a cucumber boat! Peel the cucumbers, cut lengthwise, and scoop out the center. Place the crab down the middle and top with sriracha, spicy mayo, and furikake or sesame seeds. You will be surprised how by much flavor there is in these little boats!
Crab Stuffed Avocado: For another low-carb option, you can serve your crab salad stuffed in an avocado. Halve an avocado, remove the seed, and place the crab in the hole where the seed was. Add a little salt and pepper for flavor and enjoy!
Crab Salad Lettuce Wraps: Use large lettuce leaves, such as iceberg or butter lettuce, as a wrap. Fill them with crab salad, and you have low-carb, crunchy lettuce wraps.
Neptune Crab Salad: Neptune crab salad typically includes more ingredients including (but not limited to) hard boiled eggs, peas, pickles, and onions. To read more about Neptune salad and how to make it, I have included a section below the recipe card that goes into more detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Crab salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2–3 days. Make sure it stays chilled and is not left out at room temperature too long.
Definitely. In fact, chilling it for a few hours before serving can help the flavors meld together. Just give it a stir before serving.
Yes, imitation crab (also called surimi) is fully cooked and safe to eat straight from the package.
Freezing is not recommended. The mayonnaise-based dressing tends to separate and the texture of the crab and veggies can become mushy once thawed.
Have you tried this Crab Salad Recipe? I’d love to hear what you think and what creations you have made with it! Drop a comment below and let me know how your salad turned out or if you put your own spin on it. 🦀
Crab Salad
Equipment
- Food Processor (this makes chopping crab much faster)
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
- fresh dill optional, to taste
Instructions
- Break imitation crab meat into small pieces with hands, or coarsely chop with a knife. You can also coarsely chop in a blender or food processor.
- 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 large bowl.
- Stir in mayonnaise and lemon until crab is evenly coated.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve as-is, in a lettuce cup, or with crackers for dipping.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Neptune Crab Salad
Simply put, Neptune salad is another term for “crab salad”. Some may argue that Neptune salad is more complex than a simple crab salad, and more of a “seafood salad”. Others may say that any kind of crab salad qualifies as “Neptune salad”. It really depends on what region of the country you are in. If you want to make a more complex crab salad (or “Neptune Salad”), make the recipe above and then add any or all of the following:
- Hard boiled egg, sliced
- Peas
- Pickles, sweet or dill, chopped
- Shredded carrot, to taste
- Green onions
- Red onion, chopped
- Old Bay seasoning, to taste
- Paprika, to taste
You can serve Neptune salad tossed with spiral pasta, or it can be served on a bed of lettuce.
More Seafood Recipes
Can’t get enough crab and seafood? Try some of these other delicious seafood salad recipes:
LOVE IT. I ADDED SOME SHREDDED CHEESE AND ORIGINAL MRS. DASH (YELLOW).
This is a great crab salad. We use it as a snack with crackers. Sometimes we will add pasta, and shredded cheese to it for a crab pasta salad. The celery is a MUST, don’t skip it!!
forgot to rate it before
Personally I do not like celery, but it makes crab salad more than awesome. I absolutely love Crab Salad and love eating it with club crackers, especially the new Sweet Hawaiian flavored ones.
I Love this Crab Salad Recipe, is so easy to make in a few minutes, and to enjoy in the summer, good thing is that you get to create your own salad that you can enjoy with family and friens accompany with Ritz or Pasta or Chips Tortillas.
Thank you for the recipe!!!
I have used this for many years. We particularly like it with Whole Wheat stone ground crackers as a snack. Low-calorie and healthy grains. I have also used other crackers with it in a pinch but prefer the healthy ones.
This is a summertime favorite of ours, I use imitation crab. I serve either in a lettuce cup or plate with a side of buttered pasta. I have on occasion used pita pockets stuffed with crab salad if we are going on a picnic.
Great brunch idea on Mini Crosants but i would like at least 50/50 with real crabmeat! but very refreshing salad.
I made this crab recipe for the ladies luncheon and it was a big HIT. Simple but very tasty.
This is a wonderful recipe. I use the stuffed avocado as an appetizer and the neptune salad as a meal. Thank you Erica.
This was very good even my fussy eaters liked it. makes a nice cool treat for a warm evening
Love this crab salad!!! It’s so easy to make and so delicious!!!
Love, love, love this recipe. It’s a keeper if you love crab salad as much as I do. It’s also good used in so many ways.
excellent recipe
Awesome salad!
I am awaiting to go buy me some crabs legs (The real ones) to make this dish, My mouth has gotten watery as I imagine tasting it! Thanks for the recipe and omitting the celery and using Celery Salt instead.
Oh man, crab legs are seriously the best!
My family loves this recipe! We eat it on crackers, and they can’t get enough!
Great idea to try it on crackers, it makes for a great dip!
Love this crab salad actually I stuff large pasta shells as appetizers they were so delicious everybody love them thank you for this delicious recipe
What a fun idea! I love the idea of stuffing it in pasta shells! I’m going to have to try it!
I usually save a recipe when I know I will definitely make it…this time I had to save your entire email with all of the recipes in it! Thank you!!
(& fresh crab on the Oregon coast is such a treat!).
Thanks for saving the recipes! I hope you can try them all soon!
So simple with great flavor. I also add pickle relish to mine. Fantastic!!!
Love the idea of pickle relish for a little more zing!
This recipe is perfect for crab salads sandwiches on croissants. My whole family loves it.
Oh I love the idea of croissants!