Imitation crab salad is super simple but really delicious. It is great as a dip with pita chips, between bread for a sandwich, served in lettuce cups for an extra fresh option, or piled on crostini for a tasty appetizer.

Bowl of imitation crab salad on plate with pita chips ready to eat.

Few recipes are easier and more versatile than this creamy seafood salad. It is a great option for Lent or as an quick and easy lunch or snack.

Making seafood salad from fresh seafood is delicious. In fact I have a great recipe for shrimp salad that is super delicious served on crackers or in profiterole.

However, using imitation crab meat makes the recipe super affordable and even easier. There is no peeling or shelling, just open the package and chop it up.

Add some mayonnaise, celery, lemon juice and salt and pepper to make the basic recipe. From there you can go just about anywhere your heart desires.

Hand holding pita chip with pink and white crab salad on top.

Sandwich made with crab salad in a golden Hawaiian sweet roll ready to eat.

I love eating crab salad with pita chips as a dip. It has that little bit of sweet from the crab with the salty crunch of the pita chips.

We also had some piled on Hawaiian rolls. The soft sweet bread really goes well with the crab as well.

For a healthier option, serve the seafood salad on fresh lettuce for an extra fresh crunch. Do it in lettuce cups for a great finger food or put a scoop on a pile of greens for a great luncheon or dinner salad.

What is imitation crab salad made of?

I kept this salad pretty simple. It focuses on the imitation crab with just a bit of mayonnaise, lemon juice, celery and salt and pepper.

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It is really tasty that way, but you can easily add more goodies if you would like. Think of this as a great base recipe that can be easily customized.

Hand holding a crab salad sandwich with imitation crab salad on a Hawaiian roll.

Cutting board filled with chopped crab next to bowls of mayonnaise, chopped celery and lemon juice.

Mayonnaise is my favorite dressing for seafood salads. However you can use a Miracle Whip style dressing or even Greek yogurt if you prefer.

The flavor profiles will all be quite different, but they will all give you a very similar texture. Feel free to experiment with your favorites or mix two together.

Speaking of the dressing, as written this salad is lightly dressed. Feel free to add a couple more Tablespoons of mayo if you like a higher dressing to seafood ratio.

Celery, mayonnaise and crab in mixing bowl.

Mixing bowl filled with freshly made crab salad.

A sprinkle of Old Bay seasoning brings a great flavor punch. Or add a sprinkling of dill for a fresh flavor.

Adding some finely diced or grated onions would be fabulous. Or if you feel like pickle relish in a must have in these kinds of salads, feel free to add a few Tablespoons of that as well.

Even a little bit of finely diced cucumber would be great. Let me know if you have anything different you enjoy adding to seafood salad.

4.94 from 16 ratings

Imitation Crab Salad

Author: Carlee

Servings: Servings

Imitation crab salad is super simple but really delicious. It is great as a dip with pita chips, piled on bread for a sandwich, served in lettuce cups for an extra fresh option, or serve on crostini or in a pastry shell for a fun appetizer.

Prep: 10

Cook: 0

Total: 10

Equipment

Zyliss Comfort Utility Knife
Glass Mixing Bowls, Set of 10

Ingredients

Instructions

Roughly chop 1 ½ lb. imitation crab meat and finely dice 2 ribs celery.
In a mixing bowl, combine ⅔ cup mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper. Stir to combine.
Add crab and celery, tossing to coat. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.
Chill until ready to serve. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Notes

This salad works great as a dip or as a filling for sandwiches. It is also great served over greens or in lettuce cups. You can even add a little bit extra dressing and some cooked and cooled pasta for a fun pasta salad.

Leftover crab salad should be stored in the refrigerator. It is best used within a few days, so scale down the recipe if you don’t think you can use it fast enough. I do not recommend freezing crab salad. It is better to make it and use it within those few days.