This Crab Salad Recipe is a perfect seafood salad that is easy to make and full of amazing flavors you’ll love! Creamy and delicious, the subtle taste of this dish makes it perfect for any gathering.
If you love seafood appetizers, be adventurous and give my sushi bake and sushi bowl a try!
Table Of Contents
Crab Salad Recipe Details
I love this Crab Salad recipe because it has so much flavor and takes very little work. Seafood salads look elegant, too, so it’s perfect for bringing to family holidays and get-togethers.
- TASTE: The unique mix of crab and shrimp with a tasty dill dressing and vegetables is delicious.
- TEXTURE: Creamy dressing, tender seafood, and boiled egg make a satisfying and filling combo.
- TIME: This Crab Salad recipe is so easy to make. It’s perfect for bringing to a last-minute party.
- EASE: This dish is a huge timesaver! No cooking required and done in 30 minutes.
What you’ll need
- Seafood- Imitation crab meat (flake-style) and Cooked shrimp
- Vegetables- Green onions, Petite peas (frozen), and Petite white corn (frozen)
- Eggs- hard-boiled
- Herbs- fresh Dill
- Dressing- Sour cream, Mayonnaise, Salt, and Pepper
How to Make Crab Salad
- Chop up the seafood, eggs, and vegetables. Chop the crab and shrimp and place them in a large bowl. Now do the same for the hard-boiled eggs, green onion, and fresh dill. Then add in the corn and peas.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, mix the sour cream and mayonnaise together.
- Combine. Add the crab salad dressing to the large bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir to combine and serve chilled.
Pro Tip: Speed up chopping time for the eggs by using an egg slicer!
Recipe Tips
- Use imitation crab- There is a textural difference between imitation crab and real crab that makes the imitation better suited to this type of salad. It’s also much less expensive.
- Choose fresh dill– Using fresh dill imparts so much more flavor into the crab salad than dried herbs do. This will make a huge difference in taste.
- Chill the crab salad before serving- This recipe is perfect for summer and serving it cool is not only more pleasant, but also tastier. Not to mention, seafood should always be kept at a safe temperature, so put it on ice if you’ll be offering it at a buffet table.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Add bacon- Shrimp and crab taste great with bacon, so chop up a few cooked strips for added flavor.
- Add some citrus- The dressing for this Crab Salad could be even more bright with some lemon or lime juice added in. Citrus and seafood are always a winning combination.
- Substitute other vegetables- You can also enjoy this with other ingredients, such as chopped onion, celery, carrots, or potatoes.
- Give your dressing a flavor boost- Substitute Old Bay seasoning, paprika, or fresh tarragon. Add some white wine vinegar or Dijon mustard as well.
FAQs
Imitation crab is made by combining minced fish with starch, egg whites, sugar, salt and other ingredients to mimic the flavor, color, and texture of real crab meat.
Seafood and vegetables are generally healthier options than others, such as beef. If you are looking for a lighter version of this Crab Salad, then try substituting Greek yogurt for the mayonnaise in the dressing, and using reduced-fat or light sour cream.
Serving Suggestions
This Crab Salad can be served in so many ways and goes great with lots of dishes. Here are a few serving ideas to try:
- Sandwich: Add this to a roll or sandwich bread, or baked inside puff pastry.
- Salad: Try this crab salad over a bed of greens or with this Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad or Spinach Salad.
- Pasta: Serve it alongside this Tri Color Pasta Salad, Pesto Pasta Salad (VIDEO), or mix it into the chilled pasta of your choice.
- Bread: Crackers, Focaccia Bread, or any toast would be great to dip into this Crab Salad.
- Vegetables- Sliced cucumbers, avocado, or lettuce cups would work, too.
Make This Crab Salad in Advance
Make ahead: This Crab Salad can be made up to 3 days ahead of serving. Enjoy it straight from the fridge or plate it for a party.
Storing: Store Crab Salad in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Discard it if it’s been sitting out for more than 2 hours.
Freeze: Because this salad is mayonnaise-based, it’s not a good idea to freeze it. However, you can keep the imitation crab, shrimp, corn, and peas frozen until you are ready to assemble this Crab Salad.
More Tasty Seafood Dishes!
- Garlic and Ginger Shrimp Recipe
- Cilantro Lime Salmon
- Smoked Salmon Appetizer
- Crab and Artichoke Dip
- Potato Salad with Baked Salmon
Watch Recipe VIDEO Here
Full Recipe Instructions
Crab Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb flake style imitation crab meat
- 1 lb cooked shrimp
- 6 hard boiled eggs
- 3-4 green onions
- 2 tbsp chopped dill
- 3/4 cup petite peas frozen
- 1/2 cup petite white corn frozen
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Chop the 1 lb crab and 1 lb shrimp.
- Then chop 6 hard-boiled eggs, 3 green onions, and 2 tablespoons of fresh dill. Tip: use an egg slicer to speed up chopping the eggs.
- In a large bowl add the crab, shrimp, eggs, green onion, dill, corn, and peas.
- In a separate smaller bowl, combine 1/2 cup sour cream and 3/4 cup mayonnaise using a whisk. This will be the crab salad dressing.
- Add the dressing to the bowl of vegetables and seafood and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir just to combine and serve chilled.
Notes
- How to make it healthier?
- Add-ins and substitutions
- Can I make it ahead of time?
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted on November 25, 2015, we’ve tweaked it a bit since then.
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Galina says
I got to try this salad at a party and it was so so good! I of course had to get seconds and thirds and my kids (one who is a super picky eater) loved it as well! Thanks for sharing this amazing salad!
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you, Galina! I’m glad you and your family enjoyed this crab salad 🙂
Lana says
This salad looks amazing! Just wanted to ask your suggestion, if I want to skip shrimp, should I add more imitation crab meat?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Lana, thank you! Yes, if you remove the shrimp you want to replace it with an equal amount of crab so that all your ingredients are similar in proportion. I am not too sure on how it will taste though. Since I have never tried making it with that much crab. I hope you enjoy this crab salad recipe 🙂
Rita Morrow says
I modified this recipe,
1 lb blue crab meat, nothing quite like the real thing ; ) 12 oz chopped crooked shrimp, 2 hard boiled eggs, 1/2 cup frozen corn thawed, 1/2 cup frozen peas thawed, 2 TB dill, 4 sliced green onions, 1/2 C sour cream, reduced mayo to 1/4 C and added about a TB of fresh lemon juice.
I served it in butter lettuce cups.
Fabulous!
simplyhomecooked says
So happy you enjoyed the crab salad Rita! I will definitely have to try your version sometime!
Denise Davis says
Hi can you use crab claw meat instead of imitation
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Denise, if you prefer the taste and texture of real crab meat, by all means, use it instead of imitation 🙂 I hope you enjoy this recipe!
Diane Woityra says
Just made this…it is absolutely delicious. I sprinkled in a bit of dry ranch dressing mix so my husband would try it. Both ways are yummy beyond belief.
simplyhomecooked says
Diane, thank you for your kind feedback. I’m happy to hear that you and your husband both enjoyed the salad.
Lynne F says
Not a fan of hard boiled eggs – would this work if you make it without the eggs? Sounds wonderful except for the eggs
simplyhomecooked says
Hey Lynne, you can definitely make this salad without the eggs, it will be a smaller portion and a little less creamy since you’re omitting 6 eggs. I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Doseydoes says
I’ve made this salad several times now, and it’s always a hit. Preparing it again to enjoy at a dinner party with friends tomorrow. It’s my go-to recipe to impress. Thank you for sharing this.
simplyhomecooked says
I’m with you on that! Its always a hit at parties 🙂 Glad you found this recipe!
Loren says
HI. I made this as an appetizer for a girls night. Wow! What a huge hit. Thank u so much!
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you for sharing your feedback Loren, glad it was a hit 🙂
Charlotte V. says
???? Loved it.. I did use salad dressing instead of mayo, I was concerned it may alter the taste of the recipe, but everyone loved it and requested it for the next family gathering, it’s delicious and was simple to make,, would highly recommend this recipe.. definitely makes a great appetizer for parties. I do plan to make this recipe often just to have something simple for lunch or when we want something cool to eat in the summer.. thank you for sharing it, very delicious!!!
simplyhomecooked says
I’m glad this salad was a hit with your family, Charlotte! Thank you for the kind feedback 🙂
Dana Crabtree says
I made this salad earlier today…….awesome!! I just served it in a big bowl, since it was just for us. Really pleased with the way it looks and the way it tastes. I did add chopped Onion, chopped Celery, chopped Red Pepper and a little Lemon juice. I just like a lot of crunch to my salads. This salad is very pleasing to the eye with all the colors, very easy to make and above all very tasty! I will definitely be making this again! 🙂
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you Dana! I’m so happy you loved the salad.
Linda O. says
Simply Home Cooked
Just made this salad with fresh crabmeat. Questions
Mine came out soupier than yours, need to add mayo dressing as needed next round.
My question, did you use a empty tuna can to plate it, as in picture?
If so, did you spray the can with pam or something similar?
Any extra tips would help.
Since it is looser I will use it in a prebaked wonton skin cup.
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Linda, I used a large cookie cutter. I did not spray it with anything. I think and empty tuna can should work!
Kathy says
Did you use frozen peas? Doesn’t look like canned in the picture, but just wanted to be sure. Looks wonderful. Thanks for sharing!
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Kathy, thank you! Yes I used frozen peas.
Julie Raasch says
Nutritional info would be so helpful!
Debi says
Do you not cook the peas or corn first?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Debi, I don’t cook the peas or corn.
Bello olayiwola says
Comment…It looks good and delicious, think I will try it, I like it, thanks.
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you!
Janet Fahnestock says
Any info on nutritional info I’m counting calories and this looks so good
Louise says
How many does this serve?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Louise, I would say it serves roughly about 6-8 people. It really depends if you serve it as a side salad or as a small appetizer on a cracker.
Ray W says
Made once and will be making again tomorrow. Very tasty! I use fat free Miracle Whip and used 4 eggs instead if 6.
We have it on hoagie rolls brushed with olive oil and toasted.
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you for the great feedback Ray. I’m so thrilled to hear you enjoyed this crab salad recipe.
Stef says
How do you create such a presentation?
simplyhomecooked says
I used a small ring form. You can use a smooth edged cookie cutter as well.
Katy | Her Cup of Joy says
This salad looks so elegant, I need to make this!
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you Katy 🙂
Anna says
Absolutely beautiful presentation!
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you Anna!