Imitation Crabmeat Salad
This Imitation Crabmeat Salad is a quick and easy seafood salad that comes together with flaked imitation crabmeat, celery, green onions, mayonnaise, horseradish, fresh lemon juice, a hint of Old Bay seasoning and dill weed.
If you’re landlocked like I am, fresh crabmeat is hard to come by and it’s also very expensive. This imitation crabmeat salad is affordable, tasty and perfect for a light lunch or dinner.
What is imitation crabmeat and what’s in it?
Imitation crabmeat, also known as “Surimi” is a combination of Alaskan Pollack and real crab meat with added fillers and colorants. It is a pasteurized, ready-to-eat, low-fat food that works beautifully in sushi rolls, salads, quiche, casseroles and pasta.
If you’re looking for more seafood recipes, you might like my Hot Cajun Crab Dip, Crab Balls, or Crab Louie Salad Dressing.
Ingredients
- Imitation crabmeat: I used TransOcean brand that is labeled as “Crab Classics”; you’ll need 16 ounces
- Celery
- Green onions-top and green part
- Mayonnaise
- Horseradish
- Garlic powder
- Vinegar-white distilled
- Fresh lemon juice
- Old Bay Seasoning
- Dried dill weed- or fresh
- Salt and ground white pepper
Imitation crabmeat usually comes in thin slices or flaked; you can get either.
How to make it
This refreshing salad comes together with minimal prep. Just one big mixing bowl and a few chops of celery and onion, and you’re done!
- Finely dice one package of the crabmeat and pour into a large mixing bowl; add chopped celery and onions
- In a smaller mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, horseradish, vinegar, lemon juice, and remaining seasonings and herbs; combine well and pour some of the dressing over the diced crabmeat and onion mixture. Mix together well
- Tear or cut the second bag of crabmeat into larger pieces and fold them into the chopped seafood salad; add more of the mayonnaise dressing if you prefer, then season to taste with salt and white pepper
- For the most flavor, cover and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes
How to serve with crabmeat salad
This chilled crabmeat salad can certainly stand on its own as a salad or snack, however, if you want to dress it up a little, put a big scoop onto an avocado half or make a Po’ Boy sandwich with a hoagie bun, lettuce and tomato.
You can also serve the seafood salad as a dip or spread with firm crackers, Naan or Pita bread.
Storage and make ahead
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days. Freezing is not recommended because the mayonnaise changes texture.
Imitation Crabmeat Salad
Ingredients
- 16 ounces imitation crabmeat (surimi) , flaked or in thin strips
- ⅓ cup celery , finely diced
- ½ cup green onions , tops and greens, finely diced
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish (See Recipe Notes below)
- ½ teaspoon white distilled vinegar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning (See Recipe Notes)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dill weed , plus more for garnish (optional)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
Instructions
- Chop one package of the crabmeat into ¼" inch cubes; finely dice celery and finely chop the tops and greens of the onions; add all this to a big mixing bowl⅓ cup celery, ½ cup green onions
- In a smaller, separate mixing bowl, combine the following:16 ounces imitation crabmeat (surimi), 1 cup mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish, ½ teaspoon white distilled vinegar, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, ½ teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon dill weed, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon white pepper
- Pour ⅔ cup of the sauce over the ingredients in the big mixing bowl and combine well; tear the second bag of imitation crabmeat into bite size pieces and fold into the chopped crabmeat mixture; add more of the mayonnaise mixture if desired; cover and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes; transfer to serving bowl, garnish with more dried dill and serve chilled
