Crab Salad

Made of tender flaked imitation crab with crunchy, fresh celery, fragrant onion, and sliced black olives in a light, herbed mayonnaise dressing, deli classic crab salad is hard to resist. Whether you serve it on rolls, lettuce wraps, or on crackers, it’s so very good!

crab salad in a bowl with crackers

Crab Salad

When we were newlyweds, Sean and I would often splurge and pick up a carton of crab salad from the deli and then snack on it with crackers while watching a movie or chatting after work. We loved crab salad and enjoyed it this way for many years.

It wasn’t until I met my friend Debbie while teaching her daughter Amanda that I learned just how incredibly easy it is to make a batch of this deli staple. After that, salad from the deli lost all of its appeal.

Freshly made with just the right amount of everything? That’s pure crab happiness.

crab salad in a bowl with crackers

Easy Crab Salad

To make this light and refreshing crab salad, you’ll need the following ingredients:

  • imitation crab meat
  • celery
  • black olives
  • red or green onion
  • mayonnaise
  • lemon
  • dill
  • paprika
  • kosher salt
  • black pepper
ingredients for crab salad in a bowl

While you can certainly make this with real crab meat, imitation crab meat is likely what you’ve had before if you’ve ever eaten deli crab salad. The cost difference is roughly 8-10x more for real crab versus imitation. 

Imitation crab -also known as surimi- is made from minced white fish, typically Alaskan pollack. While it’s not actually crab, it is tasty and very economical.

ingredients for crab salad in a bowl

How to Make Crab Salad

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, dill, paprika, salt, and pepper.

ingredients for crab salad in a bowl

Add the crab meat, celery, olives, and onion to the bowl. Stir well to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serve in lettuce wraps or with crackers of your choice. This will keep nicely in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

crab salad in a bowl with crackers

Whether you serve this with a Mai Tai Cocktail or Strawberry Lemonade grab a fork and dig in, friends. This is old-school, classic crab salad flavors, and it is still irresistible for both of us. For more easy seafood salads, try this Italian Shrimp Salad or this awesome chopped salad with shrimp, bacon, and bleu cheese.

crab salad in a bowl with crackers
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Crab Salad

Made of tender flaked imitation crab with crunchy, fresh celery, fragrant onion, and sliced black olives in a light, herbed mayonnaise dressing, deli classic easy crab salad is hard to resist! Whether you serve it on rolls, lettuce wraps, or on crackers, it's so very good!
Course Appetizer, Main Course, Snack
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 329kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 pound imitation crab meat flaked or roughly chopped into ½-inch pieces
  • ½ cup celery very thinly sliced
  • 2.25 ounces sliced black olives drained
  • ¼ cup red or green onion finely chopped or thinly sliced

Dressing Ingredients

  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • 2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon dried dill
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt adjust to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper adjust to taste

Instructions

  • In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, dill, paprika, salt, and pepper.
  • Add the crab meat, celery, olives, and onion to the bowl. Stir well to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
  • Serve in lettuce wraps or with crackers of your choice. This will keep nicely in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

Nutrition

Calories: 329kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 1220mg | Potassium: 62mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 275IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 0.3mg
crab salad in a bowl with crackers and text overlaying the photo describing it.

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