Creamy Crab Salad 🦀🥗
This Creamy Crab Salad is cool, crisp, and full of sweet crab flavor with crunchy celery, fresh herbs, and a creamy, tangy dressing. It’s perfect served on sandwiches, in lettuce wraps, with crackers, or as a light lunch.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Chill Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4–6
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 pound (450 g) lump crab meat or imitation crab (surimi), chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 2 celery stalks, finely diced
- ¼ cup red onion, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons green onions, sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped (optional)
Creamy Dressing
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Salt, to taste
Optional Add-Ins
- 1 hard-boiled egg, chopped
- ¼ cup diced cucumber
- ¼ cup diced red bell pepper
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Instructions
1. Make the Dressing
In a medium bowl, whisk together:
- Mayonnaise
- Sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
- Dijon mustard
- Lemon juice
- Worcestershire sauce
- Old Bay seasoning
- Garlic powder
- Black pepper
Taste and add salt if needed.
2. Prepare the Salad
In a large bowl, combine:
- Crab meat
- Celery
- Red onion
- Green onions
- Parsley
- Dill (if using)
- Any optional add-ins
3. Combine
- Pour the dressing over the crab mixture.
- Fold gently with a spatula until everything is evenly coated, taking care not to break up lump crab too much.
4. Chill
Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
Serving Ideas
Enjoy the salad:
- In buttery croissants
- On toasted bread or sandwich rolls
- In lettuce cups for a low-carb meal
- Stuffed into tomatoes or avocados
- With crackers or pita chips
- Over a bed of mixed greens
Delicious Variations
Seafood Salad
Mix in:
- ½ pound cooked shrimp, chopped
- ½ pound imitation crab
Spicy Crab Salad
Add:
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Diced jalapeño
Mediterranean Style
Add:
- Diced cucumber
- Cherry tomatoes
- Crumbled feta cheese
- Kalamata olives
Light Version
Replace:
- Mayonnaise with extra Greek yogurt
- Sour cream with plain nonfat yogurt
Storage
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days if using fresh crab (up to 3 days with imitation crab).
- Do not freeze, as the dressing may separate and the texture will suffer.
Approximate Nutrition (Per Serving, based on 6 servings using lump crab)
- Calories: 220
- Protein: 18 g
- Carbohydrates: 4 g
- Fat: 15 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 480 mg
Tips for the Best Crab Salad
- Lump crab meat offers the sweetest flavor and most delicate texture. Pick through it gently to remove any shell fragments.
- Chill the salad before serving for the best flavor.
- Fold the dressing into the crab gently to keep the crab pieces intact.
- A squeeze of fresh lemon juice just before serving brightens the flavors beautifully.