Crab Roll

Ingredient Notes and Tips for Success

• Other than toasting the bun, there’s no cooking necessary for this quick and easy recipe. I buy refrigerated crab in the seafood section at the grocery store (not the shelf-stable cans near the tuna fish). This crab is fully cooked and ready to use in recipes, so you just need to stir everything together.
• For a luxurious (and pricey!) treat, use jumbo lump crab meat. For a more affordable option, lump crabmeat or even “special” crabmeat will work. The “special” crabmeat consists of the smaller pieces of white meat from the body of the crab. In other words, grab whatever is available and also fits your budget!
• Mayonnaise is the base of the shrimp salad dressing. Pick a high-quality mayo (we prefer Duke’s, another Southern touch to this New England-inspired meal).
• Lemon juice and white vinegar are acidic components that cut the richness of the dressing and give the dish a bright flavor.
• Old Bay seasoning is a classic seafood seasoning blend that this Virginia girl just couldn’t forget!
• For a classic New England-style preparation, use top-split hot dog buns.

How to Make a Crab Roll

This simple crab roll recipe comes together easily, and can be served in griddled or toasted hot dog buns (as shown here), or you can enjoy the filling on its own, over lettuce greens, with crackers, or tucked inside a croissant. It’s versatile, easy, and always a hit!

1. Pick over the crab, removing any shell or cartilage that may have inadvertently been missed in the original packing. Most crab does not come packed in much liquid; however, if your crabmeat is particular wet, it’s best to pat it dry. You don’t want it to water down the dressing.
2. Place the crab in a large bowl. Add the celery and green onions; toss gently to combine.
3. Whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, vinegar, dill, Old Bay, and sugar to make the dressing.

4. Add the mayonnaise mixture to the crab mixture; toss to coat. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Cover and chill until ready to serve, or enjoy right away.

5. Butter the cut sides of the hot dog buns, and then griddle them in a cast iron pan until they’re golden brown, about 3 minutes.
6. Fill each bun with the crab sandwich filling; garnish with fresh dill or parsley.

Serving Suggestions

Serve this crab roll recipe with a creamy coleslaw or vinegar coleslaw, hush puppies, corn on the cob, cucumber tomato onion salad, macaroni salad, my grandmother’s easy potato salad recipe, baked potato wedges, French fries, or potato chips. Plus, don’t forget a cold drink! A chilled beer, a glass of white wine, a pitcher of sweet tea, or freshly-squeezed lemonade will all be perfect.

Recipe Variations

• Seafood Roll: You can use just about any seafood that you prefer in this dish. Swap out the fresh crab meat and replace it with imitation crab meat, cooked chopped shrimp, or lobster meat. You can also use a combination of seafood — for instance crabmeat and shrimp. Just make sure that you have a total of 1 pound of cooked seafood for the recipe.
• Add finely diced red onion instead of the green onion for a little bit of zesty flavor, or try chopped fresh chives.
• Swap out the dill for other fresh herbs, such as parsley, basil, thyme, or oregano.
• Add horseradish or hot sauce to the dressing for a bit of extra spice. Lemon zest gives it even more bright, citrus flavor.
• Instead of a toasted split-top roll, serve the crab salad mixture on croissants, sandwich rolls, pita bread, with crackers, or on top of lettuce leaves.
• Scale the recipe up or down to suit the size of your family. For instance, if you’re feeding a larger group, double all of the ingredients. For a smaller family, 8 ounces of crab should be enough.

Originally published in December, 2022, this post was updated in August, 2025.