A retro classic, this Seafood Salad recipe has been a staple in delis and on salad bars for decades! The cold crab salad comes together in about 10 minutes for an inexpensive, easy lunch or dinner to prep ahead.
I've loved this vintage Seafood Salad recipe since I was a child! The classic dish is made with imitation crab, which I've shown here, but you can also prepare the dish with shrimp, lobster or real crabmeat to make it your own. The cold crab salad is just a perfect light lunch or dinner when the weather is warm and you don't want a heavy, hot meal. Best of all, it comes together in just 10 minutes and can be prepared in advance. So convenient!
How to make a Seafood Salad recipe:
Seafood salad is a combination of crab meat, celery, red onion and dill, all tossed in a dressing that's made with mayonnaise and Old Bay seasoning. While mayo and seafood might sound like an odd pairing, it's actually a lot like a classic tuna salad. Some combinations just work!
Ingredients:
- Imitation crab
- Mayonnaise
- Celery
- Red onion
- Fresh dill
- Old Bay seasoning, salt and pepper
What is imitation crab?
I use imitation crab in this cold crab salad recipe, since that's what a classic seafood salad is typically made with. If you prefer other seafood in your salad, I've included notes below for possible additions.
Imitation crab meat is also known as "crab sticks," "krab sticks," "imitation krab," and "krab meat." Most imitation crab today is actually made from Alaska pollock, with crab flavoring added. You can find out more about imitation crab in this Huffington Post article, and while it's not necessarily the healthiest form of seafood out there, it's a nice "treat" when you're craving this classic dish!
Step 1: Chop or flake the Imitation Crab
You can use any variety of imitation crab, including "chunk" or "flake" as shown above. Simply break the crab into bite-size pieces or run a knife through it before adding it to a large bowl.
Step 2: Add the Remaining Ingredients
Place the mayonnaise, celery, red onion, dill and Old Bay seasoning in the bowl with the crab.
Step 3: Stir to Combine
Stir everything together, season with salt and pepper, and you're done!
What goes with Seafood Salad?
There are so many different ways to serve this dish! Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Seafood Salad Sandwich: Toast a hoagie roll, add some lettuce, and stuff with the seafood salad. It will be just like your favorite restaurant sub!
- Serve the salad on top of a bed of mixed greens with a side of French baguette or biscuits.
- For a grain-free, lower-carb option, hollow out a large ripe tomato and stuff the seafood salad inside.
- Set up a Salad Bar: Pick a few of your favorite deli-style salads to pair with the seafood salad and let your family members assemble their own plates. We love Carrot Raisin Salad, Three Bean Salad, Southern Macaroni Salad, Southern Potato Salad, Classic Pasta Salad, Watergate Salad, Snickers Salad and Coleslaw.
Preparation and Storage Tips:
- Prep ahead: Assemble the seafood salad recipe in advance, cover and refrigerate until you're ready to enjoy. Seafood salad will last in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- I do not recommend freezing this salad. Since the dish is prepared with mayonnaise, it will have an undesirable texture when thawed.
Cook's Tips and Recipe Variations:
- Mixed Seafood Salad Recipe: You can use just about any seafood that you prefer in this dish. Swap out the imitation crab and replace it with shrimp, real crabmeat, 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 seafood for the recipe.
- Frozen, thawed peas would be a nice addition to the salad.
- Make sure that you mince your red onion into very fine pieces so that you don't bite into a large chunk of onion in the salad.
- I use Duke's mayonnaise because it's our favorite; however, you can substitute with low-fat mayonnaise if you prefer.
- Seafood Pasta Salad: Cook, drain and cool 1 pound of pasta. Double all of the ingredients except for the crab meat. Combine the cooked, cooled pasta, the crab, and the rest of the (doubled) ingredients for a delicious seafood pasta salad recipe!
More seafood salad recipes that you might enjoy:
- Aunt Bee's Shrimp and Pasta Salad
- Tuna Nicoise Salad
- Avocado Shrimp Pasta Salad
- Salmon Salad with Avocado Dressing
Seafood Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 ounces imitation crab
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- ½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Break the imitation crab into bite-size chunks or chop with a knife; place in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and gently toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Mixed Seafood Salad Recipe: You can use just about any seafood that you prefer in this dish. Swap out the imitation crab and replace it with shrimp, real crabmeat, 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 seafood for the recipe.
- Frozen, thawed peas would be a nice addition to the salad.
- Make sure that you mince your red onion into very fine pieces so that you don't bite into a large chunk of onion in the salad.
- I use Duke's mayonnaise because it's our favorite; however, you can substitute with low-fat mayonnaise if you prefer.
- Seafood Pasta Salad: Cook, drain and cool 1 pound of pasta. Double all of the ingredients except for the crab meat. Combine the cooked, cooled pasta, the crab, and the rest of the (doubled) ingredients for a delicious seafood pasta salad recipe!
Hi Blair. I was elated when I found your site! Your story touched me and seemed to mirror my own story. At 64 years old,Sicilian woman who became a Dr.in the early 70's that in itself was a challenge. I then had 6 beautiful bambinos in 10 years. Looking back I can't believe I didn't lose my mind! Even having my medical practice,my family came first. All meals were fresh and organic,mostly due to our loving on my familia's olive farm,outside of Palermo. No grocery stories. It would have been a Godsend to of course to have had the internet back then but to have had your blog to help would have been priceless. My 3 daughters,the youngest is 38 all are professional woman in medicine with bambinos. From the moment I found you,I let them know about you. They're so busy that since I'm retired now but still doing volunteer work,I go throw your recipes and break them done for them. Between us we've easily enjoyed hundreds of your recipes now. Never been disappointed once. And,we are a pretty picky bunch. After seeing this recipe today,I immediately went out and bought fresh shrimp. Impossible to get fresh crab. It reminded me of the salad my Nona made for us when I was growing up. Dukes Mayo. tastes exactly like homemade,which is imperative in a simple salad. I just felt like it was time to acknowledge how wonderful we think you are. Such a blessing. So many grazies Blair for making life so much easier for us all. Take care and please be safe,Robin and familia.❤
Robin! Thank you! You totally made my day. I need to save this note for one of those rough days when I could use a pep talk. Thank you for sharing your story, for trying my recipes, and for sharing them with your family as well. You are a blessing to me, and the reason that I write this blog. ❤️
Blair- Sorry for the spelling mistakes! I couldn't find my glasses. Part of getting older! Grazie again. Robin.