Crab Salad Recipe (Light & Creamy)
Light and healthy, this creamy Crab Salad Recipe is easy to make, perfect for meal prep, and absolutely delicious! Enjoy it on a toasted roll, over leafy greens, or tucked inside a tortilla wrap. It’s incredible no matter how you serve it!
If you know me, you know I love tuna salad with pickled egg and healthy chicken salad, especially when they get a Healthyish upgrade from Greek yogurt and fresh veggies.
However, sometimes I crave something a little more sophisticated than those usual salad recipes can deliver. That’s when I go for Creamy Chilled Shrimp Salad, Creamy Crab Salad with imitation crab meat, or this light and creamy crab salad recipe with fresh crab.
Made with lump crab meat, celery, onion, and a lusciously smooth Greek yogurt dressing, this crab meat salad recipe is low-carb, high-protein, and great for making in advance for easy lunches throughout the week. Serve it on a buttery toasted bun for a next-level sandwich you’d typically only find at your favorite bistro or café!
Recipe Ingredients
- Lump Crab Meat – Great for crab salad and crab cakes, lump crab meat comes from the body of the crab and typically consists of small, sturdy chunks of meat that hold up well to a heavy dressing.
- Lemon Juice – Added to brighten the flavors in the salad and provide a touch of acidity. A splash of acid really brings the salad to life!
- Celery – For crunch and freshness. Make sure to slice it thinly for an easier bite.
- Sweet Onion – Sweet onions, like Vidalia or Walla Walla, provide depth of flavor without adding a sharp onion taste like white or red onions can.
- Sour Cream – Equal parts sour cream and Greek yogurt form the base of the crab salad dressing. Sour cream adds a distinct tangy flavor that only sour cream can provide!
- Greek Yogurt – This contributes to the smooth and creamy texture of the dressing while also providing a significant boost of protein.
- Dijon Mustard – This adds a savory, slightly tangy taste. Make sure you choose a smooth, not grainy, Dijon mustard.
- Old Bay Seasoning – This is a bold seasoning blend with the main flavors coming from celery salt, mustard seed, red pepper, black pepper, and paprika. It’s the secret ingredient in most crab cake recipes, seafood boils, and southern shrimp dishes.
- Paprika – I like to add an extra dash of paprika because of its sweet, earthy flavor.
- Kosher Salt and Cracked Black Pepper – Adjust these to taste if desired.
Possible Flavor Variations
This crab salad recipe only calls for a handful of basics, and lump crab meat is easy to find at your local fish counter. However, it’s a great base recipe if you want to get a little creative!
- Add fresh herbs. Nothing will brighten the flavors and scream summer like fresh parsley, dill, and chives.
- Mix in more veggies. Bell peppers, green onions, and chopped cucumber are not only delicious additions, but they’ll also add more fiber and crunchy texture.
- Give it more crunch. Walnuts, slivered almonds, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds are all great options if you like a super crunchy bite.
How to Make This Crab Salad Recipe
- Prepare the crab meat. Drain off any liquid. Then, dump the crab meat into a large mixing bowl, gently loosening it with a fork.
- Add the veggies. Add the sliced celery and diced onion, and gently stir them into the crab meat.
- Make the crab salad dressing. Combine the sour cream, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, Old Bay seasoning, paprika, kosher salt, and cracked black pepper in a small mixing bowl. Stir until smooth, give it a taste, and adjust the seasonings as desired.
- Combine. Pour the dressing over the crab meat mixture, and gently fold all the ingredients together until well combined.
- Chill. For the best flavor, this crab salad recipe should chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour before serving.
Serving Suggestions
Not only great for lunch at home, this crab salad recipe is perfect for bridal showers, a fancy brunch, or as an appetizer before Easter dinner.
- The serving options are so versatile! Tuck it into a wrap, scoop it up with crackers, or serve it over leafy greens.
- My favorite way to enjoy this crab salad recipe is sandwich-style on a buttery, toasted bun. It’s even better when topped with avocado, sliced onion, and green leaf lettuce.
- I like to pair it with a side or two, such as a Simple Summer Pasta Salad, Zucchini Salad, or Honey Mustard Potato Salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this recipe ahead of time? Yes, creamy salads like crab salad or chicken salad store really well, making them perfect for preparing in advance. You can store this crab salad recipe in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days.
Can I freeze this crab meat salad recipe? Typically, crab salad made with a creamy dressing doesn’t freeze well. The Greek yogurt and sour cream can become grainy during thawing. However, if you end up with lump crab meat leftover, feel free to freeze that on its own for up to six to eight months! There’s no sense in letting it go to waste, and you’ll have it on hand whenever you want to whip up this crab salad recipe.
Can I use imitation crab instead of fresh crab? Yes, I use imitation crab in this Creamy Crab Salad recipe. It’s loaded with flavor, easy to work with, and a great option if you can’t find fresh lump crab meat at your local grocery store.
Crab Salad Recipe (Light & Creamy)
Equipment
- 2 mixing bowls
Ingredients
Crab Salad
- 16 ounces lump crab meat, drained
- ¾ cup celery, about 3 stalks, sliced thin
- ⅓ cup sweet onion, finely diced
Dressing
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt , 0% Fage
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh squeezed
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon old bay seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- pinch kosher salt , to taste, about ¼-½ teaspoon
- few turns cracked black pepper , to taste, about ¼ teaspoon
Instructions
- Drain any liquid off of the crab meat. In a large mixing bowl, add the crab meat and gently loosen it with a fork. Next, add the sliced celery and finely diced onion. Gently combine.
- In second small mixing bowl, mix together the sour cream, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, old bay seasoning, paprika and kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
- Combine the crab mixture with the dressing. Gently fold all of the ingredients together. Chill for 1 hour before serving.
One Comment on “Crab Salad Recipe (Light & Creamy)”
I have made this twice one, once with imitation crab, and it’s a prefect easy way to use up crab after making another dish.