My aunt’s crab salad recipe is zesty, gentle, and refreshing—made for summer season, particularly with crispy tostones on the aspect.

Crab Salad Recipe
I used to be simply with my aunt in Florida and eventually watched her make her Crab Salad so I may get the measurements proper. She begins by slicing a pink or yellow onion into skinny strips and soaking them in heat salted water to mellow the chunk. Then, she provides a colourful mixture of pink, yellow, and orange bell peppers, a great deal of contemporary lime juice, loads of chopped cilantro, some good olive oil, and easy seasoning. She often serves it with tostones (which I make within the air fryer) for lunch and we like it, so I’m excited to share it with you! Don’t miss my King Crab Legs, and Baked Lump Crab Truffles if you happen to’re searching for extra crab recipes.
Right here’s what you want for this straightforward crab salad recipe. See the recipe card under for the precise measurements.
- Onion: Slice a pink or yellow onion into skinny strips.
- Bell Peppers: Use a mix of pink, yellow, and orange to make it extra colourful.
- Flake-style Imitation Crab is far more reasonably priced than contemporary lump crab, however both will work. Imitation crab primarily consists of Alaskan pollock.
- Limes: Marinating the salad in lime juice mellows the onion’s pungency and imparts the dish with a tart, vibrant taste.
- Cilantro for freshness
- Olive Oil balances the lime juice.
- Salt and Pepper season the salad.
The way to Make Crab Salad
Whereas the onions soak in water, you’ll be able to prep the bell peppers, cilantro, and lime juice. Then, simply mix the whole lot and refrigerate. See the recipe card on the backside for printable instructions.



- Soak the Onions to Mellow the Style: Put the sliced onions and salt in a big bowl and press the salt into the onions along with your arms. Cowl the onions with heat water and the juice of half a lime. Let it sit for 15 to twenty minutes to mellow the onion taste. Drain and rinse the onions below chilly water.
- Combine Every thing: Minimize the bell peppers and cilantro and juice the remaining limes. Add all to a bowl with the olive oil, cilantro, remaining salt, black pepper, and onions.
- Marinate the crab salad for a couple of hours or in a single day. Style and add extra salt if wanted.
Variations
- Seafood: Use lump crab or cooked shrimp
- Don’t like cilantro? Skip it or attempt it with one other herb, like chives or parsley.

Serving Ideas
Serve this chilly imitation crab salad recipe as an appetizer at a celebration or as a most important dish for dinner.
- My aunt at all times eats it with crispy, golden tostones, which takes it to a different degree, however I made my air fryer tostones to maintain it gentle.
- Tortilla chips work nice, too, or simply eat it with a spoon!
Storage
This imitation crab salad will last as long as 4 days within the fridge. Because the taste improves the longer it marinates, it’s glorious for leftovers. It’s a fantastic fast lunch since you’ll be able to eat it chilly.

Extra Seafood and Crab Salad Recipes You Will Love
For extra dinner concepts, take a look at my Seafood Recipes assortment, plus these 5 scrumptious seafood salads to encourage your subsequent meal!
Yield: 6 servings
Serving Dimension: 1 beneficiant cup
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Put sliced onions in a big bowls with ¾ teaspoon salt and press the salt into the onions along with your arms so evenly coated. Fill the bowl with simply sufficient heat water to cowl the onions plus the juice of ½ lime and let sit at the least 15 to twenty minutes, to let the onion taste mellow. Drain and rinse below chilly water.
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In the meantime, prep the remaining components then combine with drained rinsed onions. Add bell peppers, juice of 3-4 extra limes, olive oil, cilantro, ¾ teaspoon salt, and black pepper and blend effectively. Let it marinate a couple of hours, or in a single day to let the flavors meld. Style for salt and alter as wanted.
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Serve with chips or tostones.
Final Step:
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With the onions, ¾ tsp salt will get tossed with water, n.i. is adjusted as so.
Serving: 1 beneficiant cup, Energy: 146 kcal, Carbohydrates: 22 g, Protein: 6.5 g, Fats: 5 g, Saturated Fats: 1 g, Ldl cholesterol: 13 mg, Sodium: 496.5 mg, Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 8.5 g