This simple crab salad is a cinch to throw together and looks fancy enough to impress guests at a dinner party! Plus, this paleo, keto, Whole30, gluten-free, and no-cook dish can be assembled in just a few minutes!

An overhead shot of a round platter filled with endive spears and crab salad.

An easy yet impressive crab salad!

Y’all know that I’m always looking for shortcuts to deliciousness, and this simple yet spectacular crab salad fits the bill. You can throw it together for unexpected guests for a healthy summer supper or transform it into a fancy appetizer for parties by spooning it into endive spears, mini sweet pepper halves, lettuce leaves, celery stalks, or gluten-free/grain-free crackers.

A hand is grabbing an endive spear filled with crab salad from a serving platter.

The hardest part of this recipe is making the homemade mayonnaise, but if you’re lazy like me you can buy paleo-friendly mayonnaise at the store. All that’s left to do is some chopping and mixing and then you’ll be finished with this seafood salad in about 5 minutes!

What kind of crab should you use?

Obviously, the best choice is to use fresh cooked real crab meat that you cook yourself or buy from a trusted fishmonger. The second best choice is the canned real lump crab meat that is found in the refrigerated section in the seafood department. Don’t use shelf-stable canned crab meat because the texture is dry and mealy and the flavor is off. If you can’t find high-quality crab, use cooked salmon or chopped up cooked shrimp instead. Back away from the imitation crab meat (a.k.a. krab or surimi)!

A red spatula is transferring fresh crab meat to a large glass bowl.

Ingredients

An overhead shot of the ingredients for simple crab salad
  • Lump crab meat: Fresh crab meat and the fancy refrigerated canned stuff is expensive—but the quality will make all the difference in this dish. Definitely don’t cheap out on the shelf-stable canned crab because you’ll regret it.
  • Fresh herbs: You can use whatever fresh herbs you have on hand—scallions / green onions, fresh parsley, chives, tarragon, and fresh dill work especially well with crab.
  • Spicy hot pepper or sweet bell pepper (optional): I like to add a finely diced Thai chili pepper to this salad because it punches up the color, texture, and heat. If you don’t like spicy things, leave it out or add some chopped red bell pepper.
  • Kosher salt: If you want to jazz the flavor up even more you can definitely substitute Old Bay seasoning in place of salt and pepper.
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Paleo mayonnaise: You can use homemade or store-bought mayonnaise in this recipe. If I’m being honest, I haven’t made my own mayonnaise in years and normally buy Primal Kitchen mayonnaise.
  • Fresh lemon juice
  • Salad greens or avocados: To serve the crab salad as a complete meal, top a bowl of salad greens or halved and pitted avocados with it!
  • Belgian endives or small sweet peppers (optional): If you want to turn this crab salad into a fancy appetizer, spoon it into endive spears or hollowed out halved mini sweet peppers.

How to make this crab salad recipe

Dump the crab in a large bowl and stir in the fresh herbs, and pepper (if using). Sprinkle on some salt and black pepper to taste.

Someone in a gray apron is adding diced red peppers to a bowl filled with crab salad ingredients.

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and fresh lemon juice.

Whisking mayonnaise and lemon juice in a small bowl to make a dressing for crab salad.

Add the mayonnaise dressing to the bowl with the crab and carefully mix it in.

Pouring the dressing on a bowl filled with crab salad ingredients.

Taste it to see if you need more mayo, lemon juice, salt, or pepper.

An overhead shot of a bowl of freshly made crab salad.

How to serve crab salad

If you’re eating this dish as a light summer meal, serve it over salad greens or in lettuce wraps (a.k.a. low carb crab salad sandwiches)! It also tastes great spooned into halved avocados, with a dash of hot sauce or sriracha!

Spooning crab salad onto a halved and peeled avocado.

Wanna throw together a quick appetizer? Cut the ends off the Belgian endives and separate them into spears…

Someone separating Belgian endive into spears.

…and spoon the crab salad into each leaf.

Someone spooning crab salad into an endive spear.

Arrange the spears on a platter and all your guests will be impressed!

A side view of a platter filled with endive spears with crab salad.

No endives? You can also halve and deseed mini sweet peppers and spoon the crab salad inside!

How to store crab salad

Because crab salad is so quick to make, you should probably just make it right before serving. If you insist, you can make it ahead and store it in a sealed airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days. Always do a smell check and if it smells off, don’t eat the leftovers!

An overhead shot of a platter of endive spears filled with simple crab salad

Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2022).


PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD

Simple Crab Recipe

4.79 from 23 votes
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Servings 4
This simple crab salad is a cinch to throw together and looks fancy enough to impress guests at a dinner party! Plus, this paleo, keto, Whole30, gluten-free, and no-cook dish can be assembled in just a few minutes!

Ingredients  

  • 1 pound cooked lump crab meat
  • 2 scallions thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
  • 1 Thai chili pepper finely diced or 2 tablespoons diced sweet bell pepper (optional)
  • Diamond Crystal kosher salt 
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons paleo mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 8 cups salad greens optional
  • 2 large Hass avocado halved, pitted, and peeled (optional)
  • 6 Belgian endive spears or mini sweet bell peppers (optional)
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Instructions 

  • Dump the crab in a large bowl and mix in the scallions, parsley, and chili pepper (if using). Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and lemon juice.
  • Carefully mix the mayonnaise dressing into the crab meat mixture. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, and/or pepper if needed.
  • For a light supper, serve the crab salad over greens or spoon it over halved and pitted avocados.
  • For an appetizer, cut the ends off the Belgian endives and separate them into spears. Arrange the spears on a platter and spoon in the crab salad. No endive spears? You can also halve and deseed mini sweet peppers and spoon the crab salad inside!

Video

Notes

Storage tips:
Because crab salad is so quick to make, you should probably just make it right before serving. If you insist on making it ahead, you can store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to two days. Always do a smell check and if it smells off, don’t eat it!

Nutrition

Calories: 146kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 6g | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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About Michelle Tam

Hello! My name is Michelle Tam, and I love to eat. I think about food all the time. It borders on obsession. I’ve always loved the sights and smells of the kitchen. My mother was (and is) an excellent cook, and as a kid, I was her little shadow as she prepared supper each night. From her, I gained a deep, abiding love for magically transforming pantry items into mouth-watering family meals.

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2 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This was delicious but I had to make a few substitutions because I forgot the green onions and the store didn’t have Thai chili peppers.I used chives from the garden and special red pepper flakes as stand-ins which worked well. I also doubled the sauce and drizzled some on the endive spears as well as making the crab mix creamer. Served this as a main course. My husband and I loved it and will definitely make it again.