Wondering what to do with imitation crab? This guide covers how to pick it, cook it, store it, and swap it, plus 10 recipes to put it to work.

What is imitation crab?

Imitation crab is not crab at all. It is surimi: a paste of mild white fish, usually Alaska pollock, that is rinsed and ground into a smooth dough, then flavored and colored to mimic the taste and look of crab leg meat.

The dough is shaped into sticks or flakes, sometimes whole chunks, with the familiar orange-on-white stripe painted along one edge. Most products are sold fully cooked, so they are ready to eat straight from the package with no further cooking needed.

It is cheaper than crab and stocked year-round in the refrigerated seafood case. The flavor is mild and a little sweet, the texture springy rather than flaky, which is the giveaway that it is not the real thing.

How to Use Imitation Crab

Because it comes cooked, imitation crab needs only to be warmed through or used cold. It is at its best in no-cook dishes, where you simply flake or chop it and fold it in.

The everyday use is a quick crab salad, like Crab (Imitation) Salad, where chopped sticks are bound with mayonnaise and seasoning for sandwiches and wraps. Pull the sticks apart along their grain and they separate into natural shreds.

It is the standard filling for a California roll, sitting alongside avocado and cucumber in sushi. It also melts into hot, creamy dishes. Think dips and pasta bakes, chowders such as Low-Fat Crab Chowder, or seafood enchiladas like Seafood Enchiladas with Cream & Tomatillo.

When you do cook it, keep the heat brief. Imitation crab is already cooked, so long exposure to high heat only makes it rubbery and squeaks against the teeth. Add it near the end of a hot dish, just long enough to warm.

Pairing and Common Mistakes

Imitation crab leans sweet and mild, so it pairs naturally with the flavors that flatter real crab: lemon, dill, chives, Old Bay, and a creamy base of mayonnaise or cream cheese. A pinch of acid keeps it from tasting flat.

It loves melted cheese, which is why it works in canapes like Crab-Melt Canapes and on a Seafood Pizza Primavera. The mild flavor takes a backseat and lets a rich, cheesy base lead.

The biggest mistake is treating it like real crab in a recipe meant to feature the seafood. In a delicate crab cake or a butter-poached preparation, the difference in flavor and that springy texture stand out plainly.

Save imitation crab for dishes where it is bound up with other ingredients.

The second mistake is over-salting. Surimi already carries a fair amount of added salt, so taste before you season the dish.

Imitation Crab vs Real Crab and Substitutes

The honest substitute is real crab, and the swap goes either direction. Lump or backfin crabmeat gives you true sweet flavor and a tender, flaky bite, at several times the price; use it when the crab is the star.

For another budget swap with a similar mild profile, cooked and chopped small shrimp work well in salads and dips. Flaked cooked pollock or another mild white fish gets you close to the surimi base without the crab flavoring.

In a pinch, canned crab or canned tuna can stand in for a crab salad, though tuna brings a stronger fishy note. None of these match the springy, sliceable texture of imitation crab exactly, but each fills its role in a mixed dish.

Buying and Storing Imitation Crab

You will find it in the refrigerated seafood section as whole sticks or flake-style shreds. Check the label if shellfish allergies are a concern: many brands add a little real snow crab extract for flavor, and surimi often contains wheat or egg white as a binder.

Refrigerated imitation crab keeps unopened until its printed use-by date, typically a couple of weeks. Once opened, store it airtight and use within 3 to 5 days.

It freezes, but not gracefully. Thawed imitation crab turns watery and loses its springy bite, so freeze it only if it is headed into a cooked dish like a chowder or casserole rather than a cold salad.

Thaw it in the fridge and drain off the excess liquid before using.

Quick facts

In Chinese

仿蟹

British (UK) term

Imitation crab

en français

simili-crabe

en español

cangrejo de imitación

Recipes using imitation crab

There are 10 recipes that contain this ingredient.

All 10 recipes