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Summer is finally here, and a great way to get family and friends together is to enjoy the lovely weather by having a picnic lunch! I completely understand that when you’re eager to attend your picnic, you don’t want to spend forever prepping your meal, so a quick and easy sandwich can really save the day!
This is actually the first crab recipe I’ve got on the blog! I used to make lots of crab salad that was a filling for rainbow rolls at the restaurant I used to work at, so I’m no stranger to crab or even seafood in general. Trust me, I really have some memorable moments that were not so pleasant of handling shrimp for Shrimp Tempura, for example, so I don’t think handling this canned crab the worst thing in the world! However, if you’ve considered crab a pesky protein, then making this crab salad is an easy and delicious way to get out of your comfort zone, so I really encourage you to prepare these amazing crab sandwiches as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge! Get started on your cooking journey for free today by signing up to my email newsletter, plus all of my latest recipes will be sent directly to your inbox! Get started on your cooking journey for free today by signing up to my email newsletter, plus all of my latest recipes will be sent directly to your inbox!
Be sure to watch the video to follow along with making the best crab salad sandwiches to bring to your picnics this summer! If you’re not already, it would mean a lot to me if you could please subscribe to my YouTube channel, and don’t forget to press the bell button to be notified when all of my latest video recipes are live! Let’s get started!
What Protein Do I Use for This Crab Meat Sandwich?▼
I used canned crab in chunks. I wanted to have real crab, so that’s why I went with it in a can since that’s the best I could find. This is also what we used when making the crab mixture for sushi at the restaurant I used to work at. You can also use imitation crab sticks for this recipe, however, I really wanted to use real crab since I just prefer the taste!
What Bread Do I use for These Crab Salad Sandwiches?▼
To top these sandwiches, I’m using potato buns from my local grocery store. From what I’ve seen in other crab sandwich recipes, buns and croissants are popular choices for making crab salad sandwiches. As I mention in my free motivational guide to explore your potential, Make Cooking Fun!, if you’ve got either a croissant or any type of burger buns on hand, then go ahead and use what’s already there! There’s no need to go buy out burger buns if you only need it for this recipe, unless you can buy individual buns. However, if there’s older bread in your house, I would recommend you save yourself the shopping trip and use what’s there! There’s no right or wrong choice of bread for these sandwiches - just the choice you make will give you a different experience each time. If you’ve got leftover hot dog buns from a BBQ, you could even use those to make a crab salad roll!
Tools Needed for Crab Salad Sandwiches
What Do You Put in a Crab Salad?▼
You can save the recipe for later and see all ingredients and their quantities by scrolling to the bottom of this post or by pressing the “Jump to Recipe” button for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card. The recipe card will also allow you to scale the recipe based on how many sandwiches you’re looking to make so that you’ve got enough ingredients to make sufficient crab salad to stuff all the sandwiches nicely!
- Crab: I used canned crab, but the imitation crab sticks will also work.
- Dill pickles: These are spicy jalapeño pickles I picked up from my grocery store. You can use any pickles of your choice here!
- Japanese mayo: While you can certainly substitute with regular mayonnaise, I prefer the flavor of Japanese mayo, so I recommend using Kewpie if you can find it!
- Green onions: Separate the white parts from the green.
- Butter: To toast the potato buns.
- Potato buns: I really like these because they’re super soft and taste so good, but feel free to use your favorite bun! I would also recommend brioche buns or some Texas-style white buns.
How to Make Crab Salad Sandwich
Drain any excess water from the can of crab and lightly squeeze the crab meat to drain excess water. Add the crab meat to a bowl.
Add the remaining ingredients except for the butter and buns to the mixing bowl and mix well.
Toast the buns.
Then spread the crab salad from earlier onto the toasted buns. Serve immediately or serve chilled for the perfect picnic lunch.
Variations
- Heat: Since my pickles were jalapeño-flavored pickles, I didn’t feel the need to add extra heat to my crab salad mixture. However, if you’re using regular pickles or just want even more heat, you could add a bit of sriracha sauce or even Hot Honey to the salad mixture!
- Extra protein: If you want, you could even add some slices of bacon!
- Herbs: You could also mix and match with chives, fresh dill, parsley or rosemary.
- Add-ins: You could add other classic sandwich toppings such as lettuce leaves, tomato slices, onion slices, and/or avocado slices.
- Bread: You can technically use whatever bread you want to make these sandwiches, but
Tips to Make Seafood Salad Sandwich Recipe Picnic Perfect
- Mayo: For the best and creamiest results, I strongly encourage you to use Japanese mayo in the crab salad mixture.
- Prevent sogginess: For the best texture, ensure you have drained most of the moisture from the canned crab to make sure the salad clings to the sandwich.
- Chill or toast: This sandwich will be delicious either served immediately or chilled to bring to a picnic, or even as a special work lunch!
- Crunch: You could also add in some chopped celery for added texture.
- Season: Old Bay seasoning or a squeeze of lemon juice can further enhance the crab flavor.
- Make this sandwich a melt: You can add some slices of Gruyère or Swiss cheese and grill the sandwich until the cheese is nice and molten.
How to Store These Sandwiches
The Crab Salad
If you’ve got extra crab salad filling, be sure to transfer it into an airtight container and store in the fridge. Due to the fish and the mayo in here, I wouldn’t recommend keeping it in the fridge for longer than 3 to 4 days. Also keep in mind that the longer you keep the crab salad mixture, the more likely it is to become soggy.
The Sandwiches
What makes this sandwich perfect is that you can prepare it in advance, and it keeps well in the fridge. It’s also easily portable, making it excellent to make for summer picnics. The best way to preserve your crab sandwiches is to tightly wrap them in plastic wrap. The assembled sandwiches will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. You can reheat them gently over a non-stick pan, in an air fryer, or enjoy them cold!
What Is Crab Salad?
Crab salad is the seafood cousin of tuna or chicken salad: crab meat bound with mayonnaise, seasoned, and studded with something crunchy and something sharp. What you use for the crab is entirely up to budget and occasion. Canned crab is what I reach for on a weekday and what this recipe is built around — it is affordable, already cooked, and perfectly good once drained. Imitation crab sticks work too and are sweeter and firmer. Fresh picked crab meat is a treat if you have it, and if you do, season it more gently so the crab still tastes like crab.
How to Season Crab Salad
Crab meat is delicate, so the seasoning is a balancing act rather than a dump-and-stir. Add in this order, tasting as you go:
- Salt and pepper first, and less than you think. The mayonnaise and pickles are already carrying salt.
- Old Bay seasoning is the classic American pairing with crab — half a teaspoon is plenty for a can.
- A pinch of paprika adds warm color without heat, which matters because crab salad can look pale.
- A squeeze of lemon juice at the end lifts everything and cuts the richness of the mayonnaise.
- Half a teaspoon of Dijon mustard is optional but worth trying — it adds a quiet tang and helps the dressing cling to the meat.
Getting the Crunch Right
Texture is what separates a good crab salad from a pasty one. Finely diced celery is the traditional choice and adds clean, watery crunch. The green onion in this recipe does double duty — the white parts go into the mixture for bite, the green tops go on at the end for color. If you like something sharper, a little finely diced red onion works in place of the whites, though I would rinse it under cold water first to take the edge off. And do not skip the pickles: they are the acidity that keeps the whole bowl from tasting flat.
More Ways to Serve Crab Salad
The toasted potato bun is the main event, but the filling is versatile:
- Spoon it into butter lettuce cups for a light, low-carb lunch — the leaves are sturdy enough to hold it and mild enough not to compete.
- Serve it with crackers as an appetizer, or over a simple green salad for a fuller plate.
- Turn it into a melt with a slice of Gruyère or Swiss and a few minutes in a hot pan until the cheese goes molten.
- For a picnic, keep the salad and the toasted buns in separate containers and assemble on arrival — that is the single best thing you can do to avoid a soggy sandwich.
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