This cold Seafood Salad comes together really easily and is great for a crowd. It's filled with bite-sized shrimp, flaky imitation crab, and fresh crunchy veggies. You only need 8 ingredients and less than an hour to make this recipe!
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A Refreshing Summer Salad
Seafood Salad can be pretty much anything you want it to be. In this version, I keep it budget-friendly by using frozen shrimp and imitation crab. Their mildly sweet flavor pairs well with fresh red onion and celery, creamy mayonnaise, smoky paprika, and fragrant dill. The end result: a creamy, tangy, lightly sweet, and full-of-texture mixed seafood salad that always gets rave reviews!
I love how versatile Seafood Salad can be too! My favorite way to enjoy it is with buttery crackers. This would be an amazing snack or appetizer at any gathering. But you can also turn it into a full meal by making a sandwich or roll with it, serving it on top of leafy greens, or adding in some pasta to make a Seafood Pasta Salad! The flavors are universal and go well with everything!
Is This Healthy?
In my opinion, this is a well-balanced meal. You have protein from the shrimp and crab and plenty of fresh vegetables. I also prefer to avoid refined oils (like sunflower, canola, peanut, or vegetable oil) and use an avocado-based mayonnaise instead.
Imitation crab meat often gets a bad reputation but it's a treat I like to enjoy every once in awhile. But it can be stuffed with filler or unnecessary ingredients so carefully check for a short and minimal ingredient list. Also make sure that pollock is the first ingredient and that it's sustainable by looking for the Marine Stewardship Council blue fish label.
This Seafood Salad recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free. With the right ingredients, it can also fit into a Paleo diet. Overall, I love this salad because it's a great source of lean protein and fresh vegetables!
Ingredients
This Seafood Salad uses a mix of shrimp and imitation crab to give you a classic seafood flavor that’s delicious and budget-friendly!
- Raw shrimp: At the grocery store, buy the frozen shrimp to save money (it's the same as the "fresh" ones on display). To thaw, place the frozen shrimp in a bowl of cold water until defrosted.
- Imitation crab: Usually made from pollock fish and has a mild flavor similar to sweet crab, but is much more affordable. I prefer the stick style over the flake but either will work in this recipe.
- Red onion: Adds a fresh, onion crunch.
- Celery: Adds garden-fresh vegetable flavor and crunch.
- Mayonnaise: The creamy base of this salad. I usually purchase an avocado-oil based, paleo (sugar-free) mayonnaise like Chosen Foods.
- Coconut sugar: Since my mayonnaise is sugar-free, I like to add a little sweetness to round out the flavors. Coconut sugar is my favorite because it's unrefined and plant-based.
- Paprika and dried dill: A touch of smokiness and grassiness to flavor the salad. Alternatively, you can use the classic Old Bay seafood seasoning.
How To Make It
For this salad, the only thing that needs to be cooked is the shrimp! The rest of the ingredients can be prepared and thrown into a bowl for easy mixing.
- Steam the shrimp. I recommend steaming as an oil-free cooking method. Poaching would work too but you'll lose some shrimp flavor to the water.
- Toss together the Seafood Salad. Add everything into a bowl and mix it together. It's truly that simple!
- Let sit in the fridge. The longer it sits in the fridge, the more the flavors meld together. I recommend a minimum of 30 minutes before serving.
Top Tips
- Cut the shrimp into bite-sized pieces. Keep everything in the salad a uniform size for easy eating and handling. Depending on the size of your shrimp, you may have to cut it into thirds, quarters, or more.
- Soak the red onion. One of my favorite tricks: soak chopped red onion in water for 5-10 minutes to remove some of the raw bite. This will make it much more palatable and prevent raw onion flavor from overwhelming the salad.
- Let the salad marinade for a couple hours. The flavors will marry the longer it sits in the fridge. I also prefer this salad cold so leave it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, but a good 1-2 hours would get best results.
Make It Yours
- You can use any combination of seafood you'd like - fresh crab meat, scallops, or lobster are classic components in Seafood Salad!
- Use your favorite spices, dried or fresh. Old Bay seasoning is a classic, which is basically paprika and celery salt if you want to make your own blend.
- Try substituting the mayo with full-fat Greek yogurt. You can also do half-and-half if preferred.
- For a Japanese Seafood Salad twist, use Kewpie mayonnaise instead.
- To make this gluten-free, check your ingredients carefully. This dish is naturally gluten-free but some imitation crab products contain wheat.
- To make this paleo, use a paleo-complaint mayonnaise and substitute the imitation crab for fresh seafood.
Storing & Freezing
Storing: If you have leftover Seafood Salad, store it in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Freezing: I do not recommend freezing this salad due to the mayonnaise.
Make It Ahead: This dish is great to make in advance! I would recommend preparing it maximum 1 day in advance.
FAQ
Imitation crab is usually made from pollock, a mild white fish. It's minced into a paste and processed with other ingredients to mimic the appearance of crab. It usually doesn't have any crab in it.
Try Greek yogurt with a little dijon mustard or mashed avocado instead of mayonnaise.
You can serve Seafood Salad with crackers or raw vegetables. Or you can serve it sandwich style on hot dog buns, sandwich bread, pita bread, and rolls. It also makes a great pairing with a fresh green salad.
Looking For More?
I love this Seafood Salad recipe because it's incredibly quick and easy. Whether you're in search of a last-minute meal idea or don't feel like making a fuss, these easy recipes will be a lifesaver:
- Vietnamese Turmeric Fish with Dill (Cha Ca La Vong)
- Classic Cobb Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette
- One-Pot Creamy Chicken Gnocchi
- Instant Pot Chunky Beef Stew
- Winter Citrus Salad
📋 Recipe
Seafood Salad
Ingredients
- 8 oz raw shrimp peeled, deveined, and tails removed
- ½ red onion diced; about ½ cup
- 2 cups imitation crab cut into thirds and flaked or sliced into strips
- ½ cup celery diced
- ½ cup mayonnaise (see notes)
- ½ teaspoon coconut sugar (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon dried dill
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pour some water into a skillet or pot, making sure it doesn't touch the bottom of your steamer basket. Bring to a boil. Season shrimp with salt and pepper, place into steamer basket, and place basket inside skillet or pot. Cover with a lid and steam for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway. Carefully remove steamer and let shrimp cool, then cut into quarters. Alternatively, you could also boil or sauté the shrimp until cooked.
- Soak the diced red onion in water for 5 minutes to remove the raw bite. Then drain.
- To a large bowl, add cooked shrimp, red onion, imitation crab meat, celery, mayo, sugar (if using), paprika, dill, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix vigorously to flake the crab.
- Cover with plastic wrap. Let sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Season to taste. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Notes
- Mayonnaise: I like using an avocado-based, sugar-free mayonnaise. If yours contains sugar, you can omit the coconut sugar and add 1-2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice.
- Storing Leftovers: Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Freezing: I do not recommend freezing this salad due to the mayonnaise.
- Make It Ahead: This dish is great to make in advance! I would recommend preparing it maximum 1 day in advance.
- Substitutions:
- Substitute paprika and dried dill for ½ teaspoon Old Bay seafood seasoning.
- Use pre-cooked shrimp to save time. Just remove tails if needed and cut into bite sized pieces.
- To make this gluten-free, check your ingredients carefully. This dish is naturally gluten-free but some imitation crab products contain wheat.
- To make this paleo, use a paleo-complaint mayonnaise and substitute the imitation crab for fresh seafood.
Nutrition
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