Japanese crab salad, called kani sarada (カニサラダ), is a very popular dish from Japan. You will find it served in many Japanese restaurants inside and outside of the country. It is refreshing and so tasty. It is also very easy to make and comes together in just fifteen minutes.
Kani sarada is made with Japanese mayonnaise, which has a wonderful, silky texture and rich flavour. I think Japanese salad makes a great appetizer in the summer time since it is such a cool and refreshing way to start a meal.
For the colder months I recommend that you try Japanese persimmon tofu salad, another wonderful Japanese appetizer.
Ingredients
- Crab meat - imitation crab or real crab meat
- Cucumber - I used mini cucumbers
- Daikon - a Japanese white radish
- Japanese mayonnaise - Unlike American mayonnaise, which uses whole eggs, this mayonnaise uses only egg yolks to give it a delightful rich and custardy mouth feel. It also uses a beautiful blend of vinegars (such as rice, apple cider, red wine, and distilled) rather than just white vinegar.
- Salt
- Freshly grated black pepper
See the recipe card below for quantities.
Instructions
Julienne the cucumber (unpeeled) and daikon (peeled) into a bowl. Sprinkle with a bit of salt, then set the bowl in the refrigerator for ten minutes.
Loosen/shred your crab meat. If you are using imitation crab in stick form, cut it into pieces first. Put it into a mixing bowl.
When the time is up, remove the vegetable bowl from the fridge and fill the bowl with cold water to soak for a couple of minutes. Use your hands to squeeze the vegetables tightly to remove water and transfer them into the mixing bowl with the crab meat.
Add in Japanese mayonnaise, salt, and pepper to taste.
Mix everything together well.
Separate the salad into individual serving dishes. If desired, drizzle the salad with just a touch of soy sauce. It tastes great with or without.
Substitutions
If you aren't able to find any daikon radish, you can replace it in this recipe with more cucumber. But if you can get your hands on some, it adds a delicious element to this dish so I recommend using it.
I used imitation crab meat for this recipe. Take it up a notch with real, lump crab meat. Or, you could use canned crab meat in a pinch, as well.
I do not recommend that you substitute Japanese mayonnaise with American mayonnaise in this recipe. It will not taste the same at all.
Equipment
To julienne the vegetables in this recipe, I used my Japanese mandoline equipped with its julienne attachment blade. It makes this step so quick and easy to do!
Storage
I recommend enjoying your Japanese crab salad within a day or two. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Print📖 Recipe
Japanese Crab Salad
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 3 servings 1x
- Category: salad
- Cuisine: Japanese
Description
Japanese crab salad is a refreshing and tasty appetizer or side dish that is very popular in Japan. It's easy to prepare and takes just 15 minutes!
Ingredients
100 g cucumber, unpeeled
100 g daikon radish, peeled
salt
150 g imitation crab meat (or real crab meat)
2 tablespoons Japanese mayonnaise, or more to taste
pinch of salt
freshly grated black pepper
soy sauce (optional)
Instructions
Julienne the cucumber and daikon into a bowl. Sprinkle with a bit of salt, then set the bowl in the refrigerator for ten minutes.
Loosen/shred your crab meat. If you are using imitation crab in stick form, cut it into pieces first. Put it into a mixing bowl.
When the time is up, remove the vegetable bowl from the fridge and fill the bowl with cold water to soak for a couple of minutes. Use your hands to squeeze the vegetables tightly to remove water and transfer them into the mixing bowl with the crab meat.
Add in Japanese mayonnaise, salt, and pepper to taste. Mix everything together well.
Separate the salad into individual serving dishes. If desired, drizzle the salad with just a touch of soy sauce. It tastes great with or without.
Notes
I do not recommend that you substitute Japanese mayonnaise with American mayonnaise in this recipe. It will not taste the same at all.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 57
- Sugar: 3.7 g
- Sodium: 385.2 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Carbohydrates: 10.3 g
- Protein: 4.4 g
- Cholesterol: 23.3 mg
Keywords: Japanese crab salad, crab salad, kani sarada
Gillian says
Oh my goodness. I made this salad with real crab and I am in love with it. This will be my summer go-to. Great for entertaining.
Asha says
Thanks Gillian! This salad makes a great refreshing appetizer for the summertime. Especially with succulent, real crab.
Bernice says
I have been craving crab lately so this crab salad was a real treat. Even though I used imitation crab, if I closed my eyes I could just imagine eating this salad oceanside.
Asha says
Thank you, Bernice 💕
Colleen says
I buy Japanese mayonnaise for sushi, so I already had it on hand, and I used real crab. What a delicious and refreshing salad! I can't wait to make it again!
Asha says
Thank you, I'm so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Vanessa says
This salad is perfect for summer! I used real crab to make it extra special.
Asha says
Thanks so much!
Sean says
First of all - love the salad. Kani doesn't get enough love outside of Japan, and I wish it did. Secondly - YES to Japanese mayo. Honestly, it's the best mayo for everything. I don't even buy American-style mayo any more. Haha.
Thanks so much for sharing this, and cheers!
Asha says
Thank you Sean, I 100% agree with you on the Japanese mayo 😉
Cindy Mom the Lunch Lady says
This is one of my favourite salads to enjoy at our local chinese buffet. I just love the combination of sweet crab and savoury veggies and mayo.
Asha says
Thank you Cindy 🙂
nancy says
such a refreshing seafood salad! I made a big batch and we all enjoyed it especially during this heat wave!!
Asha says
Thanks so much, I'm so pleased that you liked it.