Kani Salad (Easy Japanese Crab Salad)
A quick and easy Japanese crab salad with imitation crab, crunchy veggies, sweet mango, and a creamy dressing.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Toss
- Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the Salad
- 8 ounces surimi leg style imitation crab meat (crab stick)
- 1/2 of an English cucumber*
- 1 ripe mango
- 1 green onion, white and green parts
- 1/2 cup corn kernels (from frozen, canned, or fresh cut)
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (white or black)
For the Dressing
- 2 tablespoons kewpie mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon mirin (rice wine)
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
Instructions
- Wrap the crab sticks in paper towels or a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out any extra moisture. Then, use your hands to shred the crab stick into uniform strands.
- Julienne the cucumber into thin sticks. Leave the peelings on.
- Peel and dice the mango and slice the white and green parts of the green onion.
- Add the dressing ingredients to a large mixing bowl and whisk together for a smooth dressing.
- Add the shredded crab, cucumber sticks, diced mango, green onion, corn kernels, and sesame seeds to the bowl of dressing and toss to combine.
Notes
*See the full post for information on choosing and cutting a cucumber for this salad.
Optional Toppings
- Extra sriracha to make it as spicy as you like
- Sliced avocado
- Masago or tobiko roe
Make Ahead and Storage
- Prepare the ingredients up to 12 hours ahead. Refrigerate the components. Keep the dressing separate and combine just before serving.
- Refrigerate leftovers for up to 2 days. The cucumber will start to lose its crunch over time. Stir before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 199
- Sugar: 18.3 g
- Sodium: 600.6 mg
- Fat: 7.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 29.2 g
- Fiber: 2.8 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 14.2 mg
