This crab roll recipe is easy to follow and makes a fresh-tasting lunch that’s full of flavor.
Do you love the taste of lobster roll but find it a hassle to prepare? Then this crab roll recipe is for you!
It is much easier to prepare than lobster roll but every bit as tasty. The juicy, sweet crab meat contrasts beautifully with the zesty mayonnaise dressing, creating a filling and wholesome lunch or a centerpiece at your next BBQ!
What sort of crab do I need?
This recipe is versatile and you can use either fresh, frozen or canned crab to prepare it. If possible, go for fresh – it has an unbeatable flavor and texture.
It calls for lump crab meat, which is white. Lump crab meat is made up of small, broken pieces of jumbo lump meat, plus other small pieces of body meat. Its flavor is delicate, so it’s just perfect for dishes like this, or for seafood salads.
You may also come across jumbo lump crab meat in the store. It tastes wonderful and has a fabulous meaty texture, but it is more expensive than lump crab meat and is best appreciated by itself. Since this recipe involves coating the crab with a mayonnaise dressing, the basic lump crab meat works perfectly well.
In a pinch, you could use backfin, which is cheaper still. It doesn’t include any leg meat and is made up of flakes of body meat.
We would recommend avoiding claw meat for this recipe. As the name implies, this is sourced from the fin and claws of the crab and is dark in color. It also has a very strong flavor. Whilst that strong taste is great for dishes like crab soup or bisque, it doesn’t work as well in this crab roll recipe, which should have a light, fresh flavor.
Related: Learn how to eat soft shell crab.
More recipes with crab
Crab Roll Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1/2 cup Fine Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 medium Carrot shredded
- 1/2 medium Red Onion thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup slices Radishes
- 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
- 1 zest and juice from one Lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon Hot Sauce optional
- 4 Brioche Buns
- 12 ounces Fresh Lump Crab Meat
- 3 tablespoons Chives fresh, minced
- 1 pinch of Salt to taste
- 1 dash of Cracked Black Pepper to taste
- 4 Lettuce Leaves
Instructions
- Heat the vinegar and sugar together in a non-reactive saucepan. Simmer gently, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the salt, set aside and leave to cool.
- In a large stainless steel or glass bowl, mix the carrot, red onion, and radish together, then pour the cooled vinegar over the top. Set aside, covered, for 4 hours.
- In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise with the lemon juice, zest, and hot sauce (if using).
- Toast the brioche rolls lightly.
- Check the crab meat for any pieces of broken shell then mix with the mayo and chives. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Put a couple of salad leaves into each roll and pile the crab meat on top. Dress with pickles and serve.