Kani Salad is the perfect Japanese dish, made with imitation crab, Japanese mayo, cucumbers, and carrots. Eat it alone or wrap it up into Kani Sushi for a perfectly easy dinner!
A few weeks ago I was experimenting with a homemade sushi night and was inspired to make Kani Sushi, a spicy crab roll! In my research of how to make Kani Sushi, I first had to learn how to make Kani Salad, the super simple crab salad that is wrapped up into the uramaki roll.
Kani Salad is often wrapped up into sushi, but it is also a common appetizer menu item on Japanese menus.
It’s made by shredding up imitation crab meat and then mixing it with Japanese mayo, sriracha, and seasonings. If the Kani Salad is being eaten on its own, cucumbers and carrots also get mixed into the bowl.
Sweet, spicy, salty, soft, and crunchy, this Kani Salad has a little bit of everything! Keep reading to learn how to make it.
Ingredients for Kani Salad
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
- Surimi (Imitation Crab Meat): It is easiest to buy this in sticks so that you can shred it with a fork, but chunk style will also work in a pinch.
- Japanese Mayo: Kewpie brand is the most common. Japanese Mayo is richer and creamier than American mayo because it is made using only egg yolks instead of whole eggs. If you need to use American Mayo as a last resort, you definitely can!
- Sriracha
- Seasonings: Salt, White pepper, Granulated sugar
- Carrots: Cut julienne. You can also use already cut matchstick carrots.
- Persian Cucumber: Also known as a mini cucumber. Cut julienne with the skin still on.
- Panko Breadcrumbs: Optional, for sprinkling on top.
Variations
Here are some ways you can adapt this recipe:
- Some recipes add soy sauce, tobiko, mango or corn. I tried to keep my recipe as simple as possible, but feel free to add these elements if they sound good!
- Add in some sesame oil for nutty notes.
- Add more or less sriracha to adjust the spiciness of your Kani Salad to taste.
How to Make this Recipe
Step 1: In a small bowl, combine the japanese mayo, sriracha, and seasonings to make the sauce. Whisk to combine.
Step 2: Pour the sauce over the crab, cucumbers and carrots and mix until everything is fully coated. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
FAQs
You can serve Kani Salad entirely on its own if you’d like! It’s delicious when eaten by itself. You can also cook up some rice and use quartered nori sheets to pick up scoops of rice, kani salad, and avocado. This will make bite sized pieces of Kani Sushi without going through the hassle of rolling up a roll!
Kani Salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. I do not recommend freezing it. If you are storing it, do not sprinkle with breadcrumbs until you are ready to eat.
If you tried this Kani Salad Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Did you like this Kani Salad recipe? If so, make sure to check out these other recipes I picked out just for you:
Kani Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 oz Surimi Sticks, Imitation Crab Meat
- ¼ cup Japanese Mayo
- 2 tbsp Sriracha
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ⅛ tsp White pepper
- ⅛ tsp Granulated sugar
- ½ cup carrots, julienne
- 1 persian cucumber, julienne
- 1 Tbsp Panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Run a fork lengthwise along your imitation crab to shred it.
- In a small bowl, combine the japanese mayo, sriracha, salt, white pepper, and granulated sugar. Whisk to combine.
- In a medium bowl, place the shredded crab alongside the carrots and cucumbers. Mix to combine.
- Pour the sauce over the crab mixture and mix until everything is fully coated. Sprinkle your Kani Salad with the panko breadcrumbs and enjoy!
Notes
- Surimi (Imitation Crab Meat): It is easiest to buy this in sticks so that you can shred it with a fork, but chunk style will also work in a pinch.
- Japanese Mayo: Kewpie brand is the most common. Japanese Mayo is richer and creamier than American mayo because it is made using only egg yolks instead of whole eggs. If you need to use American Mayo as a last resort, you definitely can!
- Carrots: Cut julienne. You can also use already cut matchstick carrots.
- Persian Cucumber: Also known as a mini cucumber. Cut julienne with the skin still on.
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