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Kani Salad (Japanese Crab Stick Salad)

The creamy-spicy salad from every sushi restaurant's appetizer menu — 5 ingredients that matter, 10 minutes, no cooking.

Kani salad succeeds or fails on two techniques: shredding the crab sticks by hand into fine strands (never chopped coins — the strands are what hold the dressing) and salting and squeezing the cucumber so the salad stays creamy instead of turning watery in the fridge. Get those right and it tastes exactly like the restaurant version.

Ingredients (serves 4)

  • 8 oz imitation crab sticks — stick or leg style shreds best (brand picks)
  • 1 large English cucumber, julienned
  • 1 small carrot, julienned (optional, for color)
  • ⅓ cup kewpie (Japanese) mayonnaise
  • 2 tsp sriracha (adjust to taste)
  • 1 tsp rice vinegar, ½ tsp toasted sesame oil, pinch of sugar
  • Toasted panko or tobiko to finish (optional but very worth it)

Method

  1. Shred the kani. Pull each stick apart lengthwise with your fingers into thin strands.
  2. Prep the cucumber. Julienne, toss with a pinch of salt, rest 5 minutes, then squeeze firmly in a clean towel.
  3. Make the dressing. Whisk the mayo, sriracha, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and sugar.
  4. Combine. Fold everything together gently to keep the strands long. Top with toasted panko or tobiko. Serve chilled; best within 24 hours (see storage guide).

Why kewpie mayo matters

Kewpie is made with egg yolks and a touch of MSG, which gives the dressing its distinctive richness — American mayo works, but the flavor is noticeably flatter. A squeeze bottle lasts months in the fridge and upgrades every recipe on this site.

Get kewpie mayo → Julienne peeler (60-second prep) →

Variations

  • Lighter: half mayo, half Greek yogurt — or go mayo-free with our kani cucumber salad.
  • Heartier: add ripe avocado and sweet corn.
  • Spicier: swap sriracha for gochujang and add shichimi togarashi on top.

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