Surimi & Imitation Crab Recipes

Imitation crab is already cooked, so most of these come together in under 30 minutes. Start with the kani salad — it's the gateway dish.

Cold & no-cook

10 min
Kani salad
The definitive recipe with spicy kewpie mayo and crunchy cucumber. Our most popular page.
10 min
Kani cucumber salad
Lighter, mayo-optional take with rice vinegar and sesame.
10 min
Seafood salad sandwich
Deli-style seafood salad for sandwiches, wraps, and crackers.

Sushi & rolls

30 min
California roll
Step-by-step inside-out roll with a beginner-proof rice method.
40 min
Sushi bake
Casserole-style California roll, scooped with seasoned nori sheets.
20 min
Crab stick tempura
Battered, fried kanikama — crispy outside, juicy inside.

Hot mains

20 min
Creamy crab pasta
Garlic-cream sauce, a squeeze of lemon, weeknight-fast.
15 min
Crab fried rice
Day-old rice, eggs, scallions, and shredded surimi.
30 min
Imitation crab cakes
Budget crab cakes that hold together and brown beautifully.
30 min
Crab mac & cheese
Sharp cheddar, surimi, toasted panko top.

Appetizers & soup

25 min
Crab rangoon
Crispy wontons with cream-cheese crab filling, plus an air-fryer option.
15 min
Hot crab dip
Broiled, bubbling, gone in ten minutes at any party.
15 min
Kani miso soup
Miso soup upgraded with sweet strands of crab stick.

Stocking up? Flake-style is easiest for salads and dips; leg-style is best for rolls. Our brand guide matches products to recipes, and the tools page covers the one-time gear (a rolling mat, a rice cooker) that makes the sushi recipes painless.