Kani salad is one of Japan’s most popular and loved salads. It’s a simple combination of imitation crab meat and cucumber, mixed in a sweet and tangy Kewpie mayo dressing. This salad can be served as a side dish, a snack, or as a filling for sushi rolls. It makes a wonderful side dish to any Japanese or Western meal and is also kid friendly!
About This Recipe
Kani salad, or kanikama salada (カニカマサラダ), is a simple salad made of imitation crab sticks, thinly sliced vegetables such as cucumber, carrots, or cabbage in a creamy mayonnaise based dressing. Japanese crab salad is found in konbini (convenience stores) and supermarkets across Japan, and is often served at home as part of a family meal.
My recipe is the classic version and only requires 7 ingredients and 15 minutes to make.
Table of contents
Ingredients Needed
- Cucumber: Japanese cucumbers are preferred because they are thin and long and contain little seeds. This makes them crunchy because they are less watery. If you cannot find a Japanese cucumbers, use half an English cucumber or a large Kirby cucumber.
- Imitation Crab Meat: For the classic Japanese version you’ll want imitation crab meat. Sticks work best for shredding. Look for crab sticks at grocery stores in the refrigerated or frozen sections. Japanese and Korean grocery stores tend to have options with great flavor and texture. That said, if you prefer real crab, you can use it. Just keep in mind that the flavor and texture won’t be the same as the iconic Japanese preparation.
- Shallot: Finely minced shallot adds both texture and a sharp contrast to the sweetness and saltiness. Minced red onion works as well.
- Dressing: A simple mixture of Kewpie mayonnaise (Japanese mayonnaise), soy sauce, rice vinegar and black pepper. If you don’t have rice vinegar handy, apple cider vinegar works in a pinch.
Recipe Variations
- Make it spicy. Add 1 tablespoon of sriracha sauce to the dressing, or more if you like it very spicy.
- Make it smoky. Add 1 teaspoon of gochugaru (dried Korean chili pepper flakes).
- Make it nutty. Add 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil to infuse the dish with some nuttiness.
- Add extra umami. My Japanese mother likes to sprinkle a pinch of dashi powder to her crab salad to make it more savory.
- Make it luxurious. To elevate this salad, top it with a small scoop of salmon roe or tobiko (flying fish roe).
Kewpie Mayo Recipe Video
How to Make This Kani Salad
Scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe.
- Finely slice the cucumber. Take the slices, place them in the palm of your hand and gently squeeze out the excess liquid.
- Lightly shred or chop the imitation crab.
- Place the imitation crab, minced shallots and sliced cucumber in a mixing bowl and set aside.
- Mix the ingredients for the dressing in a separate bowl and pour the mixture over the salad. Toss well and serve.
Using Kewpie Mayonnaise Over Regular Mayonnaise
Yes, you can technically make this salad using regular mayonnaise but I highly suggest finding Kewpie mayonnaise if you can. That’s because it has a unique taste – very eggy, savory and almost fruity – so the end result is a salad that is layered with various flavors.
Expert Cooking Tip
Cold is best: Kani salad tastes best when served cold. Therefore, I recommend leaving it in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours before serving.
Storage
Refrigerate any leftover crab salad in a storage container for up to 2 days.
- Eat leftovers cold, right out of the fridge. Do not microwave.
- If leftovers become watery from sitting in the fridge (darn cucumber), empty the pooled liquid and mix in an extra teaspoon of Kewpie mayo and a dash of soy sauce for a kani salad that tastes like you literally just made it.
Frequently Asked Questions
No it’s not because it contains soy sauce. However, it can easily be made gluten-free – you just need to swap regular soy sauce for gluten-free soy sauce or tamari sauce.
Imitation crab meat is made from surimi, a sticky paste made from different types of fish that have been pounded and combined with binders (starch, soy protein and egg whites). That seafood paste is then seasoned with salt, sugar, msg, and other seasonings. Finally, it’s formed into different shapes, and cooked or cured.
You can actually use either. But in Japan, this salad is made almost exclusively with imitation crab. It’s held in pretty high regard for both texture and taste. While I don’t know the exact reason – I’d hazard a guess that imitation crab is cheaper, easier to find and can be purchased all year round. And canned crab can be very mushy, grainy and watery, which might dilute the taste of the dressing.
While thinly sliced cucumbers absorb the flavor of the dressing and give the salad a delicate crunch, they’re not for everyone. Other common veggies used in crab salad include julienned carrot strips, shaved cabbage, lettuce, sprouts and sweet corn kernels. Some people even add thinly sliced mango for a pop of sweetness.
What to Serve With Kani Salad
Make a Japanese feast with these easy traditional recipes:
- Tekka Don – Japanese Tuna Bowl
- Nasu Dengaku – Eggplant With Miso Glaze)
- Easy Homemade Miso Soup
- Blistered Shishito Peppers
- Edamame With Soy and Sesame Sauce
Other delicious and easy salad you might like to try: Shiraae (mashed tofu salad), wood ear mushroom salad, gomae (spinach salad with sesame sauce), Korean spicy daikon salad, seaweed salad, Korean bean sprout salad.
Did you like this kani salad recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
Kani Salad – カニカマサラダ
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 people 1x
- Category: Salads
- Method: Mixed
- Cuisine: Japanese
- Diet: Low Calorie
Description
This is a light and creamy Japanese crab salad that can be served as a side or a snack.
Ingredients
- 1 Japanese cucumber or 1/2 English cucumber, sliced thin (use the thinnest setting if you are using a mandolin)
- 3 ounces imitation crab (finely chopped lengthwise)
- 2 tablespoons shallot (minced)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons Japanese kewpie mayonnaise or regular mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Spicy Kani Salad:
- Use all the ingredients from above plus 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce or more.
Instructions
- Remove excess water from the sliced cucumber: Take cucumber slices in the palm of your hands and squeeze out as much water as you can – be careful not to break the slices.
- Cut the crab: Lightly shred or chop the imitation crab and set aside.
- Put the salad together: Put cucumber, shallot, and imitation crab in a bowl and toss.
- Make the dressing: In a separate bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, rice vinegar, soy sauce and black pepper, until smooth. Add sriracha sauce at this point if you are making the spicy version.
- Add the dressing to the salad: Pour the dressing over the cucumber, shallot, and fake crab meat. Stir well until the vegetables and crab meat are evenly coated. Serve.
Notes
This Kani Salad will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 100
- Sugar: 4.6g
- Sodium: 600.2mg
- Fat: 4.4g
- Saturated Fat: 0.8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 11.2g
- Fiber: 0.8g
- Protein: 4.1g
- Cholesterol: 11.5mg
I made this recipe this morning and it is delicious! I used it as a filling for wraps. I added a tsp of Chili Crisp for a little kick! I am looking forward to making more of your recipes.
This is my most favorite Kani recipe salad that I’ve found. I like it spicy & I added a pinch of “Everything Bagel” seasoning to my bowl. It makes for a great snack! LOVE IT! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Made a nice tasty dish. Love the fact you have the ability to scale the recipe for how many one is feeding. Thanks for a keeper!
The kaitenzushi restaurant chain I used to go to in Nagoya had a finely diced version of this that they would place on top of a gunkanmaki style sushi, and I loved it! I’m looking forward to trying this as well just as a light salad on its own.
I know exactly what you are talking about Robin, it’s delicious! I think this might taste close to what you had, let me know!
My (Japanese) mom used to make this all the time! And now I make it. 🙂 Like your mother, my mom had to improvise all the time because of limited access to Japanese ingredients. Fortunately in her later years, my parents lived near a big Japanese supermarket so she could get pretty much anything she needed.
Oh my gosh, this looks soo yummy! I had to add this to my grocery shopping list for this week. 🙂
And Botan Rice and Milky candy are the best! Especially the Botan Rice ones. Not only did they taste good, but they had those great little toys tucked away inside (though now I think they’re stickers? Will have to buy some and see)! 🙂