Meta Description:

This crab salad with pasta is creamy, refreshing, and easy to make. A perfect seafood recipe for potlucks, picnics, or a light family dinner.

Tired of the same old crab salad recipes? Discover our pasta-packed version with a secret ingredient that everyone will love. Click here to find out and cook right now.

Have you ever needed to have a very quick, but at the same time impressive and absolutely delicious snack at hand? Such a one that would work both as the head of the party table and as a hearty work lunch, at the same time? If yes, I have a solution for you. It’s called crab salad. But not just any – the very one that I have been refining over the years, trying to balance the creamy, velvety texture with a certain “edge” of flavor. We are all used to the imitation crab salad, but I say I’ve found the real gold medal recipe in terms of both preparation speed and taste: salad with crab sticks, pasta and sweet corn! This dish is just impossible not to love – it is so unbelievably easy to cook, and so good that the guests always ask where and how to get a second portion (and the recipe!). Enough of everyday salads – this thing will help you decorate your table with freshness, colors, and a crazy amount of taste! We always tend to think that there is something strong and especially tasteful in complicated and multicomponent things. And this, perhaps, is the simplest example of what we were talking about: combining a couple of simple, but necessary components available to any cook. So are you ready for a small culinary journey that will immediately become one of the favorite parts of your menu?

Crab Salad – the Recipe You Will Love

A salad with crab sticks, rice pasta, crunchy corn and fresh dill is the best choice for any time of the year. It takes no more than 15 minutes to prepare!

Why This Recipe Stands Out

The key to the success of this recipe is a perfect combination of flavors and textures. The combination of sweet imitation crab sticks with springy orzo pasta and crunchy corn pieces is just perfect. Fresh dill adds an unbelievable amount of freshness, and the mayonnaise and yogurt-based dressing will help to get a creamy, velvety composition. This is not just a new way to use fake crab – this is a whole dish, an obsession!

Ingredients You Need

The most magical thing about this salad is that, most likely, in your kitchen you already have all the necessary ingredients for its preparation!

Imitation Crab Sticks (Surimi): 8 oz (approx. 250g). The main protagonist of the dish! It’s better to take the ones with a more pronounced fish content, that is, of higher quality. Fun Fact: despite the name, the “fake crab” is not made from crab. It is a product made from minced white fish meat (usually pollock), which is then shaped like crab meat. More about it here (link to Wikipedia article).

Pasta: ½ cup (dry, uncooked; approx. 100g) of rice-shaped (orzo) pasta. The small size will help to make it a uniform component with the rest.

Canned Corn: 1 can (about 5 oz or 150g, drained). It is important that it is labeled “golden” or “super sweet”.

Eggs: 3 pcs, hard-boiled.

Red Onion: 1 small head. You can rinse it with hot water to remove some of the edge from the taste.

Dill: Half a bunch, finely chopped. Important, do not skip this ingredient, it will give the salad a completely different, intense level of freshness!

Mayonnaise: 3 tbsp. You can use any of your favorite, thick mayonnaise.

Plain Yogurt: 2 tbsp. Adds lightness and balance to the fatty mayonnaise.

Salt and freshly ground black pepper: to taste.

Step-by-Step Instructions (Recipe Card)

Prep time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

8 oz (250g) imitation crab sticks (surimi)

½ cup (100g) orzo pasta

1 can sweet corn, drained

3 hard-boiled eggs

1 small red onion

½ bunch of dill

3 tbsp mayonnaise

2 tbsp plain yogurt

Salt, pepper

Instructions:

Cook the Pasta: Cook the orzo pasta al dente according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water to keep them from sticking together.

Chop the Ingredients: Finely dice the imitation crab sticks, hard-boiled eggs and red onion. Finely chop the dill.

Combine: In a large bowl, mix the cooled pasta, diced crab sticks, eggs, onion, drained corn and chopped dill.

Season: Add the mayonnaise and yogurt. Mix everything gently, but thoroughly. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Chill: Put the salad in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow all the flavors to blend.

👉 If you enjoy refreshing and creamy salads, here are a few more recipes you’ll love:

• Quick Southwest Chicken Salad
• Gourmet Composed Salad Ideas
• Pineapple Cucumber Salad

Recipe Variations

Spicy Version: Add a teaspoon of spicy mustard (like Dijon) or a pinch of red pepper flakes to the dressing.

Lighter Version: Replace the mayonnaise completely with thick Greek yogurt and add a teaspoon of lemon juice.

With Other Add-ins: You can also add diced fresh cucumber for an extra crunch or a few capers for a salty kick.

What to Serve With This Salad?

Salad with pasta and crab sticks is very tasty on its own, but if you want to make a meal out of it, it also goes well:

On a bed of crisp romaine lettuce.

As a sandwich or wrap filling.

With crunchy garlic toast.

As a side dish to grilled meat or fish.

My Discoveries & Unique Tips 🤫

Over the years of cooking this salad, I have learned a couple of nuances that are better to know in advance. First of all, it’s about the dill – do not be shy and pour a lot, because this is the key to a special freshness that is able to balance the creaminess of the dressing. The second tip, if you want to make the salad even more royal, is to add one tart apple (Granny Smith or Antonovka, for example), grated on the large holes of the grater. The unusualness and juiciness of this addition will amazingly set off the sweetness of corn and surimi. There is another useful moment, which also relates to onion – I always chop it very finely and then let it soak for a couple of minutes in boiling water. It neutralizes its aggressiveness, after which only a delicate, sweetish aftertaste remains. And by the way, if you want to try something else, then, in the abundance of salads, do not forget about the faithful tuna salad – it, too, has already received all the well-deserved glory!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

🔹 FAQ Section

1. Can I use any other pasta instead of orzo?
   Absolutely! Any other small pasta shape will do, for example, stars or small shells. The main thing is that its size is approximately the same as the other ingredients.
2. How long does the crab salad keep in the fridge?
   You can store the salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for no more than 2 days. Since the product contains mayonnaise, it is not recommended to leave it at room temperature for a long time.
3. Can I make this salad without eggs?
   Yes, you can. The salad will still be very tasty, but, of course, it will lose some of its creamy texture and, accordingly, heartiness. However, you can replace eggs with diced avocado.

Q1: Can I use real crab meat instead of imitation crab?
Yes, you can definitely use real crab meat if you prefer a fresher and more delicate flavor. Real crab will make the salad taste richer and slightly sweeter. Just be sure to remove any shells and use lump crab meat for the best texture. Keep in mind that fresh crab can be more expensive but will elevate this dish.

Q2: How long does crab salad with pasta last in the fridge?
This crab pasta salad should be stored in an airtight container and will stay fresh for 2–3 days in the refrigerator. The flavors actually blend together nicely after chilling, making it even tastier the next day. However, avoid keeping it too long since seafood and mayonnaise-based dressings can spoil quickly. Always give it a stir before serving again.

Q3: What can I serve with crab salad with pasta?
This salad pairs wonderfully with light sides like garlic bread, fresh green salad, or grilled vegetables. It can also be served as part of a summer potluck or picnic alongside other cold salads. For a full meal, add it as a side dish to grilled chicken, fish, or even burgers. Its creamy texture balances beautifully with fresh and crunchy accompaniments.