Even if you’ve never added imitation crab to your grocery shopping list to cook with at home, if you frequent Japanese, Chinese, and other Asian-inspired restaurants, you’ve likely eaten your fair share of imitation crab recipes. So what is imitation crab, and how is it made? First developed in Japan in the 1970s as a more budget-friendly, ocean-safe alternative to crab meat, it rose in prominence in America during the 1980s and beyond. It’s now a staple on many menus—including tucked inside many sushi rolls like the California roll—and is sold at nearly every supermarket to allow home cooks to create imitation crab recipes at home.
What makes imitation crab different from the shellfish it was created to substitute? Here's everything you need to know about imitation crab, including where to find it on menus, how to use it in imitation crab recipes, and how its flavor and nutrition compare to real crab.
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What Is Imitation Crab Made Of?
While not real crab, imitation crab is made with natural fish protein. Most often, imitation crab is made of surimi, the flesh of white fish—commonly Alaskan Pollock, cod, or tilapia. The fish is deboned, minced into a paste, combined with other natural and artificial flavors, starch and/or egg whites (which work as thickeners), sugar, and salt, then heated and pressed into a tube shape that has a texture reminiscent of crab meat. Crab extract is sometimes added for flavor.
Surimi isn't just used for imitation crab. It also stars in fish sticks and breaded fish patties and has quite a long history in the culinary world. Japanese chefs dreamed up surimi more than 900 years ago, food historians estimate, as a way to cut down on food waste and make the most of leftover fish pieces.
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) requires that all surimi products use the term "processed seafood" or "fish protein" on the label or menu to distinguish it from real fish or seafood. Imitation crab must be labeled as such or as "crab-flavored seafood" or "surimi seafood."
Imitation crab offers several benefits over its classic crab competition:
- About ⅓ the cost of real crab.
- Doesn't require removing meat from the shell.
- Can help cut down on food waste and prevent any potential overfishing of crab (although catching sustainable white fish is still needed).
- Tastes very similar to real crab.
- Available in shredded, stick, or chunk form.
That said, real crab meat comes with several winning qualities, too.
- Less processed.
- Can buy it in a can, which comes pre-shelled and at a reasonably low price.
- Offers about three times as much protein as imitation crab, as well as more vitamins, minerals, and heart-healthy omega-3 fats.
Now that you know what imitation crab is made of and why you might want to try it, how can you tell if your crab is real or not? Similar to how plant-based meat crumbles taste and perform similarly to regular ground beef, it can be challenging to notice the difference. The best way is to look at the label, ingredient list, or restaurant menu, or ask your server. Imitation crab products should say "imitation" somewhere on the label, and the ingredient list should be longer than just "crab." Grocery stores and restaurants may also call imitation crab "crab sticks," "crab-flavored seafood," "surimi seafood," or "krab."
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What Is Imitation Crab Used for In Cooking?
You'll find imitation crab in seafood salads, sushi rolls, hotpots, and more on restaurant menus, and you can shop for it in the refrigerated or frozen section of your supermarket. It's pre-cooked, and no heating is required. There are a wide variety of hot and cold imitation crab recipes you can add to your menu at home. It’s already starring in fan-favorite and California Sushi Rolls, or try imitation crab to replace regular crab in any of these recipes:
- Crab Salad
- Roasted Corn and Crab Dip
- Pretzel-Crusted Air-Fryer Crab Cakes
- Gazpacho Crab and Pasta Salad
- Crab and Asparagus Frittata
- Crab Ravioli Filling
- Fast or Slow Crab Stuffed Peppers
- Crab Rangoons
- Easy Crab Bisque
How to Store Imitation Crab
After purchasing and before cooking imitation crab, store it in the refrigerator or freezer based on where you bought it. (Store at the same temp until ready to use. Thaw frozen imitation crab in the fridge overnight, then proceed with your imitation crab recipe.)
Unopened vacuum-sealed packages are usually safe to store in the refrigerator for up to two months or in the freezer for up to six months. Once opened, aim to polish off the imitation crab within three days. Loose imitation crab sold in trays in the seafood department should last three to five days in the refrigerator.
FAQs
Imitation crab is made with surimi, a paste made out of finely shredded or pulverized fish. After the fish is minced, it is heated and pressed into shapes that resemble meat from a crab leg. The resulting imitation crab looks similar to the original crab in its coloring and texture.
What is the difference between imitation crab and real crab? ›
Imitation crab is a highly processed food made by combining minced fish with starch, egg whites, sugar, salt, and additives to mimic the flavor, color, and texture of real crab meat. While it's significantly less expensive than real crab, it's also less nutritious.
What can I use imitation crab for? ›
It's already starring in fan-favorite and California Sushi Rolls, or try imitation crab to replace regular crab in any of these recipes: Crab Salad. Roasted Corn and Crab Dip. Pretzel-Crusted Air-Fryer Crab Cakes.
Is imitation crab cooked or raw? ›
Can you eat imitation crab raw? Yes. It is pre-cooked, so you are able to eat it straight from the package. Many people use it as part of a larger recipe though, adding it to cream of crab soup, crab Rangoon or crab salad.
Is imitation crab healthy? ›
Being a highly-processed, additive-rich, and less nutritious alternative to real crab, imitation crab has some of these drawbacks: Health concerns. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has assigned a "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) status to many of the additives that are used in imitation crabs.
Is imitation crab vegetarian? ›
Manufacturers add in some artificial flavoring and sometimes ingredients like starch, sodium, and MSG to the paste, then shape it to mimic the flesh of a crab. So imitation crab is considered pescatarian, but it is not vegetarian or vegan. It's often used in place of crab because of its affordability.
Why do people like imitation crab? ›
Why Was Imitation Crab Created? Even processed crab—packaged and sold in refrigerated containers or cans—can wield a heavy price tag. Imitation crab meat, on the other hand, is not only more affordable, but a serviceable substitute in sushi rolls, salads, and dips.
How long is imitation crab good for? ›
If you have a leftover opened package of imitation crab meat, store it in a refrigerator set at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). When it's properly stored in the fridge, it should be eaten within three days just like other varieties of fish, per the USDA.
Should I heat imitation crab? ›
Because it is already cooked, products like imitation crab and imitation lobster only need to be heated through when adding to dishes such as stir-fries, soups and casseroles.
How to tell if imitation crab is bad? ›
The most obvious sign that imitation crab has gone bad is a fishy smell, so toss it out if the odor is strong. Whenever leftovers look slimy or taste sour you can bet the imitation crab is past its prime and needs to go in the garbage, even if you haven't reached the sell-by date that's on the package.
An unopened and intact (still tightly vacuum-packed) package kept below 38°F can be kept until the 'use by' or 'sell by' date on the package. You should use the package or freeze it before the date on the package. If you freeze it before the use by date, you can store it frozen for up to nine months.
Does imitation crab have mercury? ›
Imitation crab meat checks both boxes, so it's safe to eat during pregnancy. Pollock, which is the fish of choice for makers of imitation crab meat, is a low mercury fish and pregnancy-safe in reasonable amounts (two or three servings per week).
What kind of fish is surimi? ›
Surimi is a white fish paste that is typically made from demersal fish (fish that live near the seafloor) like wild Alaska pollock, Atlantic cod, haddock, hake, and others. The fish is first deboned and washed, then minced into a paste.
What is crab paste made of? ›
While the exact recipe varies somewhat from region to region and brand to brand, crab paste is usually a mixture of fermented crab guts and roe cut with some kind of acid like vinegar or citrus and oil, which makes it a prime candidate for basting meats while they cook.
Can I eat imitation crab while pregnant? ›
Imitation crab is cooked, so it is usually safe for a pregnant woman to eat. However, it is crucial to ask if there are other raw products in foods, such as sushi, before eating them. Imitation crab is typically less expensive than real crab and contains pollock, egg whites, artificial flavoring, and sugar.
Can I eat imitation crab if allergic to shellfish? ›
Can someone eat imitation crab if allergic to shellfish? Likely not. This is because imitation crab typically contains 2% or less of king crab meat (shellfish) and also contains natural and artificial extracts of crab and lobster.
