Spicy Kani Salad Recipe (Crab and Cucumber) (2024)

This Kani Salad recipe tastes like the side dish you’d order at a Japanese Steakhouse. Thin crab strips with julienned vegetables, a spicy mayonnaise dressing served with crunchy panko breadcrumbs, the perfect combination of flavors.

Add chicken gyozas or our pork potstickers to your dinner, and you’ll feel like you’re at a restaurant.

SPICY KANI SALAD RECIPE-

This Japanese Kani Salad made with thin strips of crab and cucumber and tossed in a spicy dressing is absolutely phenomenal. It’s hard to believe that the salad only requires 3 simple ingredients and the dressing.

What is Kani Salad? Kani salad gets its name from the main ingredient in the salad which is imitation crab meat (also known as Surimi). Kani is widely used in Japanese sushi restaurants, especially in America.

Kani Salad Video Recipe-

Watch Valentina make the popular Kani Salad, and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

INGREDIENTS-

Spicy Kani Salad ingredients are quite simple and may all be easily found at your local grocery store.

• Crab Meat– Imitation crab sticks work great, but you can use leftover crab meat.
• Cucumbers- Fresh cucumbers, mini cucumbers, or an English cucumber will work.
• Panko crumbs– The toasted panko crumbs add texture to the salad.
• Dressing– We made our own dressing, so easy and delicious.

Variations-

• Mango– In many restaurants, mango slices are added to the salad for a slight sweetness. Perfect when fresh mangos are in season!
• Carrot– You can add thinly julienned carrot to the salad as well. Just keep the cut similar to the remaining ingredients.
• Tobiko– Feel free to add some tobiko to your salad, we normally don’t, but we see it’s quite popular!

HOW TO MAKE KANI SALAD-

Though this salad is absolutely EASY, the prep time is slightly longer than everyday salads because we want the crab and cucumbers really thin. Be patient; it will be worth it.

1. Make spicy mayo– In a medium bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the Spicy Mayo dressing, or use store-bought spicy mayo.
2. Cut cucumber– Julienne cucumbers thinly; in my opinion, the thinner you cut the cucumber, the better the salad.
3. Cut crab- Pull apart the crab meat into thin strands, as thin as you can get them.
4. Combine– In a large bowl, combine the cucumbers and crab. Add the dressing and toss to combine. Add in the panko crumbs, lightly toss again and serve. Optional, add sesame seeds when serving.

Frequently Asked Questions-

I hope this Japanese crab salad becomes a new favorite and is enjoyed as a side salad for dinner or whenever you are enjoying sushi.

More Asian recipes:

Oh, how we love Asian Recipes, so so good! Here are some popular dishes that we often make in our home.

• Chicken Teriyaki
• Mongolian Beef
• Chicken Lo Mein
• Beef Stir Fry
• Chicken Lettuce Wraps
• Chicken Fried Rice