Easy Seafood Salad

While there are many variations of seafood salad, this one goes for classic and clean. It’s just the goodness of the shrimp, crabmeat (real or imitation), citrus and diced onion. It’s similar to ceviche  in this way although it’s not quite as acidic.

If you make this and love it, explore more seafood salad recipes—They’re almost always delicious and quick to whip up. That’s why they’re a standby lunch or potluck dish for so many.

Ingredients for Seafood Salad

• Orange: Just a little orange goes a long way in this seafood salad. Both Valencia and Florida navel oranges tend to be juiciest.
• Lemon: Bright, herbaceous and tart lemons give the flavors in this recipe a lift.
• Lime: This citrus has bitter undertones which helps to balance out the sweetness of the orange.
• Shrimp: Peeled and deveined shrimp are easiest to work with. As one of the most eaten seafoods in America, it’s helpful to learn about the types of shrimp and how to choose the right ones.
• Crabmeat: While the real thing is great, don’t sweat it if you want to go with the more economical imitation crab meat.
• Onion: Both sweet and purple onions are used in this recipe. You can use some extra citrus juices to quick pickle the onions beforehand.
• Lettuce: Romaine, butter and little gem lettuce are all wonderful options. You can create a bed using whole lettuce leaves or shred it for easy eating.
• Crackers: Crackers are one of the ultimate utensils! Use any brand or homemade crackers.

Directions

Step 1: Zest and juice the citrus

Zest the orange to your desired amount using a microplane or the fine side of a grater. Transfer the zest to a clean bowl. Next, cut the orange in half and squeeze all of its juice into a separate and clean bowl. Repeat these steps with the lemon and lime.

Editor’s Tip: You can place the zest from all the citrus into one bowl and the juice from all the citrus into the other.

Step 2: Add the shrimp and crabmeat

Toss the coarsely chopped shrimp and crabmeat into the bowl with the citrus juice. Next, add the onion.

Editor’s tip: You can use any cooking method that suits your tastes and time for the shrimp. Sauteing, baking, broiling or grilling all make great options.

Step 3: Plate and serve

Create a bed of lettuce on your serving dish using whole or shredded leaves. Spoon the seafood salad over top and serve with crackers.

Editor’s tip: Feel free to reserve a few extra pieces of whole shrimp to top this dish with.

Seafood Salad Variations

• Add a dressing: While this recipe is ultra light and simple, you can dress it up with your choice of condiment. For example, a spoonful of mayo and squeeze of hot sauce may do the trick. You can also peruse other homemade salad dressing recipes.
• Use herbs and seasonings: Dill, parsley or cilantro work well in this seafood salad. Think seafood friendly cuisines like Cajun and Creole when it comes to seasoning. You can also go for Old Bay, a Maryland favorite.
• Layer-in other meats: Of course, other seafoods like lobster, scallops and salmon are natural extensions of this recipe. But why not try other meats? Chopped bacon gives a distinctly American style and chicharron provides a Latin twist.

How to Store Seafood Salad

Place any leftovers in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to three days. Citrus does help to preserve food but overall we suggest not to push it. You may also want to store the fresh lettuce in a separate container so it stays crispy and fresh.

Can I freeze seafood salad?

Place the seafood salad in an airtight container and keep in the freezer for up to three months. If you’ve made this recipe with mayo avoid freezing it. Mayo is prone to separating which can cause the texture of this recipe to go awry.

Seafood Salad Tips

What is imitation crab meat made of?

A fish paste, known as surimi, is typically combined with starches, salt, sugar and egg whites. This helps it achieve the right texture and flavor so it can be used in an array of imitation crabmeat recipes.

What not to do when cooking shrimp?

The main snafu to avoid is overcooking the shrimp. Generally speaking, they don’t need more than five minutes to finish. Check that their color has turned a little pink and their shape is a little curved just to be sure.

What to eat with seafood salad?

Crackers are classic, but you can easily spread this seafood salad on a buttered roll, serve it in the pit of an avocado or toss it into pasta salad.