My Classic Crab Rolls are loaded with fresh jumbo lump crabmeat gently tossed with a seasoned mayonnaise-based dressing. I love New England Lobster rolls and when someone told me I could get a crabmeat version of that New England Classic, I knew it was going to be love at first bite.
This easy-to-make crab roll recipe takes about ten minutes to make, and I promise it will be better than your favorite seafood restaurant.
Crab Rolls are definitely a big splurge, but making your own will reduce the cost by 50-75%. And trust me, my classic crab rolls are worth every penny of that splurge!
If you love a good lobster roll make sure to check out my New England Style Lobster Roll.
Ingredients to make Crab Rolls
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make my New England Crab Roll recipe. In Chef Speak, this is called the “Mise en Place,” which translates to “Everything in its Place.”
Not only does setting up your ingredients ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
Made with simple ingredients
- Split-top New England Style hot dog buns that are buttered and grilled are the classic way to serve this delicious crab salad sandwich. If you can’t find those, look for regular split-top hot dog buns. Pepperidge Farms makes a few different styles.
- Jumbo lump crab meat is used to make a true crab roll. Lump crabmeat and even claw will work, but using “special” would honestly be a waste of money, the stringy small pieces have little flavor and won’t make an attractive or flavorful sandwich.
- Celery, Shallots, and Chives add a savory flavor boost and a little crunch to the salad.
- Mayonnaise is the base of the dressing, so make sure to use a high-quality mayonnaise, like Hellman’s, Dukes, or Blue Plate.
- Lemon juice and Lemon Zest are the acidic components of the dressing that give the dressing a bright flavor.
- Fresh Italian Parsley adds a bit of color to the salad. Fresh dill can also be used if you enjoy that flavor.
- Old Bay seasoning is a must when making lobster rolls and crabmeat rolls. You can substitute salt and black pepper, but you’ll never know what your missing.
Do I have to use Old Bay Seasoning?
No, you don’t and purists would tell you New Englanders don’t use Old Bay seasoning, but Old Bay is freaking delicious with crab meat.
If you’d rather not use old bay, simply substitute about one-quarter teaspoon of black pepper and ¼ teaspoon of table salt (or to taste).
Some recipes include a few drops of hot sauce, but since I used old bay, there was no need to add it.
What kind of crab meat should I use to make Crab Rolls?
The best crabmeat for crab rolls is jumbo lump crab meat. I was fortunate enough to find Maryland crab meat which is the gold standard for crabmeat.
You can also use lump, claw, Dungeness, king, snow crab, or even (gasp) imitation crabmeat. Fresh crab meat is always better than frozen or pasteurized.
My main concern when buying crabmeat is the country of origin. If you’re buying pasteurized crabmeat there is a good chance it’s not from the United States.
Most pasteurized (cans) crabmeat, comes from Asian and Indian waters. Not only are these waters questionable in terms of cleanliness, these are not blue crabs. You’ll see blue swimming crabs on the label, but they’re not the same and they don’t taste the same.
How to make the best Crab Rolls
Add the mayonnaise, lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, chives, chopped parsley, and old bay to a medium bowl.
- Whisk to combine the ingredients for the mayonnaise mixture.
- Add the chopped shallot, and celery to the dressing.
- Stir until fully combined.
- Add the mayonnaise mixture to the crabmeat in a large bowl.
- Very gently fold the crabmeat into the dressing, so you can see the big lumps of crabmeat.
Serve the crab mixture on the split-top roll and garnish with a sprinkle of Old Bay and chopped Italian parsley. You can also use chopped fresh dill or fresh chives as a garnish on my Classic Crab Rolls.
- When I can find them I use New England-style hotdog buns, which have more of a white bread side to them. If you find this type of roll, melt some butter and brush it on the sides of the roll and lightly toast the buttered rolls. Serve the crab salad on the toasted bun for a taste of decadent deliciousness.
- Some people like to add a bib lettuce leaf to the roll before adding the crab salad. This is totally unnecessary but does add a little pop of color.
Recipe FAQ’s
Yes, it is. In order to pick the crabmeat from the body of the crabs it has to be cooked first. Fresh, pasteurized, canned and frozen crabmeat are already cooked and ready to eat.
Not at all. It’s a sad substitute for anything you want to make out of crabmeat. That being said, if it’s the only crabmeat available it will work, but the flavor and texture will not be the same.
Yes, you can prepare the crab filling in advance and store it in the refrigerator for 24 hours. However, it’s best to assemble the crab rolls just before serving so the rolls don’t get soggy.
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Best Crab Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 6 drops hot sauce optional
- 1 teaspoon old bay – or use salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoon shallot finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon chives fresh or freeze dried
- ¼ cup celery finely chopped
- 16 oz jumbo lump crabmeat (lump, claw, Dungeness, snow, king or imitation crab meat can be used)
- 6 top sliced hot dog buns – or New England Style hot dog buns if you can find them
- Italian parsley finely chopped for garnish. You can also use chopped fresh chives, or fresh dill as the garnish.
- Old Bay sprinkle as garnish – optional
Instructions
- Add the mayonnaise, chives, lemon zest, lemon juice, hot sauce, and old bay to a medium bowl.
- Whisk to combine the ingredients for the dressing.
- Add the chopped shallot, and celery to the dressing and stir until fully combined.
- Add the mayonnaise mixture to the crabmeat in a large bowl. and very gently fold the crabmeat into the dressing. Try not to break up the lumps of crabmeat.
- Serve the crab salad on top cut hot dog buns. When I can find them I use New England style hot dog rolls, which have more of a white bread side to them. If you find this type of roll, you should melt some butter and brush it on the sides of the roll and lightly toast the buttered rolls. This is true decadence.
- Some people like to add a bib lettuce leaf to the roll before adding the crab salad. This is totally unnecessary but does add a little pop of color.
- Garnish the crab rolls with a sprinkle of old bay and chopped parsley. This of course is optional.
Sam says
We can’t find Maryland crab meat where we live, so we ordered some from Maryland and it should arrive today. I know what we’re having for lunch! I noticed that in the recipe, chives are included in the ingredients, but they do not appear in the recipe. I’m assuming they are added in Step 1. Also, if one is not a big fan of onion, do you think shallots AND chives would be too much onion flavor? Would you omit one of them?
Chef Dennis Littley says
Thanks for catching that, yes it goes in step 1. If. you’re not a big onion fan, leave the chives out. The shallots are pretty mild, but you could leave those out too if you’d rather not have any onion flavor.
Sam says
Thank you Chef Dennis, we just made the best crab rolls ever! Other than omitting the chives, we followed your recipe exactly, including the buttered and toasted brioche split-top hot dog buns. We could definitely taste the difference between the fresh Maryland crab and pasteurized canned crab from Asia, but it also cost a not-so-small fortune to ship one pound of Maryland crab to Ohio. Nonetheless, we loved it! Five stars, thank you Chef!
Chef Dennis Littley says
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the crab rolls. You really can’t beat Maryland crabmeat for flavor.
Vicky Cornelius says
You have wonderful recipes! But the number of popups and flashing ads are annoying enough for me to spend very little time on your site. Have you considered getting rid of them? Thank you.
Chef Dennis Littley says
The ads are how I make money and able to keep posting new recipes. If I remove the ads I’d have to start charging for access to my recipes. If you want to bypass the ads, click on the jump to recipe button at the top of the page.
Hayley Dhanecha says
These crab rolls were simply amazing, so easy and simple recipe that can be done anyday. Can’t wait to make these again.
Jessica says
Thanks for the tips on what types of crabmeat to buy…now everything I have everything on my list and ready to go for a special dinner next weekend 🙂 Can’t wait!
Ann says
This crab roll recipe sounds so yummy! I have not made these at home before, so excited to give this recipe a try!
Lauren Michael Harris says
We love in crab-central so it’s much easier and cheaper than lobster to make these sandwiches with. My husband said this recipe is even better than lobster rolls – will make again!!
Sean says
Every time I visit my family on the east coast I have to eat one of these, I used your recipe to treat my family and they were amazing!
Sophie says
The combination of flavors is simply irresistible. Everyone loved these Crab Rolls, and I’m already looking forward to making them again!
Kathryn says
YUM! This is my kind of lunch. These crab rolls were pure perfection and totally hit the spot. Thanks so much for the delicious recipe!
Jacqueline Debono says
Love these crabmeat rolls. They are a luxury sandwich perfect for elegant picnics or outdoor lunches. We had them poolside along with some champagne for a birthday brunch!
Bernice says
Gosh, I wish I lived closer to the ocean! One look at these crab rolls and I had to try them out. However, I added cooked and chilled baby shrimp to make a shrimp roll and it was delicious! I can only imagine how amazing it is with real crab.
Elaine says
I made your delicious crab rolls this past weekend and everyone loved them. It’s so easy and tastes like you got them from a restaurant. Great recipe!!