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Simple, delicious and full of flavour, my Easy Crab Pate is a straight-forward recipe that is perfect for salads, light lunches, or elegant canapés. It is a great entertaining all-rounder.
To be fair, this recipe isn’t actually a paté, but it acts almost like one. You can serve it as a salad if you prefer – and when I do that I often add some of those lovely baby pasta shells cooked just to al dente along with a bit more mayonnaise. Or pile it on a piece of baguette, top with a nice slice of Swiss cheese and broil it until bubbly for amazing crab melts. Seriously there isn’t much you can’t do with my Easy Crab Paté from a culinary point of view. The recipe is easily doubled or tripled if you need a larger amount.
Easy Crab Pate Canapés
For canapés, just put small spoonfuls of this lovely paté on slices of cucumber or crackers. You can top them with a sprig or parsley or a thin slice of olive if you like. Or use my Easy Crab Paté to fill those ready prepared canapé shells you can buy in your local delicatessen. It also works really well in patty shells. The possibilities are pretty much endless.
Do you love crab as much as I do? Don’t miss all my tasty crab recipes! And if you are a fan of other seafood, Easy Crab Pate is just one of the easy seafood recipes on the blog for you to try.
Based On An Old Family Recipe
I’ve based this Easy Crab Pate on my late mom’s recipe for a seafood pasta salad. It always tasted amazing and I figured her seasonings would work well with crab too. I was right! It always makes me happy to be able to use one of mom’s recipes. I just wish I could tell her about it!
Easy Crab Pate Hints and Tips
Our local grocery store stocks packages of ready prepared crabmeat year round so I always keep them on hand in the refrigerator to make Easy Crab Pate. If you are not as lucky as I am, a good fishmonger or seafood seller will prepare fresh crab meat for you. You can also use frozen or canned crab meat for a tasty, frugal alternative. Please do not use imitation crab meat, “crab” sticks or “seafood sticks”.
You can make my Easy Crab Paté a few hours ahead of time and assemble your dish or canapés at the last minute. However you choose to serve my Easy Crab Pate, I am sure you will receive rave reviews!
Easy Crab Pate – Printable Recipe
Easy Crab Pate
Ingredients
- ¾ cup white crabmeat, drained if from a can
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped celery
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped red pepper
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- generous squeeze of lemon
- salt and pepper
- 2 to 4 tablespoons mayonnaise I use Hellman’s Extra Light
- parsley, paprika or any other garnishes you like
Instructions
- Put the crabmeat, celery and red pepper in a bowl.
- Add the Dijon mustard, lemon, a good pinch of salt and a grinding of black pepper.
- Stir lightly together.
- Add the mayonnaise, a bit at a time, just until the mixture clings together nicely.
- Taste for seasoning.
- Serve as desired as a paté, in canapés, salads and sandwiches garnished with a bit of parsley or paprika if liked.
did you make this recipe?
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More Delicious Seafood Recipes
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This sounds great! I love that it’s based on a family recipe. We often have friends who give us fresh crab, and now I know what to do with it. Yummy! I’ve pinned this for later. Thanks!
Thank you, Debi, and thank you for pinning too 🙂
Perfect for a light meal especially now that temperatures are high here!
Thank you, Katerina. It really does make a lovely light meal!
What a lovely recipe this is.
Thank you, Patty 🙂
I love how easy this is. Great for quick meals or feeding unexpected guests.
Thank you, Joshua 🙂 It really is!
Light and lovely, your crab pate would make the perfect starter for Easter dinner or a light spring luncheon. Pinned, tweeted and shared…
Thank you so much, Linda, and a special thank you for sharing so generously too, my friend 🙂
Hi April,
I just pinned your awesome Crab Pate, this looks delicious! Hope you are having a great weekend and thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday!
Miz Helen
Hi Miz Helen, Thank you and also thank you so much for pinning! I hope you are having an wonderful weekend too 🙂
This looks so delicious April!
Thank you so much, Cris!
Pinning! Love that the dish is tweaked from your late-mother’s recipe <3 Food always tastes better when fond memories are involved.
Thank you so much, Kim, and thank you for pinning. I totally agree, food does taste so much better when fond memories are involved 🙂
Congratulations!
Your recipe is featured on Full Plate Thursday this week and we have pinned it to our features board. Enjoy your new Red Plate and thanks so much for sharing with us!
Miz Helen
Thank you so much, Miz Helen! I always enjoy Full Plate Thursday. Hope you are having a wonderful weekend!