Easy Imitation Crab Ceviche Appetizer (Ceviche de Jaiba)

Last Updated on June 1, 2025 by Sabrina Currie

It's summer and I've got ceviche on repeat! This easy imitation crab ceviche appetizer (ceviche de jaiba) is a family favorite and disappears fast every time. It's incredibly fast and easy to make (10 minutes), has no raw seafood and is healthy. It's a total winner and is great to take to potlucks and picnics.

Bowl of prepared crab ceviche that has finely chopped jalapenos, avocado, tomatoes, crabmeat, cilantro and red onion.

Why I Love This Recipe

I love the bright flavors of lime and cilantro with the heat of jalapeno. In this imitation crab ceviche, I am pairing it up with creamy avocado because creamy avo pairs so well with both crab. Serve it up with tortilla chips and margaritas for the perfect appetizer for cocktail hour. It can even be served as a nice light meal in the heat of summer.

While many traditional ceviche recipes use raw fish, this one uses pre-cooked imitation crab meat. In Mexico, this is known as ceviche de jaiba. If you love ALL kinds of ceviche, check out my classic Mexican tuna ceviche, Peruvian cod ceviche and this classic shrimp cocktail aka coctel de camaron.

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Why I Love This Recipe
Recipe Ingredients
Substitutions + Variations
Step-by-Step Instructions
What To Serve Ceviche With
Expert Tips
Recipe FAQs
Pin It For Later
More Great Seafood and Crab Recipes
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Recipe Ingredients

Just a small handful of fresh ingredients make up this tasty and healthy appetizer that's great for hot days.

Ingredients for the recipe including cilantro, cucumber, a lime, a jalapeno, a bowl of imitation crab, salt, red onion, garlic and tomatoes.

Crab - Imitation crab (krab) is the main ingredient. It is firm, flavorful, economical and easy to find. It tastes great in the recipe. But, if you have real crab meat, it also tastes delcious in this recipe. Swap an equal amount of real crab for the krab.
Lime - Lime juice is the next most important ingredient so I urge you to buy fresh limes instead of using bottled lime juice. In a pinch, bottled will work, but the fresh flavor or real lime juice is better.
Cilantro - I adore cilantro and feel it brings an irreplaceable flavor. See swaps below if you're one of the few who dislike cilantro.

See recipe card for quantities.

Bowl of ceviche jaiba garnished with corn chips and fresh cilantro sprigs.

Substitutions + Variations

Once you try this easy crab ceviche recipe, play around with some of these great flavor changers.

Citrus - Lime is my go-to but a combination of fresh citrus juices like lemon juice, orange, and even grapefruit juice are delicious. Because the seafood is already cooked, it doesn't need as much citric acid as ceviche made with raw seafood.
Crab - This Mexican ceviche was made for using imitation crab sticks or flakes but it is just as delicious with fresh real crab meat. Or make it entirely with cooked baby shrimp. Use the freshest ingredients available to you that day.
Cilantro - If you don't like cilantro (to some folks, it tastes like soap), substitute another soft herb that you like such as parsley, mint or dill.
Onion - I love to use red onion for the extra color it gives this ceviche but sweet white onion is tasty and yellow onions are fine if that's all you have.
Tostadas or Salad - Imitation crab ceviche is a great topping for tostadas or as crab salad over greens.
Coconut Ceviche - Stir in ½ cup of coconut cream along with the lime juice for a Caribbean twist!

Step-by-Step Instructions

I like to stir the onion and lime juice together before adding in the other ingredients to mellow the onion slightly. I add the crab last to keep the pieces intact, but really, this recipe is as simple as stirring all the ingredients together.

Finely diced tomato, cucumber, jalapeno and red onion in a bowl.

Step 1. Combine the onion, jalapeno, garlic, lime juice, salt, cucumbers, tomatoes and cilantro and toss together.

Chopped cilantro has been added to the bowl and there is a halved and diced avocado on a cutting board beside the bowl.

Step 2. Stir in the cilantro and cubed avocado.

Chopped crab is added to the chopped vegetable mixture.

Step 3. Add the chopped imitation crab meat.

Seafood and vegetable mixture is tossed with lime juice and topped with some torn purple chive flowers.

Step 4. Add in torn chive blossoms for garnish if you've got them, and stir it again.

Step 5. Season to taste generously with extra salt, lime juice or hot sauce.

Colorful krab ceviche in a bowl surrounded by corn tortilla chips.

Step 6. Serve right away or refrigerate, covered for up to 4 hours before serving.

A hand holding a tortilla full of the ceviche mixture above the serving bowl.

What To Serve Ceviche With

Something crunchy - Tostadas, tortilla chips and saltine crackers are traditional choices. Or try plain ripple chips, hard bite kettle chips, or firm veggies like cucumber rounds or endive spears.
Wrapped - Stuff imitation crab and shrimp ceviche into lettuce wraps, rice paper rolls or tortillas and serve with a side of hot sauce and lime wedges.
Fresh veggies - Any veggies that are firm enough to hold the bite-sized pieces of seafood and veggies are great. Halved mini bell peppers or sliced sweet peppers, sliced zucchini, cucumber or radishes. Hollowed out cherry tomatoes make a super cute appetizer.

Expert Tips

Keep it cold. Although this imitation crab ceviche appetizer (ceviche de jaiba) doesn't include any raw seafood, it still needs to be kept cold. A cold ceviche is the best tasting ceviche and it will ensure food safety as well. If you're serving it outside during the summer, place the bowl on top of another ice filled bowl.

Recipe FAQs

Is krab or kamaboko the same as imitation crab?

Yes! Imitation crab has many names. You may hear it called krab, kamaboko stick or even kani. Kani is crabmeat in Japanese but is often used interchangeably for real and imitation crab meat.

Pin It For Later

Save this easy crab recipe to Pinterest for next time or share it with your friend on Facebook!

Tall graphic for Pinterest with the recipe title at the top and a photo of a hand reaching in and scooping ceviche onto a tortilla chip.

More Great Seafood and Crab Recipes

Check out these easy seafood recipes too. Imitation crab can be swapped for real crab in most of them.

See more Seafood →

If you have any questions or comments, you can find me on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. I try to answer any recipe related questions quickly as I know you might be in the middle of making it.

Also check out my FREE PRINTABLE meal planner to make menu planning and grocery shopping a breeze and my shopping guide. And if you like this recipe, I would love it if you give it a star rating in the recipe card.

Cheers and happy cooking, Friends! Sabrina