Quick, Easy Garlic Butter Sautéed Imitation Crab Meat

Overhead photo of the bright pink and white lump crab chunks sprinkled with chopped green onions over lettuce.

4.90 from 46 votes

Quick, Easy Garlic Butter Sautéed Imitation Crab Meat

Tender, delicious, and savory bites of imitation crab meat sautéed in fresh butter and seasonings make a fantastic (and budget-friendly) appetizer or main course. Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as an appetizer. Stretch it farther by serving up bite sized toasts topped with the warm crab mixture.

Prep Time5

Cook Time5

Total Time10

Course: Appetizer, Main, Seafood

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Butter sauteed crab, kamaboko stick, lump crab, surimi

Servings: people

Calories: 225kcal

Author: Sabrina Currie

Ingredients

2 tablespoon Butter, divided
½ lb Imitation Crab Meat (Approx 1.5 cups)
1 clove Garlic, minced
½ teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
½ c Green Onions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
¼ tsp Each: Salt + Pepper

Instructions

Preheat a medium-size frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and let it melt.
Add minced garlic and Old Bay spice, stir and then add chopped green onions and crab meat. Cook 3-4 minutes, tossing gently every minute until all the crab is coated in the garlic, herbs and spices and it smells very fragrant.
Add remaining tablespoon of butter and lemon juice. Toss until melted and incorporated. Serve up the garlic sautéed crab right away, while it's hot.

Notes

Don't overcook the imitation crab meat, it won't get crispy without drying out the crab. Let the Old Bay and the green onions bring the color.

Omit salt if needed. Some brands of imitation crab are saltier than others.

Nutrition