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I love a good lobster roll as much as the next guy, but in reality I live on an imitation crab roll budget. I also live in Wisconsin which makes fresh lobster tails a more expensive commodity than Packer tickets. This is why my imitation crab roll recipe has been my go-to recipe whenever I want a wallet friendly taste of New England without actually having to go there and risk having Tom Brady drop a bunch of F-bombs in front of the kids.
Now, I am sure any New Englanders reading this will probably be enraged right now by my heresy, suggesting imitation crab meat replace actual lobster. So maybe I can put it in terms they will understand:
Pretend you are playing a football game but you don’t think you can afford to throw a properly inflated football because risking an errant pass would be too costly. So instead you substitute an under-inflated ball. It is still a football, just as my filling is still seafood, just not the type that ‘traditionalists’ would suggest using in such a situation. But that is why you are champions, you adapt in ways other teams don’t, right?
A good lobster roll will typically be served in a split top bun, but living in Appleton, Wisconsin I am unaware of any bakeries nearby that sell a good one. However, for those of you that live in the Fox Valley area, the bakery in Copps grocery stores has a great alternative. Like an under-inflated football their brat buns are perfectly soft and light. The slight chew to the bun adds a nice texture to the imitation crab roll without the distracting denseness found in lesser buns. Cutting the brat bun vertically rather than horizontally with your bread knife, as shown in the picture below, creates the ideal bun type.
Imitation Crab Roll Recipe
This inexpensive imitation crab roll recipe is a great alternative to the more costly traditional lobster roll. It has been my go-to recipe whenever I want a wallet friendly taste of New England without actually having to go there.
4.82 from 33 votes
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Course: Main
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
Servings: 4
Author: Fox Valley Foodie
Ingredients
- 1 lb Imitation Crab Meat
- ¼ cup mayo
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup chopped celery
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- Salt & Pepper
- Pinch of cayenne
- 2 tablespoon Melted butter
- Split rolls
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a bowl with the exception of the imitation crab meat and butter.
Add the imitation crab, in whole lumps and gently combine with sauce being careful not to break the meat apart.
Let mixture rest 5-15 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
Generously load into buns and brush tops liberally with butter.
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Wanda Orlopp
Loved this!!!! I also live on a no lobster budget. Found this while searching for recipes for fake crab. Thank you!!!Reply
Spencer
Subbed out the mayo for spicy mayo. I gotta say this recipe was great. I’m in New York so a pound and a half imitation crab ran me 5.50. Gf and i had one each with heaping portions of crab and still have about half left. So this roll came out to about 2 dollars each. Compare that to the nearly 30 dollars they cost here. It’s not even a question.Reply
Amarie
Loved the post. As a Racine native, every single Packers comment brought a smile to my face. I'm currently on vacation in Maine and my teenaged daughter insists on ordering a lobster roll at every restaurant and even though she gets top marks in math and is probably going to engineering school, the concept of lobster roll = really expensive just won't hit home. Hence my desperate search for an alternative once we get back to Virginia. Thanks for the recipe and can't wait to try.
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Bryan Coates
I live in western Canada and lobster is a millon dollars an ounce out here, as is real crab, so immigration crab it is!
Recipe is perfect, thank you! Enjoyed your tutorial at the beginning, but are all your commenters as screwball as this bunch seem to be?See AlsoThe Best Lobster Bisque (Ruth's Chris Copycat Recipe)The Best Lemon Baked Cod Recipe - Little Sunny KitchenPerfectly Seared Scallops Recipe - Baker by NatureTomato Toast With Buttered Shrimp RecipeReply
Shawn F
Just finished devouring this. I loaded up some nice brioche buns exactly as the recipe was listed. The family loved it. I'll do it again soon, but probably tinker with some Old Bay. Thank you!Reply
Christina
It was delicious! Husband liked it too!! Used hotdog bun instead and also replaced celery for fresh chopped kale. Served with julienned carrots!Very light , thank you for the recipe!
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Abby
This was fabulous. I used all ingredients as described; however, since I don’t care for raw onions and celery, I sweated and then cooled them before adding to mixture . I also cooked and cooled thick sliced bacon to fold in at the end. We broiled buttered Hawaiian deli rolls. Loved it.Reply
D.K.Schrute
Thank you for this recipe. I've been really bored and wanted to try different food recipes and this was quite delicious. Aside from an avocado crab salad or crab rangoon, I didn't know what else I could make with imitation crab.I'm from Massachusetts but I rarely eat crab or lobster, couldn't afford it anyway lol
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Christina
Where are those recipes?!! I would like to try!
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Jared
I’m just here for the comments...Great recipe, it was pretty tasty. Drizzled a bit of Sriracha over the leftovers and polished it off with crackers.
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Christopher
@tbGOAT I agree with @Mike, you're an idiot! Wtf does a F%&@$#G football team, and if someone is still "mad" about it have anything to do with a recipe??
I'm going out on a limb here, but maybe you need to chill out on the steroids dude! You're not making sense, as a matter of fact you sound stupid afReply
Christopher
Anyway, the recipe sounds delicious, I'll definitely be giving it a shot tonight 🍽
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Ggfrfv
Lmao
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Shirley
Did your Mother, not teach you any manners? I was taught, "if you can't say something nice, keep your big mouth shut"! No one wants to hear what you think.
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Dave
Your take on New England Seafood is almost as bad as your football sense of humor. As a New Englander, an imitation crabmeat sandwich would never be mentioned in the same sentence as lobster! I do enjoy imitation crabmeat but, it’s not anywhere close to lobster’s texture, flavor or tast.
As for your football humor, stick to what you’re good at (whatever that may be) and get back to me when Rodgers gets his 6th (and counting) ring!
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Fox Valley Foodie
I bet you're a hoot at parties.
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Bre
Oh come on! As a new englander I found it hilarious, and the roll just as good!Reply
Mike
I worked at the highest grossing seafood restaurant in Chicago for a while and you are just entitled. To split hairs over imitation lobster vs crab. Like the other guy said you must be a major buzzkill at parties. What a loser.
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Nancy
How many servings is this recipe I looked over again but I couldn’t find it
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Fox Valley Foodie
It will depend on the size buns you use, however, four rolls is a good ballpark.
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MJ
I came for a recipe, but I'm staying for the story. As a native Ohioan exiled to MA, I commiserate with your analogy completely. My Sainted Husband enjoyed your essay, too. ~ Now, back to food. We both really enjoyed the recipe. I made it as posted, but I may mix it up on other occasions by adding in a bit of fresh dill, or maybe capers, or a tiny bit of finely minced red onion or shallot. We enjoyed it so much, though, that there will be other occasions. Even up here in New England, I'll be using krab flakes. Once you pick lobster meat out of the shell, your $4.99 a pound lobster nets you around four ounces of usable meat. We, too, live on a fake crab budget.Reply
Martin Arnold
I used imitation lobster instead of crab and substituted a pinch of Old Bay for the cayenne. I also toasted the rolls. Came out great.Reply
Daniel
I'm a diehard pats fan, obviously your feeling salty. Anyway I found your tutorial very entertaining. I laughed through the whole thing and read it to my wife. I haven't made the rolls yet, but hopefully I enjoy them as much as your commentaryReply
Fox Valley Foodie
I appreciate anyone who doesn't take life too seriously. Enjoy the rolls!
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Christopher
Exactly!Reply
Christopher
Exactly! Sounds delicious!🍽Reply
Becki
Is the butter supposed to be added to the mixture or just put on the rolls?
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Fox Valley Foodie
The final step in the instructions calls for brushing the melted butter over the rolls. I rephrased it to make is more clear.
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Sashea
Delicious & refreshing with the lemon juice. I added a little onion too. Thx for the recipe!Reply
Mike
@ tbGOAT ~ Thanks a lot for adding your useless comment that has absolutely nothing to go with the actual recipe..Tom Brady is a very good football player, but to call him the "the greatest living American", simply makes you sound like an uneducated degenerate.
In regards to the recipe in the posting, I tried it, and it was actually pretty good. I personally added some Tabasco sauce and finely chopped onion.
Thanks for the recipe!
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Bre
Agreed! As a new Englander I definitely chuckled at the beginning of this recipe, but let’s be honest, we are all here for the same reasonReply
JW
Very good.Reply
Lily
Made this yummy recipe only thing I did different was leave out the cayenne, reduce the lemon juice, and toast the hot dog buns.Reply
tbGOAT
you still mad that the greatest living american is the patriots quarterback?Reply
Mike
You are an idiot..Reply
Doris Pacheco
This was delicious!!
P.S. sorry had to comment on this idiots post about the Patriots.Reply
Janell Yellin
Do you know deanExcellent recipe!
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Doris Pacheco
What the what, greatest quarterback? so now who is an idiot...the Patriots did not make it to the superbowl, idiot!Reply
Fish
Washed up, he is LoL
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