Easy Imitation Crab Chinese Recipe: Tasty Fried Rice with Imitation Crab!

Seafood fried rice is highly popular in China. A common variation of this is the crab fried rice. If you don’t have real crab available, you can use imitation crab to make fried rice. Though imitation crab has nothing of the crab, it resembles the claws or legs of crab.

I have brought an imitation crab Chinese recipe for you today. This imitation crab fried rice can be made in a few minutes, but the taste can beat any of your favorite fried rice recipes. Let’s start making some delicious fried rice with imitation crab.

Overview of The Recipe

When I made this recipe for the first time, I didn’t have a precise collection of the essential information. So, I decided to make one for you.

Course: Main	Cuisine: Chinese		Difficulty: Easy
Total Time: 15 minutes
Serving		Preparation Time	Cooking Time	Calories
2 persons		5 minutes	10 minutes	200 kcal

Imitation Crab Chinese Recipe Ingredients

My mom used to say, “Delicious fried rice doesn’t need a lot of ingredients.” This fried rice recipe is exactly the same and can be made with the following ingredients.

• Imitation Crab: 3-4 sticks of imitation crab, cut into pieces
• Onion: ¼ cup, diced
• Mushroom: ¼ cup, diced. Button mushrooms are good for this recipe.
• Rice: 2 cups of cooked white rice
• Egg: 1 pc
• Salt: ½ tsp
• Pepper: ½ tsp of black pepper powder, freshly ground
• Oil: 2 tbsp
• Soy Sauce: 1 tbsp
• Japanese Rice Seasoning: ½ tsp
• Chili Oil: 1 tsp (optional)
• Sriracha Sauce: 1 tsp (optional)

How To Make Imitation Crab Chinese Recipe: Step-By-Step Instructions

You can make this fried rice in just one pan. Let’s start the cooking process.

Step 1: Fry the Crab and Vegetables

Put 2 tbsp of oil in the pan and add the diced onions to it. Then, add diced mushrooms to the pan and stir-fry for about 2 minutes. Put the pieces of imitation crab sticks in the pan as well.

You Can Also Try: Chinese Shrimp and Broccoli in White Sauce Recipe

Step 2: Season the Dish and Add Rice

Sprinkle a pinch of salt over the crab and season it generously with black pepper powder. Then, add two cups of cooked rice to the pan. Break the clumps with a spatula and mix it well with the ingredients.

Step 3: Scramble the Egg and Add Soy Sauce

Make a well in the middle and break an egg into the pan. Scramble it with the spatula and mix it with the rice. Then, pour about 1 tbsp of soy sauce over the fried rice. Fry everything for about 2-3 minutes and imitation crab fried rice is ready. Sprinkle some Japanese Rice Seasoning on top before serving it.

You Can Also Try: Chinese Crab Casserole Recipe

Nutrition Facts of the Recipe

As imitation crab is a processed food, the nutritional value of this dish is somewhat compromised. Each serving of this recipe contains about 200 calories. You get the following nutrients in this fried rice.

• Total Carbohydrates: 34g
• Protein: 8g
• Total Fat: 6g
• Saturated Fat: 2g
• Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g
• Monounsaturated Fat: 1g
• Total Dietary Fiber: 2g
• Total Sugar: 20g
• Cholesterol: 40mg
• Sodium: 920mg
• Calcium: 52mg

The percentage of carbohydrates in this dish is much higher than protein and fat as it is a rice-based dish. Still, you get a moderate amount of protein and fat from this imitation crab fried rice. It has a higher amount of unsaturated fat compared to saturated fat. 

The sugar content in this dish is also high. You don’t get a lot of fiber from this dish, as the imitation crab is processed and there aren’t many vegetables in this recipe. Though the cholesterol content is low, you will intake a lot of sodium from each serving.

Keep In Mind These Do’s and Don’ts

Making this fried rice will be more fun if you follow these tips.

Do’s

• If you love your fried rice a bit spicy, you can use chili oil or sriracha sauce in it to enhance the flavor.
• Use a wok to make the fried rice if possible. Wok is more suited for making such recipes.
• You can add a few more vegetables to this fried rice. Try to add vegetables with mild flavors so that they don’t overpower the imitation crab.

Don’ts

• Don’t use a lot of seafood or other proteins in this recipe. Otherwise, they will overpower the flavor of the imitation crab.
• Never use freshly cooked rice for this recipe. Use leftover rice that has been kept in the refrigerator overnight. It keeps the rice grains separate.

Does Imitation Crab Taste Like Real Crab?

Not exactly. The imitation crab doesn’t taste like real crab. It has a slight similarity in flavor with the real crab. But, you can easily distinguish them by their texture and color. 

Real crab has a much more delicate texture than imitation crab. Also, the color of the real crab is off-whitish. But, imitation crab is much brighter white. And it has a layer of red dye on top to look like the real crab.

Is the Imitation Crab As Nutritious As the Real Crab?

Nope. Imitation crab is less nutritious than real crab. As there isn’t any crab in this item, the amount of all essential nutrients in imitation crab is different than the real one.

For example, imitation crab is lower in protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals compared to real crab. As a processed food, it has more sodium than the real crab. It also has a higher percentage of cholesterol compared to the real crab. So, you should eat imitation crab cautiously. I recommend you avoid processed food as much as possible.

What Is Imitation Crab Made Of?

Imitation crab is usually made of surimi, a kind of fish paste. Descaled and deboned fish fillets are turned into fine paste. Then, egg whites, seasonings, and other ingredients are mixed with it to make it taste like crab meat.

Vegetable oil, starch, and sugar are also used in this process. Besides various binders, MSG is a common ingredient in making imitation crab. Sometimes, extract from real crab is used in a small amount to bring the natural flavor.

Is Imitation Crab Halal?

It depends on the ingredients used to make imitation crab. Some manufacturers might use animal fat or food coloring that derives from haram sources. In that case, the imitation crab won’t be halal. 

But if an imitation crab is labeled as halal, you can eat it without any problem. Halal imitation crab is mostly made from Pollock fish, which is halal. But if a manufacturer uses pork fat or any other haram ingredients, the imitation crab will be haram.

Conclusion

Imitation crab is a more affordable alternative to real crab meat. Though it looks and tastes somewhat similar to its real counterpart, these two have a huge difference in nutrition. Still, imitation crab is commonly used to make a lot of Chinese dishes.

This imitation crab Chinese recipe is my version of fried rice with very few ingredients. Especially, I didn’t use a lot of sauces for this recipe. This fried rice recipe will have a light flavor profile that kids love more than anything. Make this fried rice to go with other proteins or seafood items.