This tasty Chinese buffet inspired imitation crab casserole is absolutely delicious, rich in flavor, and cheesy. It is a savory casserole that is perfect for a large group or family gathering.
What is Chinese Buffet Style Crab Casserole?
Chinese Buffet Style Crab Casserole is a type of dish that is usually served in Hunan Chinese buffets. It is loaded with crab meat, cheese, and sweet Vidalia onions baked in a creamy sauce. Some restaurants also add green peas and celery bits, but I prefer to omit those. You can easily add more or less of any ingredient to suit your taste. This dish can be served over rice or noodles to make it a complete meal.
This recipe is my favorite! If you love imitation crab meat ( I do, no shame) you might like my Zesty Crab Salad, Cheesy Crab Pasta Casserole, or this Crab Pasta Salad (chilled).
Ingredients
Making this casserole will require the following ingredients. Substitutions are noted!
Cheese – I love using a combination of Swiss and cheddar. While you can likely use other cheeses, these two provide complementary flavor and are typically of what you’d find in the buffets. I suggest grating half the blocks for use to make a creamier casserole. If you want it super cheesy add more cheese. You will also need cream cheese at room temperature.
Mayonnaise – Provides a creaminess to the thick sauce. You could use a lighter variety, if you want to reduce the calories, however this recipe is tastiest as written.
Sour cream – This is needed for sauce creaminess. You can use a lighter variety but it will not taste as rich and delicious.
Crab – Imitation crab in chunk or flake style is fine. If you do buy chunk style you will need to chop the crab up.
Spices – Garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and Old Bay Seasoning are all necessary for flavor. You will also need Worcestershire sauce.
Onion – While you can use yellow onion, Vidalia onion is best because it is sweet and bakes tender. You can also optionally use green onion for serving.
Extra add-ins – Some people enjoy adding a 1/2 cup of drained green peas, or a 1/2 cup of diced celery bits.
How to Make Imitation Crab Casserole
The first thing you will need to do is open, and gently pull apart your flake-style crab meat. This variety of crab meat is easy to pull apart by hand and should take about 2 minutes or less to do.
In a food processor or by grating, shred your Swiss cheese and cheddar. I always prefer to freshly shred my cheese from blocks because it makes for a creamier cheese.
Then, slice your Vidalia onion into thin rings that are about a quarter of an inch thick.
Add the crab meat and onions to a medium bowl followed by the room temperature cream cheese, and sour cream. Sprinkle in the dry spices, and Swiss cheese; combine.
Place the mixture into a 2-quart casserole dish and sprinkle the cheddar cheese on top. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Sprinkle with green onion before serving and enjoy warm!
Imitation Crab Meat Recipes
Chinese Buffet Style Crab Casserole
Equipment
- Oven adjusted to center rack position
- medium mixing bowl
- cutting board & knife
- Measuring cups & spoons
- 2-quart casserole dish
Ingredients
- 8 ounces imitation crab flake style
- 6 ounces cream cheese
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 4 ounces shredded swiss cheese *you can add more if you like it cheesy
- 4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese *you can add more if you like it cheesy
- ¾ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1½ tablespoons green onions, diced optional*
- 1 medium Vidalia onion sliced in ¼" rings and then halved.
Instructions
- Gently pull apart your flake-style crab meat.
- In a food processor grate the swiss cheese and cheddar. Set aside any extra cheese and place it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Slice your Vidalia onion into thin rings that are about a quarter of an inch thick and then half them.
- Add the crab meat and onions to a medium bowl followed by the room temperature cream cheese, mayo, worcestershire sauce, and sour cream. Sprinkle in the dry spices, and swiss cheese; combine.
- Place the mixture into a 2-quart casserole dish, and sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 350°F.
- Sprinkle with green onion before serving and enjoy warm!
One of the best crab casseroles that I have seen to date. Yum yum yum! :-)
This looks so satisfying and delicious! Can’t wait to try it soon!
This looks so delicious! I’m adding it to our menu for the week and can’t wait to try it.
This looks amazing. Adding this to my menu next week.
So simple to make, I really appreciate that. I only had cheddar so no swiss, but I sure will get some for the next go around. Otherwise I made it as is and fantastic reviews from my family told me everything I needed to know. Thanks for making at least 1 week night hassle free.
I’ve never seen this type of casserole at Chinese buffets but it is quite addictive
When do you add the worcestershire sauce?
Sorry for the oversight! It is with the cream cheese and crab step!
you forgot to mention the mayonnaise being added in
About to make this a 3rd time, grandkids love it!!!
Taste soooo good. You forgot to add the worcestershire Sauce and Mayo into your instructions.
Thank you! I updated! Glad you enjoyed it!
You said you updated the mayo in the first section recipe. Yeah it’s still not there. I caught it just when I slapped it in the oven. Had to scrape off the cheddar and add. Taste amazing though!🫡
I have been looking for this for a while. THANKS!
So very sorry to say this recipe did not turn out well for me- Amy, I greatly appreciate you sharing it, I keep going over and over the measurements looking to see if I misread something…… it came out very sweet and tangy. Not what I anticipated, but I should have surmised that via the Worcester sauce.
Is that how it’s supposed to taste? I have never had this at a Chinese buffet- so I’ve no way to gage the finished casserole.
Hello Lisa, Yes, surprisingly, this recipe is sweet and tangy. If you have tried it at the buffets you would note that it is similar. The sweet onions and additions add to the sweetness. I am sorry you didn’t enjoy it. I am one for sweet and savory and understand it might not be for everyone.
This recipe turned out amazing! It’s my husband’s favorite at the China Buffet,. He said this was even better, and I agree! Thanks 🌻
Thank you, so much for sharing! We love it too!
Absolutely phenomenal! Not many Chinese restaurants in my area have this and it’s my absolute favorite when we dine out! This is like dining out at your local restaurant! So good! I made it a few weeks back and I am making it again tonight. My family loves it ❤️
Thank you, so much for sharing! I need to make it again soon too! It is soo good!
Made for Independence Day and it was wonderful. Having some for lunch soon- like leftovers, just us two and kitty. It is very much like our Chinese Buffet’s version. Looks and tastes even better! I used 2 cans lump crab, 3 envelopes Ocean imitation crab (“legs” and flakes) that I cut up and mixed, to fill a 3 qut Corning ware casserole. Added frozen red/green pepper/onion slices that I had from another recipe. Used cheddar and bought fresh Swiss. Added fresh green onions, like the restaurant down the street does. I added a touch of Zatairan’s crab boil liquid and powder seasoning. I forgot worcestershire even though I pulled it out of cabinet- oh well… it was delicious anyway!!
Very tasty, I also added cooked peeled shrim and it was even better.
Sounds like a great addition! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for sharing, my mother loves the carb casserole at Chinese buffet restaurants. I was looking for a good crab casserole to make when I came across your recipe and was excited to see “Chinese buffet style”. It turned out great and was so good. Again thank you for sharing !
Hi Marvin, so glad you enjoyed it! I want to make it again soon myself!
Hi Amy. This recipe looks very cheesy in comparison to the casserole at my Chinese food buffet theirs has a pretty strong celery flavor with chunks of celery throughout and the sea legs have that kind of oily texture on them that you get from baking mayonnaise into things. I’m just trying to figure out if I am on to the right recipe.
Hi, check out the reviews. Every single Chinese restaurant puts their own spin on things across the US. This is my version from the East Coast since I have tried many Chinese-American buffets alongside the
Eastern Seaboard. I would say it is my take on it, but it is not strong on celery.