Name: Cucumber Appetizers with Crab Salad & Sweet Chili
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 2 cucumbers ((sliced into 24 slices)); 3 tbsp sweet chili sauce; 1 tbsp black sesame seeds; 1 tbsp green onion ((chopped)); 1 cup imitation crab; 3 tbsp mayonnaise; 2 tbsp cream cheese ((softened)); 1/4 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp pepper; 1/2 tsp granulated garlic

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These are my absolute favorite appetizers! A cucumber slice is topped with crab salad and drizzled with sweet chili sauce, and garnished with sesame seeds and green onions. This recipe only takes 5 minutes to make, but has such a wow factor for guests.

Easy Cucumber Appetizer Recipe with Crab Salad

Looking for a light, fresh, and crowd-pleasing party appetizer? This cucumber appetizer with crab salad is the perfect bite-sized snack for any occasion. It’s quick to prepare, low-carb, and full of flavor!

Ingredients:

Fresh cucumbers
Crab salad
Sweet chili sauce
Sesame seeds (optional)
Sliced green onions (optional)

Instructions:

Slice the cucumber into rounds about 1/4 inch thick. Make sure they’re thick enough to hold toppings without bending.
Top each cucumber slice with a spoonful of crab salad.
Drizzle a little sweet chili sauce over the crab.
Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions for extra flavor and color.

That’s it! These cucumber crab bites are not only beautiful on a platter, but they disappear fast at parties. Perfect for holidays, potlucks, or healthy snacking!

Which Cucumbers to Use

Wondering which type of cucumber works best for your cucumber appetizer recipe? The good news is, most cucumbers will work—just choose one based on your texture and flavor preferences.

Here’s a breakdown of the most common cucumber varieties you’ll find at the grocery store:

English Cucumbers (Hothouse Cucumbers)
- These long, slender cucumbers are nearly seedless with thin skin, making them ideal for appetizers. They don’t require peeling and offer a clean, crisp bite.
  Tip: This is the type I used, and I bought mine at Costco.
American Slicing Cucumbers
- Thicker and more common in grocery stores, these cucumbers have a tougher skin and more seeds. For the best taste and texture, peel them with a vegetable peeler before slicing.
  Recommended if you want a heartier bite.
Persian Cucumbers
- Smaller, crunchy, and slightly sweeter, Persian cucumbers are great for bite-sized snacks. Their size also makes them perfect for carving into mini cucumber boats and stuffing with the crab salad mixture for a fun variation.

Crab Salad Topping

Mix together imitation crab (you can also used canned crab if you prefer) along with mayonnaise, cream cheese, salt, pepper and granulated garlic.
You’ll want to make sure the cream cheese is softened.
- If you don’t have time to soften the cream cheese, you can use whipped cream cheese which is a much softer texture and can be mixed right away.
Use a fork to combine the crab salad topping, and as you mix, press your fork down into the imitation crab to loosen it up a little bit. This will help create a shredded texture.

Top Cucumber Slices with Crab Salad

Once the crab salad is mixed, top each cucumber slice with about 1 tablespoon of crab salad. I like to do this right on the serving plate so I don’t have to move them again!

If you’re using Persian cucumbers, cut them in half length wise, and then use a spoon to simple to carve out a little bit of the cucumber meat, creating a boat shape. Fill the boat with crab salad.

Sauces to Top Cucumber Appetizer Bites

I used a sweet chili sauce and it pairs so well with the crab salad! It almost tastes like a crab rangoon.

Other Toping Ideas

If you don’t like sweet chili sauce, here’s some other options. You could also use teriyaki sauce, sesame sauce, wasabi mayonnaise, sriracha mayonnaise, or simply leave them plain.
I also like to top them with sesame seeds. I like the color of black sesame seeds but traditional work great as well. A little green onion adds a nice flavor and color, too.

Make Ahead Instructions

These are a great make ahead appetizer. Mix the crab salad, slice the cucumbers, and store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to assembly them. That’s it! The crab salad keeps for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

More Sushi Inspired Recipes

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Hope you love these as much as we do! – Kathi and Rachel