Copycat Crab Casserole from Hunan Chinese Buffet is a combination of crabmeat, cabbage, celery, sweet red bell peppers, mild cheddar cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, soy sauce, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and a touch of seasoning. The Copycat Crab Casserole from Hunan Chinese Buffet is then baked to bubbly perfection in a 350-degree oven for about 30 minutes.
If you live near the Olive Branch, Mississippi, or Memphis area, chances are you may have visited the Hunan Chinese Buffet on Goodman Road. It’s the Mississippi hot spot for lunch after church and always packed. There’s a Crab Casserole on their American side of the buffet table that my mom loves so much. Every Sunday after church, she piles a little on her plate and devours it, proclaiming it to be good.
While my mom was at work, I decided to make the Copycat version of Hunan Chinese Buffet and surprise her tonight; it turned out delicious. It only took me about 40 minutes from start to finish to make it’s so quick and straightforward to put together and only needs to bake for 30 minutes.
Let’s talk a bit about the ingredient crab. Hunan they use imitation crab meat; now, some of you wonder what exactly imitation crab meat is? Is it fake meat? What is it made from? Some of you think, oh, heck. No, I’m not about to eat imitation crab meat, heck to the NO!
Those of you wondering what imitation crab meat is made from Imitation Crabmeat is processed seafood made of starch and finely pulverized white fish, aka surimi, then shaped and cured to resemble the meat of snow crab or Japanese spider crab. Compared to real crab meat, imitation crab has less fat and calories. However, it may also contain sodium, food coloring, Potassium Chloride, Sodium Pyrophosphate, gluten, and sugar.
Now, what are my thoughts on this? I think everyone should make their own food choices; however, I like to keep you informed on ingredients, Y’all, as you know from following this blog. By all means, if you enjoy imitation crab and it is more cost-efficient, who am I to tell you to pay through the nose for lump crabmeat? Use either-or.
You can easily use either lump crabmeat or imitation crabmeat in the recipe below, whichever fits your budget, or you enjoy most, Y’all. At the Hunan Buffet, they use imitation crab meat, and my mom loves it, so I have made my Copycat Crab Casserole using imitation crab meat. You can use whichever you prefer in yours.
Information on Copycat Crab Casserole from Hunan Chinese Buffet
Suggested Canned Lump Crab Meat to use in Copycat Crab Casserole from Hunan Chinese Buffet
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Miller’s Select Claw Crab Meat
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Crown Prince Fancy White Crab Meat
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Chicken of the Sea Fancy Crab Meat
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Consul Crab Meat
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Bumble Bee Crab Meat
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Phillips Foods Super Lump Crab Meat
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Lump Blue Crab Meat
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Premium Lump
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Reese Fancy 15% Leg Crabmeat
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Vital Choice Wild Dungeness Crab
Different types of canned crab meat
- Colossal Lump Crab Meat is the master of them all and is simultaneously the most expensive one in the market. The reason why it gets so heavy on your pocket is the extinction of blue crabs, which are quite challenging to find out nowadays.
- Jumbo Lump Crab Meat – this one fits like an excellent dining option. You will have to pay more for it as it is the big hunk of white meat that comes with very few cartilage and shells. They take extra care and remove this unwanted part before packing the crab can.
- Backfin also called the Backfin Lump– This is extracted from the same body parts of the crab-like jumbo one, but the lumps are broken. In this, you will find some large as well as some small pieces of the meat. You will also have more shells and cartilages mixed in.
- White Meat or Special – This one is quite a great combination of jumbo lump blue crab and some claws and is generally flaked. As the claws are present, it has got some sweet-filled flavor in it.
- Claw Meat- this one has got a rich, delicious flavor that you won’t find in other parts
Copycat Crab Casserole from Hunan Chinese Buffet
Ingredients
- 16 ounces lump crab meat may sub with imitation crab
- 2 cups raw cabbage finely shredded
- ¼ cup celery thinly sliced
- ⅛ cup red bell peppers diced
- 1¾ cup mild cheddar cheese finely shredded
- 8- ounces cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup mayonnaise do not sub
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
- In a medium glass bowl, combine crab meat, shredded cabbage, celery, diced red bell peppers, 1 ¼ cup of mild cheddar cheese, softened cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, juice of 2 lemons, soy sauce, garlic powder, sugar, and a pinch of salt.
- Prepare a glass baking dish with cooking spray, then add combined ingredients to the baking dish. Top with the remaining cheese, then cover the baking dish with foil.
- Place in a preheated 350-degree oven and bake for 30 minutes.
- Serve while still hot with crackers, bread, or by itself as a side dish to your meal.
Notes
Nutrition
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If you in the Olive Branch, Mississippi area, stop by and try the real deal on the Hunan’s buffet. You won’t regret it!
51 Comments
Dot Sullivan
March 2, 2022 at 6:37 pmCan this be cooked in a crock pot?
Danial Puffer
December 27, 2021 at 8:12 pmI love all things crab and was looking for a new recipe to use my crab meat with, I found this and had to try it! It was delicious if you follow the ingredients listed it’s pretty simple to make quick but very great for an app or side dish to any meal.
Sherri Wetsch
August 28, 2021 at 6:43 pmI turned this: Copycat Crab Casserole into a pasta bake by adding cooked egg noodles (au dente). It was really good
AMY DALTON
June 13, 2021 at 5:43 pmConfused about amount of cheese. Ingredient list days 1 1/4 cup cheese total. Directions step 2 say 1 1/4 cup cheese. Directions step 3 say top with remaining cheese. How much cheese for step 3? I put on a handful and it was felicious.
hmccallum
June 15, 2021 at 9:43 amAmy, Add another half of a cup of the shredded cheese–great catch BTW! Have a great day.
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March 29, 2021 at 3:15 pm[…] Copycat Crab Casserole from Hunan Chinese Buffet is a combination of crabmeat, cabbage, celery, sweet red bell peppers, mild cheddar cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, soy sauce, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and a touch of seasoning. The Copycat Crab Casserole from Hunan Chinese Buffet is then baked to bubbly perfection in a 350-degree oven for about 30 minutes. […]
Alex Harrison
February 3, 2021 at 1:28 pmGreat recipe! I cut back on the lemon to one because that’s all I had, but we really enjoyed this recipe!!!
Curt McLey
December 13, 2020 at 11:44 pmWe enjoyed this recipe, but if I prepare it again, I’ll leave out the sugar.
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November 30, 2020 at 3:23 pm[…] Crab Casserole is packed full of crab, veggies, and […]
Chasity Thibault
November 16, 2020 at 2:20 amAll around, this was very good. I followed the instructions to a T other than adding a little more crab and cheese. Thanks for sharing.
Kathy
November 7, 2020 at 7:48 pmThank you for sharing your recipe. It was delicious!! I’ve never had the Copycat Crab Casserole from Hunan Chinese Buffet before but was an excellent addition to our meal.