Gluten Free Crab Cocktail Bites with Avocado & Herb Sauce
These elegant little bites are everything you want in a party appetizer — bright, fresh, and genuinely impressive without requiring hours in the kitchen. Lump crab meat is folded with lemon, chives, parsley, and a hint of ground ginger, then chilled so the flavors meld into something that tastes far more complex than the ingredient list suggests. The creamy avocado herb sauce — blended with cilantro, garlic, and a squeeze of lemon — gets spooned onto crisp cucumber rounds, which serve as the perfect natural base in place of crackers or crostini. That swap is exactly what makes this work so well for anyone avoiding gluten, since there's no need to hunt down specialty products or worry about hidden wheat in a store-bought vehicle. Every component is whole, clean, and naturally free of grains, so you can serve these confidently at a gathering without a single asterisk. Pile on the crab, finish with a few micro herbs, and set out lemon wedges — these disappear fast, so consider doubling the batch.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the crab salad
- 8 oz lump crab meat, picked over for shells
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
For the avocado herb sauce
- 1 large ripe avocado, pitted and peeled
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small clove garlic, minced
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 2–3 tbsp cold water
For assembly
- 1 large english cucumber (about 12 inches), sliced into ¼-inch rounds
For serving
- fresh chives or micro herbs, for garnish (optional)
- lemon wedges, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
In a mixing bowl, combine the crab meat, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, lemon zest, chives, parsley, ground ginger, and 1/4 tsp salt. Fold gently until just combined, keeping the crab in large pieces. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes to let the flavors come together.
- 2
While the crab chills, make the avocado herb sauce: add the avocado, cilantro, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp olive oil, garlic, and 1/4 tsp salt to a small food processor or blender. Blend until smooth, adding cold water 1 tbsp at a time until the sauce is pourable but still thick enough to hold a small mound — about the consistency of a loose hummus.
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