Nitrate & Nitrite 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 a lot of fuss. Lump crab meat is tossed with olive oil, lemon juice, zest, chives, parsley, and a hint of ground ginger, then chilled so the flavors meld into something really special. The creamy avocado herb sauce underneath — blended smooth with cilantro, garlic, and a squeeze of lemon — acts as a cool, rich counterpoint to the delicate crab. Everything gets piled onto crisp cucumber rounds, so you get a satisfying crunch in every single bite with zero need for crackers or bread. For anyone navigating preserved or cured seafood products at the store, this recipe sidesteps all of that by starting with fresh lump crab and whole, unprocessed ingredients from start to finish. There are no deli-counter shortcuts here, just clean, real food that happens to look stunning on a platter. Serve them immediately with lemon wedges and a few micro herbs on top, and watch them disappear.
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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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