This recipe for crab towers is your answer to the easy to make but super dramatic appetizer or first course. Or for a fancy light lunch!
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Why we love this recipe
I like to think of my recipe collection as a mixture of mostly super easy recipes with a sprinkling of kind of fancy recipes. Welcome to the fancy part…I give you these very dramatic, very scrumptious crab towers!
And I know, they LOOK all complicated, but remember this is me you are talking to, and I don’t do complicated. So if you are looking for a show-stopper first course for your dinner party, you can stop here – you’ve found it!
These seafood towers are the definition of maximum fanciness with minimum kitchen time…you mix up ingredients for a crabmeat salad, a veggie mixture, and an avocado topping.
The only slightly complicated part is making the towers, but even that just takes a little patience and faith. And a biscuit cutter, or a wide mouth mason jar, or even a clean tuna fish can. Let’s do this!
Ingredients you need
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Crabmeat: You can usually find this in the refrigerated section near the seafood counter in your supermarket. We recommend regular (not jumbo) lump crabmeat for this recipe.
- Shallots: These are little members of the onion family, and have a milder taste. You can swap in sweet onions if you want to.
- Wine vinegar: This slightly sweeter vinegar lives with the other vinegars in your supermarket. We recommend white wine vinegar for this recipe.
- Lemon and Lime: We like to use a fresh lemon and lime, but bottled lemon and lime juice will also work.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.
How to make this recipe
STEP 1: Mix up some olive oil, white wine vinegar, mayo and mustard in a medium mixing bowl. Add the crabmeat. Give it a good stir.
STEP 2: Mix up some chopped tomato, cucumber and shallots with a little more olive oil, vinegar and a little salt and pepper.
STEP 3: Last mixing bowl! Mix up some chopped avocado, some lime juice and a pinch of salt and pepper.
STEP 4: Now for the assembly of the towers! You need some kind of round biscuit or cookie cutter. The top of a mason jar will work, and so will a cleaned out tuna can with the bottom cut off. Anything that is about 3 inches wide. Place it in the middle of an individual serving plate.
STEP 5: Take 1/6 of the crab mixture and smoosh it down into the biscuit cutter. Really press it in there – the firmer it is, the better chance you have of your towers holding together. Don’t worry if it doesn’t come all the way to the top of the biscuit cutter.
STEP 6: Gently lift the biscuit cutter up to just the top of the crab layer. Add 1/6 of the veggie mixture, again smooshing gently.
STEP 7: Last layer! Gently raise the biscuit cutter again and add 1/6 of the the avocado mixture.
STEP 8: Now ever so gently lift the biscuit cutter off…and there is your crab tower! Sometimes I tempt fate by adding a little bit of fancy lettuce to the top, and sometimes I leave well enough alone.
Now, I’m going to be straight with you – sometimes the tower comes tumbling down.
This has happened to me more than once. And if by some chance your tower tumbles, I promise you that it is still going to taste glorious.
Recipe FAQs
I know, I always get a little sticker shock when I see the price for real crabmeat. There is something called Imitation Crab, which is fish (usually pollock) that is minced and pressed into sticks that resemble crab. It is less expensive for sure, but with that also comes less nutrition and less taste. So while you CAN use it, I say splurge for the real stuff. You can also use cooked chopped shrimp.
I know, sometimes they are hard as baseballs! I try and buy avocados a few days ahead of when I am using them. If they are super hard, put them in a paper back with an apple or a banana on your counter – that can speed things up a day or two. If your avocado is ripe before you are ready to use it, pop it in the fridge – this stops the ripening process.
Leave your question (or comment or suggestion) in the Comments box below the recipe and I will answer pronto!
Other crab recipes we love
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If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section.
PrintCrab Towers
This recipe for crab towers is your answer to the easy to make but super dramatic appetizer or first course. Or for a fancy light lunch!
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
Crabmeat Layer
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- Zest from 1/2 lemon
- 12 ounces lump crabmeat
Vegetable Layer
- 1/2 cup chopped cucumber (peel it first)
- 1/2 cup chopped cherry tomatoes (cut them in quarters)
- 1/4 cup chopped shallots
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- Pinch each of salt and pepper
Avocado Layer
- 3 avocados, peeled, pitted and diced
- Juice from one small lime
- Pinch each of salt and pepper
- Frisee lettuce for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Make the crabmeat mixture by combining the olive oil, vinegar, mayo and mustard together. Add the crabmeat and mix well.
- For the vegetable layer, mix all the ingredients for that layer together and set aside.
- For the avocado layer, mix all the ingredients for that layer together and set aside.
- To make the layers, put a 3 inch round cookie cutter on a plate (you can also use a large mason jar lid or a well-washed tuna can with the top and bottom cut out). Press 1/6 of the crab mixture inside the cookie cutter. Lift it up a little and gently spoon in 1/6 of the vegetable layer. Lift it up slightly one more time and add 1/6 of the avocado layer. Now lift it up and away gently.
- If you are feeling brave, garnish your tower with a sprig of frisee lettuce.
- Repeat 5 more times!
- Serve, keeping your cool if any of your towers tumble over, because no matter what they are going to taste scrumptious. Been there, done that. :)
Notes
-
- Crabmeat: You can usually find this in the refrigerated section near the seafood counter in your supermarket. We recommend regular (not jumbo) lump crabmeat for this recipe.
-
- Shallots: These are little members of the onion family, and have a milder taste. You can swap in sweet onions if you want to.
-
- Wine vinegar: This slightly sweeter vinegar lives with the other vinegars in your supermarket. We recommend white wine vinegar for this recipe.
-
- Lemon and Lime: We like to use a fresh lemon and lime, but bottled lemon and lime juice will also work.
Sherri laferrara says
One of my family’s most requested dish!! Absolutely superb!!
Sherri! I’m so happy to hear that – you made my day! :)
Midmodtom says
Brilliant! I want to make my Thanksgiving dinner guests Crab Towers for a first course. The only problem I’m having is the math (and I’m SURE it’s me!) but if I use 1/3 of each of the mixtures won’t that only make 3 towers?
Hi there, and I’m so happy that you are planning to try this one out! Here’s the answer: you aren’t using 1/3 of the total mixture, you are using 1/3 of a CUP of the mixture. Each layer makes about 2 cups, so that adds up to enough for 6 crab towers. Does that make sense? Happy cooking and let me know if you need more help! :)
Luci's Morsels says
What a fun and impressive recipe! Love the unexpected ease with which these towers come together, so perfect for holiday entertaining!
Luci’s Morsels | fashion. food. frivolity.
Thanks Luci! Hope your holidays are merry ones!
Sharon Creech says
Sounds yum, looks great! xx
Thanks sweet Sharon! Merry happy everything to you and yours! xo
Theresa Murphy says
This IS fancy! Looks really tasty, too! And if you don’t happen to have a round biscuit cutter or a mason jar ring, you can use an empty tuna can. Wash it, of course, and cut the bottom out with your can opener and, Voila! instant ring mold! Looking forward to the cookie recipe!
As always, AWESOME idea! Thank you my friend!