No oven. No stove. No complicated techniques. Just 10 minutes and 6 ingredients standing between you and the most requested salad at Golden Corral. I’ve watched people fill their plates with this salad three times at the buffet—and now you can make it whenever you want, without the drive or the buffet line.
What makes this video different:
✅ I tested 5 different mayo ratios to find the EXACT right texture
✅ Side-by-side taste comparison with the actual restaurant version
✅ Substitution options if you can’t find extra-heavy mayo
✅ The one ingredient that makes or breaks this recipe
✅ Storage tips so it stays fresh (mayo-based salads are tricky)
For this recipe, you will need
Ingredients
Homemade Ranch Dressing
1 package Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup mayonnaise
Salad
1 pound imitation crab meat shredded
1/2 cup finely sliced celery (no more than 1/4 inch)
1/2 cup finely sliced green onions
1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup extra-thick mayonnaise
Get the full recipe at
What’s the one Golden Corral salad bar item that everyone fights over? Well, you can make it at home now. It’s the Golden Corral seafood salad. This is super delicious and easy to make. Now, the real tang here comes from a combination of homemade buttermilk ranch dressing mix and mayonnaise. So, you’re going to combine your imitation crab meat, all these veggies, and a little bit more mayonnaise with the ranch dressing mix. Then you are simply going to let this rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving. And there you go. You have a delicious imitation crab meat salad that everyone is going to love. It’s restaurant quality seafood salad that costs half the price. Your wallet is going to thank you. And hey, if you want more copycat recipes, why not come to copycat.com?
3 Comments
I don't care for not seeing the host.
Yum
Thank you, Stephanie! This is a favorite of my Mom's. She'll be so surprised when I make it! ❤