air fryer cheesy vegan crab bites and Old Bay Sriracha Aioli
These cheesy vegan crab bites with sriracha aioli will simply rock your world! This recipe is super simple to make…thanks to the air fryer…and oh so delicious!! This vegan seafood recipe tastes so much like crab… your vegan, vegetarian, AND seafood eating guests will not be able to keep their hands off these babies!
Air fryer cheesy vegan crab bites with Old Bay Sriracha Aioli are the PERFECT crowd pleasing appetizer you have been looking for! Vegan cheesy crab bites are made from shredded tofu, shredded potatoes, portobello mushrooms, bread crumbs, vegan cheese and the most delicious “crabby” vegan seasoning. These little cuties are air fried to perfection and served with a simple-to-make vegan Old Bay Sriracha Aioli.
Take my word for it…you MUST make these! These vegan cheesy crab balls are gooey, melty, crispy, and packed with flavor! These air fryer vegan crab bites are perfect for pretty much everyone. They are vegan, vegetarian, nut-free, and… if you swap out the bread crumbs for a gluten free version…you can easily make them gluten free!
Jump to Recipe
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN CRAB TASTE LIKE CRAB
Making air fryer vegan cheesy crab bites without actually using crab might seem like a tall order…but it can be done! These vegan cheesy crab bites are packed with crabby flavor but they are completely plant based!
How? A few clever tricks with flavor and texture!
HOW TO CREATE FLAVOR FOR AIR FRYER VEGAN CHEESY CRAB BITES
First let’s talk flavor! How can you possibly create a crabby flavor without using crab!? It’s all about developing that seafood flavor with vegan ingredients!
USING NORI FLAKES FOR VEGAN CRAB BITES
Nori flakes are amazing and absolutely essential when it comes to creating a seafood flavor. Nori is edible seaweed that has been dried and turned into small flakes.
Nori has been eaten in Japan for over two thousand years. However, it has just recently become more popular in the United States and can be found in many Asian dishes and vegan seafood recipes.
Nori flakes have a strong sea flavor. They would be described as slightly fishy with a hint of salt and umami.
You can often find nori flakes in the Asian Isle of your local grocery store, at health food stores, or at Asian markets. You can also purchase them on line! Amazon always has them in stock.
CONDIMENTS AND SEASONING USED FOR VEGAN CHEESY CRAB BITES
Although the use of nori flakes is arguably the most important part of making vegan crab bites taste like crab…there are a lot of other team players that are important for pulling off this recipe!
Old Bay Seasoning is probably the second most important ingredient in creating vegan crab. Old bay seasoning is almost always included in crab cakes so our brains associate them together. Including this spice mix in your vegan crab stuffed mushrooms is super important and will give a nice punch of flavor!
The combination of capers, sweet relish, maple syrup and lemon are also very important. This creates a bright, salty, and slightly sweet flavor to help recreate a crab-like flavor for your vegan crab mix.
HOW TO CREATE TEXTURE FOR VEGAN CHEESY CRAB BITES
Now that we have talked about flavor, it’s time to talk texture. Recreating a crab-like texture is also crucial when making air fryer cheesy vegan crab balls!
For this recipe you will be using shredded tofu, shredded potatoes, and diced mushrooms to make an amazing vegan crab texture!
AIR FRYING SHREDDED TOFU AND MUSHROOMS
Using shredded tofu and mushroom as a substitute for crab creates an excellent texture. But you can make it even better if you take the time to air fry it first. Air frying your mushrooms and shredded tofu BEFORE turning it into a vegan crab mix helps to create a meatier, more solid texture for your vegan crab mix, so don’t skip this step!
VEGAN CHEESE FOR CHEESY VEGAN CRAB BITES
This easy vegan appetizer not only has vegan crab…the flavor is taken to the next level with vegan cheese! Vegan cheese brings even more flavor to the table, plus it gives the vegan crab balls a nice melty, gooey texture!
For this recipe I went with Daiya’s shredded vegan cheddar cheese. This brand of dairy free cheese melts well and tastes create. Feel free to use any vegan cheese of your choice!
Vegan Old Bay Sriracha Aioli
These air fryer cheesy vegan crab bites are absolutely delicious as it…but dip them in a vegan Old Bay Sriracha aioli and you have a total flavor bomb!
This vegan Old Bay sriracha aioli is SOOOOOO EASY TO MAKE! With only 4 ingredients, making this plant based aioli will only take 1 minute of your time! Simply combine vegan mayo, sriracha, Old Bay seasoning and sweet relish in a bowl and mix. That’s it! Sweet, spicy, tangy vegan aioli dipping sauce in a flash! Serve and enjoy!
What to serve with air fryer cheesy Vegan crab bites
These air fryer cheesy vegan crab bites make the perfect appetizer or snack plate for any dinner party or gathering! Like I said above, these babies are vegan, vegetarian, nut-free and can even be made gluten free if you swap out the bread crumbs! So they are an easy vegan appetizer that EVERYONE can enjoy! Stick to the vegan seafood theme and serve these along side this vegan spicy tuna snack plate or smokey Fra Diavolo with sliced baguette!
You can also double the side of these cheesy vegan crab bites and serve them as a vegan crab cake for an entree! Serve with mashed potatoes and peas for the PERFECT vegan seafood inspired meal!
Make Ahead Vegan Appetizer
Need a vegan appetizer or snack you can prep in advance? These air fryer cheesy vegan crab bites are perfect for that! Prep the whole recipe in advance, but air fry your vegan crab bites for only 7 minutes. This is long enough to firm them up, but not finish them off. Store your half cooked cheesy vegan crab bites in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 5 day or in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you are ready to serve them, pop them back in the air fryer for 5 minutes. If you froze them, defrost first.
Air Fryer Cheesy Vegan Crab Bites and Old Bay Sriracha Aioli
Equipment
- air fryer
- grater
Ingredients
- 6 oz portobello mushrooms can substitute any mushroom
- 1/2 block extra firm tofu, shredded
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil can substitute any neutral oil
- 2 tbsp onion, diced small
- 2 cloves garlic, diced small
- 1/2 cup frozen shredded potatoes, thawed
- 1 stalk celery, cut into very small pieces
Ingredients for flavor
- 1 cup vegan cheese, shredded I used Daiya's vegan cheddar
- 2 tbsp vegan mayo
- 2 tbsp sweet relish
- 2 tsp mustard I used whole grain Dijon
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp capers, diced into small pieces
- 1 tbsp nori flakes
- 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
- 1 cup bread crumbs
Old Bay Sriracha Aioli
- 1/4 cup vegan mayo
- 2 tbsp sweet relish
- 1/2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 tbsp sriracha
garnish
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 375℉**if you do not have a preheat setting on your air fryer, simple turn on air fryer for 5 minutes with nothing in it.
Prepare tofu and mushrooms for the air fryer
- Chop mushroom and onions into super small pieces
- Shred your tofu with a grater**if you don't have a grater, just crumble the tofu into small pieces
- Place shredded tofu, chopped mushrooms, and diced onions in a mixing bowl
- Add 1/2 tbsp of oil. You can use any neutral oil. Mix until evenly coated
- Place on the tray of your air fryer.**You can spray the air fryer tray with an oil spray or line with parchment paper if desired to ensure nothing will stick.
- Place the tofu, mushrooms, and onion mix into the air fryer for 10 minutes at 375℉. Mix at the 5 minute mark
- **While your tofu mix is cooking, use your time wisely and move ahead to prepare the other ingredients
Prepare the rest of the vegan crab mix
- In a bowl combine the (thawed) shredded potatoes, chopped garlic, chopped celery, and all of the ingredients listed under "ingredients for flavor".
- When the tofu has finished air frying (10 minutes), place the mix in the bowl with the rest of the ingredients.
- Mix until evenly combined
- Roll the mix into small balls about 1 1/2 tbsp worth of vegan crab mix. Place on the air fryer tray in a single layer.You can give your vegan crab bites a quick spray with oil if desired, this will the more moist. You can skip the extra oil of desired.**If you have a small air fryer you will need to cook mushrooms in batches
- Place the tray in the preheated air fryer and cook your cheesy vegan crab bites for 10 minutes at 375℉
- The vegan crab balls will be ready when the inside is hot, the vegan cheese is melty, and outside is slightly crispy and browned.
- **While cheesy vegan crab bites are cooking, move ahead and prep the Aioli
Prep the Vegan Old Bay Sriracha Aioli
- Combine all of the ingredients listed under "Old Bay Sriracha Aioli"
- Mix until evenly combined. Set aside
Put it all together
- When cheesy vegan crab bites have finished cooking and the Old bay sriracha aioli has been made, it's time to eat! Plate cheesy vegan crab bites, garnish with chopped fresh parsley. Serve with vegan Old Bay sriracha aioli and enjoy!
More Seafood Inspired Vegan Recipes
