Subway's Seafood Sensation, Recreated Perfectly For Your Kitchen
Subway's Seafood Sensation was a perfect choice for seafood lovers who wanted something other than tuna from a fast food chain. This sandwich was originally called the Seafood & Crab when it first cropped up at Subway in the 1980s, before the Seafood & Lobster, inspired by the popularity of the Seafood & Crab, followed in 1990. The Lobster variation eventually fizzled out, and the Seafood & Crab version simply became the Seafood Sensation. Unfortunately, perhaps for lack of demand or production costs (the exact reasons remain a mystery), the Seafood Sensation became a mere memory and disappeared from Subway menus by 2018.
Some Seafood Sensation fans have never recovered from the loss. Considering the scandals surrounding Subway's tuna sandwiches, this sandwich, which was made with imitation crab meat, is particularly missed. Luckily, recipe developer Michelle Bottalico has created a copycat version of the Subway Seafood Sensation that you can make yourself at home with minimal effort. Just spoon the seafood salad (made with imitation crab meat, light mayonnaise, lemon juice, and salt) on top of a roll layered with iceberg, tomato, cucumber, and red onion, and top it with American cheese cut into triangles, Subway-style. In less than 10 minutes you can make your own sub, including making the homemade seafood salad, and resurrect the Seafood Sensation whenever you want it.
Gather your copycat Subway Seafood Sensation ingredients
For this recipe, you will first need flake-style imitation crab meat. The other ingredients for the seafood salad are light mayonnaise, lemon juice, and salt. Grab a 6-inch hoagie roll, or cut a 12-inch roll in half for a true Subway look. Then, to round out the sandwich, you will need shredded iceberg lettuce, tomato, cucumber, red onion, and American cheese.
Step 1: Separate the crab meat
Separate each piece of imitation crab meat into 3-4 flaky pieces and place them in a mixing bowl.
Step 2: Make the seafood salad
Add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, and salt to the bowl and gently stir until evenly combined. Taste and adjust for lemon juice and salt if desired. Set aside.
Step 3: Slice the roll
Slice the roll in half lengthwise, without cutting all the way through, and open the roll.
Step 4: Layer the vegetables on the roll
Layer the iceberg lettuce, tomato slices, cucumber slices, and red onion on the bottom half of the roll.
Step 5: Slice the cheese
Cut the cheese into triangles.
Step 6: Add the cheese to the sandwich
Arrange the cheese on top of the vegetables with the points facing the opening of the sandwich.
Step 7: Add the seafood salad
Spoon the seafood salad on top of the cheese.
Step 8: Serve the copycat Subway Seafood Sensation
Close the sandwich and serve.
What to serve with copycat Subway Seafood Sensation subs
Copycat Subway Seafood Sensation Recipe
Subway's Seafood Sensation may be a thing of the past, but you can revive it in your very own kitchen with this copycat recipe.
Ingredients
- ½ cup flake-style imitation crab meat
- 1 tablespoon light mayonnaise
- ¾ teaspoon lemon juice
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 (6-inch) hoagie roll
- ¼ cup shredded iceberg lettuce
- 3 tomato slices
- 4 cucumber slices, skin on
- 3 tablespoons sliced red onion
- 1 slice American cheese
Directions
- Separate each piece of imitation crab meat into 3-4 flaky pieces and place them in a mixing bowl.
- Add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, and salt to the bowl and gently stir until evenly combined. Taste and adjust for lemon juice and salt if desired. Set aside.
- Slice the roll in half lengthwise, without cutting all the way through, and open the roll.
- Layer the iceberg lettuce, tomato slices, cucumber slices, and red onion on the bottom half of the roll.
- Cut the cheese into triangles.
- Arrange the cheese on top of the vegetables with the points facing the opening of the sandwich.
- Spoon the seafood salad on top of the cheese.
- Close the sandwich and serve.
Nutrition
| Calories per Serving | 314 |
| Total Fat | 12.4 g |
| Saturated Fat | 4.5 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.0 g |
| Cholesterol | 78.9 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 29.7 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3.1 g |
| Total Sugars | 5.1 g |
| Sodium | 915.8 mg |
| Protein | 21.0 g |
Can I order the Seafood Sensation at Subway?
The answer to whether you can still order the Seafood Sensation at Subway is both yes and no, depending on where you're located. Though it was a different story once upon a time, the sandwich is no longer available in the United States at any Subway location. It's a different story in Australia. Subway removed the sandwich from Australian menus in late 2018 as well, and fans were devastated, going as far as petitioning on Subway's Facebook page to bring the sandwich back. Subway reps did eventually bring the Seafood Sensation back to Australian menus as a permanent addition, but no such luck in the U.S.
You can also find the Seafood Sensation in Subway restaurants in certain other places around the world like Vietnam and the Virgin Islands. The ingredients are slightly different depending on where its sold. On the Vietnamese Subway website, the sandwich is described as including seafood chunks and light mayonnaise (which all the locations have in common) as well as your choice of vegetables and condiments. The Australian version is more specific and includes cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, carrot, and even a Thousand Island dressing to pair with the seafood salad itself.
How can I customize seafood salad? Do I need to use imitation crab meat?
The seafood salad in this copycat recipe is made with flake-style imitation crab meat, light mayonnaise, lemon juice, and salt, but you can add other flavorings like dill and black pepper as well. The first recipe step calls for separating the pieces of imitation crab meat to separate the flakes and create more volume, but you can leave the pieces whole or use chunk-style imitation crab meat if you like a more meaty texture.
To take the seafood salad up a notch, you could use real crab meat. Crab meat comes in different grades. Lump crab meat is a good choice for seafood salad. The chunks are sweet and substantial, but not as expensive as jumbo lump crab meat, which is best enjoyed on its own. Reach for special crab meat or white crab meat for a more budget-friendly choice. If you'd like to mix it up, you can add or substitute other fish like shrimp, tuna, and salmon to the salad.
You can add more ingredients to season and jazz up the simple seafood salad if desired. Vegetables like tomato, scallion, celery, cucumber, and bell pepper, add-ins like hard-boiled eggs or dill pickles, and fresh herbs like parsley, tarragon, and basil would work well. Sub mashed avocado or ranch for the mayo or mix in honey mustard for flavor. Don't forget spices like garlic powder, paprika, celery seed, Old Bay seasoning, or cayenne pepper too.