Jump to RecipeBaked salmon filets, stuffed with lump crabmeat, fresh herbs, lemon zest, cream cheese, and spices. You will be shocked how easy it is to make an impressive “restaurant-style” seafood entree at home in less than 30 minutes!
Thanks to the COVID-19 Pandemic, getting all dressed up for a night on the town with your honey is not exactly a viable option right now! And as much as I love cooking, I sure do miss the pleasure of dining out and letting someone else handle the prepping and clean up- I’m sure I’m not alone in this feeling!
Now unfortunately I cannot enlist someone to come to your (or my) kitchen and whip this up for you! But what I can do is promise that this seemingly fancy recipe for Crab Stuffed Baked Salmon is surprisingly simple and requires very little culinary prowess.
You will be shocked how easy it is to make an impressive “restaurant-style” seafood entree at home in less than 30 minutes!
Ingredients for Crab Stuffed Baked Salmon
Salmon: Try to pick a thicker center cut for your filets. This will give you more space to stuff the crab filling into the sliced pockets. If you prefer a different type of fish, go for it! However keep in mind you should try to choose a fish that has a similar texture, in order to be stuffed without breaking apart. My suggestions would be Halibut or Cod.
Crabmeat: I was unable to find any crab legs at the store. So I used a container of premium “Lump Crab”. Here’s an article that breaks down the different types of pre-packaged crab meat.
Panko Breadcrumbs: I like the crunchiness that PANKO adds, but regular unseasoned breadcrumbs will work too!
Cream Cheese: Use softened, full fat or reduced fat. The solid block variety will hold up better while baking than a whipped variety, so stick with that type.
Fresh Chives, Fresh Parsley and Lemon Zest: I really recommend using freshly minced herbs to enhance the flavor of the crab filling mixture.
Dijon Mustard: Perfectly compliments the salmon and crab, it adds an acidic complexity to the flavor of the crabmeat filling.
Kosher Salt, Cracked Black Pepper, and Olive Oil: You will need salt and pepper to season your fish and the olive oil will be used for the baking dish.
How to Prepare Crab Stuffed Baked Salmon
In a small mixing bowl, add crabmeat, breadcrumbs, chives, parsley, cream cheese, lemon zest, and dijon. Use a fork to thoroughly combine. Set aside.
Prepare salmon for stuffing by cutting two slits into each filet crosswise. Do not cut through the salmon, just a pocket with a depth about halfway through the salmon.
Season each filet with salt and pepper
Evenly distribute the crabmeat filling amongst each salmon filet. Place the crabmeat inside the sliced pockets and on top.
Arrange salmon fillets in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Top of slice of lemon
Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the thickest part of salmon reaches 140°F.
If you want to add a little more color to the top, increase the temperature to 450° for the last 1-2 minutes of baking.
Remove from oven and serve with a side of vegetables.
Crab Stuffed Baked Salmon
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Salmon (6 filets) or preferred fish
- 8 oz Jumbo lump crabmeat
- ⅓ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- ⅛ cup chives chopped
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- salt and pepper to season fish
- 1 tsp olive oil
Instructions
- Prepare baking dish with olive oil and preheat oven to 425°F
- In a small mixing bowl, add crabmeat, breadcrumbs, chives, parsley, cream cheese, lemon zest, and dijon. Use fork to throughly combine. Set aside.
- Prepare salmon for stuffing by cutting two slits into each filet crosswise. Do not cut through the salmon, just a pocket with a depth about halfway through the salmon. Season each filet with salt and pepper
- Evenly distribute the crabmeat filling amongst each salmon filet. Place the crabmeat inside the sliced pockets and on top. Arrange salmon filets in single layer on prepared baking sheet. Top of slice of lemon
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the thickest part of salmon reaches 140°F. If you want to add a little more color to the top, increase temperature to 450° for the last 1-2 minutes of baking.
- Remove from oven and serve with side of vegetables.
Absolutely delicious. Both my husband and I loved it. I used a full gutted croaker fish and it was fantastic. One of my new go to recipe if I want to impress guests.
Thank you so much for your comment, Angie! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe!
Thanks For Sharing this amazing recipe. My family loved it. I will be sharing this recipe with my friends. Hope the will like it.
I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe!