Crab-Stuffed Salmon
Thick salmon fillets with a pocket of creamy, Old Bay–seasoned lump crab, brushed with garlic butter and baked until just flaky. Special-occasion fancy, weeknight easy.
Nutrition per serving
1 stuffed fillet- Net carbs
- 1.7g
- Calories
- 538kcal
- Protein
- 45g
- Fat
- 38g
- Total carbs
- 2.1 g
- Fiber
- 0.4 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Crab-stuffed flounder: The seafood-restaurant classic: thin flounder fillets rolled around the crab filling and baked in garlic butter.
- Lay the fillets flat, spoon the filling across the wider end and roll them up. Set them seam-side down in a buttered baking dish, brush with the garlic butter and bake 18–22 minutes, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily (145°F/63°C) and the filling is hot (165°F/74°C).
Spinach-artichoke stuffed: A creamy spinach and artichoke filling — like the famous dip — replaces the crab for a cheaper, crab-free version.
- Wilt the spinach in a dry skillet 2 minutes, cool, squeeze out the liquid and chop. Mix it and the artichokes into the cream cheese mixture in place of the crab, then stuff and bake as written.
- Salmon
- Crab filling
- Garlic butter
- Nice to have (optional)
- Salmon
- Crab filling
- Garlic butter
- Nice to have (optional)
- Salmon
- Crab filling
- Garlic butter
- Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
Estimated cost $25.99 for 4 servings ($6.50 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a sheet pan with parchment.
-
Mix the cream cheese, mayonnaise, parmesan, green onion, Old Bay, lemon zest and minced garlic until smooth, then gently fold in the crab, keeping the lumps as whole as you can.
-
With a sharp paring knife, cut a deep pocket into the thick side of each fillet, stopping ½ inch (1.25 cm) from the ends and the far side. Season the salmon inside and out with the salt and pepper.
-
Spoon the filling into the pockets, mounding any extra on top, and set the fillets on the pan. Stir the grated garlic into the melted butter and brush it over the salmon.
-
Bake 15–20 minutes, until the salmon flakes easily and reads 145°F (63°C) in the thickest part of the flesh, and the filling is golden on top and hot in the center (165°F/74°C).
-
Rest 3 minutes, scatter with parsley and serve with lemon wedges and roasted asparagus or creamed spinach.
Tips for success
-
Choose thick, center-cut fillets about 1¼ inches (3 cm) thick. Thin tail pieces are hard to stuff and overcook before the filling heats through. - Use real lump crab, fresh or pasteurized. Imitation crab is bound with starch and sugar.
- If a fillet is too thin to pocket, butterfly it open, spread the filling on one half and fold it closed — or simply mound the filling on top.
Nice to have, not needed
- An instant-read thermometer checks both the fish and the filling — without one, the salmon should flake easily and the filling should be steaming.
Storage & meal prep
- Keeps 2 days in the fridge
- Doesn’t freeze well
Reheat: Rewarm covered at 300°F (150°C) for 12–15 minutes, until the filling is hot in the center.
Prep tip: Make the crab filling up to a day ahead and keep it covered in the fridge; stuff and bake the salmon just before dinner.
Refrigerate up to 2 days and rewarm gently, covered, at 300°F (150°C) for 12–15 minutes.
Variations
2 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosCrab-stuffed flounder
ProteinThe seafood-restaurant classic: thin flounder fillets rolled around the crab filling and baked in garlic butter.
- thick center-cut skinless salmon fillets (6 oz / 170 g each) → thin flounder or sole fillets (about 3 oz / 85 g each)
1.7 g net · 304 kcal · 32 g protein · 18 g fat · ≈$6.12 per serving (same net carbs as the original)
Spinach-artichoke stuffed
FlavorA creamy spinach and artichoke filling — like the famous dip — replaces the crab for a cheaper, crab-free version.
- lump crab meat → baby spinach
- + ½ cup canned artichoke hearts
3.5 g net · 522 kcal · 40 g protein · 38 g fat · ≈$5.34 per serving (+1.8 g net carbs vs the original)
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