Inspired by the stuffed salmon at Costco, I set out to make the most AMAZING Seafood Stuffed Salmon out there. Moist, sweet, and flaky salmon is stuffed with an herb and seafood-studded stuffing that turns this into a restaurant-worthy meal that’s also so darn good! Easy enough for anyone to make, make this today!
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I LOVE salmon more than any other kind of fish. I love that it is flaky and meaty, and when I score a nice filet with the belly fat, oh my, heaven!
But I get tired of the same old salmon. I know it’s super healthy for you and full of all sorts of goodness, but if you’re like me and get stuck in a salmon rut, then this Seafood Stuffed Salmon is for you.
You use regular fillets in this recipe, so you don’t need to look all over town for fancy salmon steaks. And, the stuffing is filled with herbs, tender veggies, and lots of shrimp and imitation crab, making it an indulgent and delicious meal.
What you’ll love about Seafood Stuffed SAlmon
- It’s so. darn. good!
- Make the stuffing ahead of time and then dinner is a breeze!
- Tastier (and cheaper) than store-bought or restaurant fare.
- You can have seconds!
What You NEed To Make Seafood Stuffed Salmon
This stuffed salmon with shrimp recipe is so easy, once you’ve got the stuffing made the rest is just a matter of baking the salmon! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Salmon fillets – See my notes below about buying salmon.
- Cooked rice – White or brown
- Stuffing mix – I used chicken flavored Stove Top stuffing.
- Imitation crab – Or splurge for the real stuff!
- Baby shrimp – See my notes below on shrimp.
- Celery – Diced small.
- Onion – Diced small.
- Red bell pepper – Diced small.
- Butter – Salted or unsalted is fine
- Cream cheese
- Seafood broth or stock – Or chicken broth/stock
- Garlic – Fresh is best!
- Old Bay seasoning
- Dill – Fresh is best!
- Parsely – Fresh and chopped fine.
How To Buy Salmon
Salmon, like most things, is going up in price. While it’s still an affordable fish for most, here’s how to get the best, freshest, and tastiest salmon.
- Buy salmon when it’s on sale.
- Get it from the fish counter and ask them to cut it into 4 ounce fillets.
- Always ask for pin-bones removed, and in this case, skinless salmon.
- Look for fresh, never frozen salmon.
- The kind of salmon is less important – king, sockeye, coho… it’s all good.
- Wild-caught is my first pick but it’s often pricy. Next, I look for responsibly farmed salmon – the fish monger can direct you if you ask.
- Ask for salmon cut from the head end – it’s more even in size and doesn’t have the tough part that’s close to the tail.
- Don’t remove the belly fat – the grey line at the edge of the fillet – that’s got so much flavor and oodles of Omega 3 fatty acids (which are good for you!)
How To Buy Shrimp For Shrimp Stuffed Salmon
It’s important that you don’t use any raw ingredients in this recipe because it would be hard to get the stuffing sufficiently cooked without greatly overcooking your salmon.
For this recipe I use baby shrimp – or salad shrimp. They’re precooked and already deveined and shelled. Soo super easy to use!
If you can’t find salad shrimp (or baby shrimp), buy small precooked shelled and deveined shrimp and just chop them into smallish pieces.
How To Make Baked Stuffed Salmon
For a full list of ingredients and instructions, please scroll down to the recipe at the bottom of this page.
I was inspired by Costco’s stuffed salmon, which is quite pricy. I knew I could make it cheaper and better, and here’s how I did it!
To make the dressing:
- Saute the diced celery, onion, red bell pepper, and garlic in the butter until the veggies are tender.
- Stir in the cream cheese until it has melted.
- Add the sauteed vegetable mixture to a medium-sized bowl and add in the rice, stuffing mix, imitation crab, shrimp, Old Bay, dill, and parsley. Mix well.
- Add the seafood broth (or chicken stock) and mix until the stuffing cubes have just started to soften. Mix well. Don’t worry, the veg and seafood will give off more liquid and your stuffing will be soft and delicious.
For the salmon:
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 325-F.
- Lay the salmon on a cutting board and make a slit in the middle of the fillet, lengthwise. Don’t cut all the way through the salmon – leave about 1/2-inch of uncut salmon at each end.
- Put the salmon fillets on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet and pull the salmon apart a bit, opening the slit into a hole. Repeat for the remaining fillets.
- Sprinkle the fillets with salt and pepper.
- Put about 1/4 cup of seafood stuffing into the middle of each fillet, pressing it down lightly to stick and to touch the baking sheet. Top each fillet with a small knob of butter (about 1/2 tbsp.)
- Bake at 325-F for about 30 minuter or until cooked through.
Recommended Recipes
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Overcooked salmon makes me want to cry. It’s so sad to see an expensive and glorious piece of fish overcooked! The FDA says salmon needs to be cooked to 145-F but if you’ve kept it properly refrigerated, 125-F will result in a moister, flaky fillet.
- Low heat is what salmon likes best! Ever cook salmon and see the white stuff come out of it? Those are the proteins that you’ve cooked out of the salmon. Your heat was too high and you possibly also left it in too long and now it is overcooked.
- Don’t overstuff the salmon! Too much stuffing and your salmon will overcook before the stuffing does. A scant 1/4 cup of stuffing per fillet is plenty.
- Let the stuffing and salmon come to room temperature before baking so it’ll bake more evenly.
- You may need to cook your salmon a bit more or a bit less depending on how cold it was when it went into the oven, how thick the fillets, are, and how much stuffing you used. Use a digital meat thermometer to get an accurate temperature. I aim for 125-F but you can cook it up to 145-F.
What To Serve With This Easy Stuffed Salmon Recipe
Here’s where you can really have some fun! Mix and match with all your favorite sides to create a show-stopping meal!
Make it a seafood feast with a bowl of this seafood chowder to start with, then pair your salmon with this asparagus, fennel, and spinach salad. Salmon loves asparagus!
These decadent stacked potatoes are the perfect match with the salmon dish, and for a vegetable, try acorn squash or Brussels sprouts.
Is Crab and Shrimp Stuffed Salmon Freezer Friendly?
Sadly, no. This dish is best eaten fresh. If you only need 2 servings, cut the recipe in half.
You can keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Frequently Asked Questions About Seafood Stuffed Salmon
The government says 145-F but in my opinion, that’s too high. I cook my salmon to 125-F and it is always moist, flaky, and delicious. Use a digital meat thermometer to get an accurate temperature.
Yes! The stuffing is the hardest part and even that’s easy-peasy. Plus, you can make the stuffing ahead of time then just stuff the salmon and bake it about 40 minutes before you want to eat.
That’s going to depend on the thickness of your fillets, how much stuffing you put in, and how cold it was when it went into the oven. At 325-F, it can take about 30 minutes, or up to 40. Use a digital meat thermometer to make sure you don’t overcook the fish.
Step By Step Process
Seafood Stuffed Salmon
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cooked rice
- 1/2 cup stuffing mix chicken flavor
- 1/4 cup butter divided
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon cream cheese
- 4 ounces baby shrimp
- 2 ounces imitation crab meat
- 1 teaspoon dill chopped
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1 teaspoon parsley chopped
- 2 tablespoons seafood broth or chicken broth/stock
- salt and pepper to taste
- 24 ounces salmon filets 4-6 filets depending on how big you want them
Instructions
To make the stuffing:
- Saute the diced celery, onion, red bell pepper, and garlic in 2 tbsp of butter until the veggies are tender.
- Stir in the cream cheese until it has melted.
- Add the sauted vegetable mixture to a medium-sized bowl and add in the rice, stuffing mix, imitation crab, shrimp, Old Bay, dill, and parsley. Mix well.
- Add the seafood broth (or chicken stock) and mix until the stuffing cubes have just started to soften. Mix well. If your mixture is still hard and really dry, add 1 tbsp of broth at a time until the mixture starts to soften.
To make the salmon
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 325-F.
- Lay the salmon on a cutting board and make a slit in the middle of the fillet, lengthwise. Don't cut all the way through the salmon – leave about 1/2-inch of uncut salmon at each end.
- Put the salmon fillets on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet and pull the salmon apart a bit, opening the slit into a hole. Repeat for the remaining fillets.
- Sprinkle the fillets with salt and pepper.
- Put about 1/4 cup of seafood stuffing into the middle of each fillet, pressing it down lightly to stick and to touch the baking sheet. Top the stuffing with a small knob of butter, about 1/2 tablespoon.
- Bake at 325-F for about 30 minutes or until cooked through.
Notes
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Overcooked salmon makes me want to cry. It’s so sad to see an expensive and glorious piece of fish overcooked! The FDA says salmon needs to be cooked to 145-F but if you’ve kept it properly refrigerated, 125-F will result in a moister, flaky fillet.
- Low heat is what salmon likes best! Ever cook salmon and see the white stuff come out of it? Those are the proteins that you’ve cooked out of the salmon. Your heat was too high and you possibly also left it in too long and now it is overcooked.
- Don’t overstuff the salmon! Too much stuffing and your salmon will overcook before the stuffing does. A scant 1/4 cup of stuffing per fillet is plenty.
- Let the stuffing and salmon come to room temperature before baking so it’ll bake more evenly.
- You may need to cook your salmon a bit more or a bit less depending on how cold it was when it went into the oven, how thick the fillets, are, and how much stuffing you used. Use a digital meat thermometer to get an accurate temperature. I aim for 125-F but you can cook it up to 145-F.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.
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