This crab-stuffed salmon dinner features tasty crab meat in a creamy filling, all stuffed into tender baked salmon fillets! The salmon turns out beautifully with a crunchy Panko topping and rich, flavorful stuffing, as you'd expect at a fine seafood restaurant! This easy-to-make salmon recipe is what seafood lovers dream of having for dinner!
Add an appetizer like steamed clams, hot lobster artichoke dip, or breaded stuffed scallops in shells, and you have a seafood EXTRAVAGANZA!
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This easy salmon recipe looks and tastes like it’s straight out of a fancy seafood restaurant! Your family and friends will think you’re spoiling them with this flaky salmon with delicious and creamy crab filling.
Fish lovers will truly appreciate this double dose of seafood, prepared with delightfully savory ingredients that are likely already in your cupboards.
If you prep the crab stuffing in advance, you can have this super healthy meal on the table in 20 minutes!
🥘 Ingredients
Easy-to-find fresh ingredients help make this light and elegant crab-stuffed salmon both quick and beautiful!
- Salmon Fillets – 24 ounces of salmon fillets (6 salmon fillets, 4 ounces each).
- Crab meat – 6 ounces of canned crab meat (drained).
- Cream Cheese – 4 ounces of cream cheese (softened to room temperature).
- Egg – 1 large egg.
- Mayonnaise - 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise.
- Parmesan Cheese – ½ cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese (plus a little extra to put on top).
- Panko Breadcrumbs – 2 tablespoons of Panko breadcrumbs.
- Parsley - ½ tablespoon of finely chopped fresh parsley.
- Green Onion – ½ tablespoon of finely chopped green onion.
- Lemon Pepper – 1 teaspoon of lemon pepper.
- Paprika – 1 teaspoon of paprika (plus a pinch for the topping).
- Salt & Pepper – ½ teaspoon of both salt and pepper.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Crab Stuffed Salmon
If you decide to make the crab stuffing in advance, this fancy, family-favorite salmon dinner will be ready to eat in 15-20 minutes! Get your mixing bowl, whisk, knife, and baking sheet ready to get started!
This recipe will make 6 salmon fillets, so you have enough for your entire family!
Make Crab Stuffing
- Combine wet ingredients and seasoning. Into a mixing bowl, add 1 egg, 4 ounces of cream cheese, 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon of lemon pepper, 1 teaspoon of paprika, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Stir or whisk until well combined.
- Fold in the crab meat. Next, add 6 ounces of crab meat, ½ tablespoon of chopped green onion, 2 tablespoons of Panko breadcrumbs, and ½ tablespoon of parsley. Fold these in gently until well distributed throughout the stuffing mixture.
- Stir in Parmesan and chill. Lastly, add ½ cup of Parmesan cheese and stir. Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate to chill for about 30 minutes.
Make Salmon
- Preheat. Before prepping your salmon, preheat the oven to 350°F (175 °C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly coat it with oil or with non-stick cooking spray.
- Prepare the salmon. Rinse 24 ounces of salmon fillets, pat them dry using paper towels, and then place them onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Slice the center of each fillet. To make room for the stuffing, use a sharp knife to make an opening down the center of each fillet only halfway through.
- Stuff the fillets. Give the stuffing a quick stir, then spoon the crab filling into each fillet, adding extra over the top of each piece. Sprinkle a bit more paprika for color, if desired.
- Bake and broil. Bake the salmon in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for 15-18 minutes. You can place them under the broiler for a few minutes at the end to create a crunchy finish and add a bit more color to the crisped topping.
- Garnish and serve immediately. Remove from the oven and garnish with parsley or a bit more Parmesan before serving.
Pair it with sauteed asparagus & cherry tomatoes or garlic green beans and vermicelli rice for a complete, fresh meal that looks like it took hours to create. And remember, this crab stuffing is delicious with ANY fish!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Notes
- When choosing the best thick cuts of salmon, look for pieces that have a deep red color and only a very mild fish smell. I'm using skinless salmon fillets for my crab-stuffed salmon, simply for the ease of eating them. However, in general, skin-on salmon will stay moist, and the skin is full of nutritional benefits.
- Frozen salmon fillets are great for any cooking purpose! If using frozen fillets, simply be sure to allow your package of salmon to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. The salmon should be fully thawed before stuffing and baking.
- I like to use lump crab meat, but the less expensive claw meat works just as well.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Any leftover salmon should be placed into an airtight container and refrigerated within one hour of cooking. Your cooked salmon can be refrigerated for up to 1-2 days.
Because of the stuffing, this salmon entree is best reheated and enjoyed within 1 day after cooking it.
Reheating
Reheating this dish is very easy and best done in the oven in the same way as you first prepared it. Preheat the oven to 275°F (135°C) and use a prepared baking sheet.
Heat the salmon for about 15 minutes or until the internal temp is at least 130°F (55°C). Serve and enjoy the last bit, but discard anything remaining (do not re-refrigerate).
>>>>See all of my recipes here<<<<
❓ What Goes With Crab Stuffed Salmon?
This crab-stuffed salmon would be delicious with a fresh veggie side like roasted brussel sprouts or roasted green beans! I would also add on a more starch-based side like Parmesan risotto or lemon asparagus orzo!
❓ Is Crab Stuffed Salmon Healthy?
This healthy yet decadent-tasting seafood delight is beautiful on the plate and super good for you. It is rich in antioxidants, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids!
❓ What Can I Use Crab Stuffing For?
This crab stuffing tastes great with any fish! Even better, you can use this crab stuffing for non-fish dishes such as crab-stuffed mushrooms, crab rangoons, crab-stuffed shrimp, crab-stuffed jalapenos, or crab-stuffed chicken breast!
🐟 More Amazing Fish Dinners
Here are a few of my favorite fish recipes. If you are looking for more salmon recipes, click here to see all my salmon recipes!
- Pan Seared Swordfish
- Baked Tuna Steaks
- Baked Steelhead Trout
- Seared Ahi Tuna Steaks
- Grilled Grouper
- Air Fryer Salmon
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📖 Recipe Card
Crab Stuffed Salmon
Ingredients
- 24 oz salmon fillets (6 skinless salmon fillets, 4 ounces each)
- 4 oz cream cheese (softened to room temperature, half of an 8-ounce block)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 tsp lemon pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika (plus a pinch to sprinkle on top later)
- ½ teaspoon each, salt & pepper (to taste)
- 6 oz crab meat (canned, drained of water)
- 2 tablespoon Panko breadcrumbs (or plain breadcrumbs)
- ½ tablespoon fresh parsley (finely chopped)
- ½ tablespoon green onion (finely chopped)
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated, plus a little extra to put on top)
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl add 1 large egg, 4 oz cream cheese, 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon lemon pepper, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon each, salt & pepper. Whisk until well combined.
- Add in the 6 oz crab meat, 2 tablespoon Panko breadcrumbs, ½ tablespoon green onion, and ½ tablespoon fresh parsley. Fold in gently till blended.
- Add in the ½ cup Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper then combine. Once mixed, chill your crab mixture in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C/Gas Mark 4) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Rinse and then use a paper towel to pat the 24 oz salmon fillets dry. Place the salmon fillets onto your prepared baking sheet.
- With a sharp knife carefully cut down the center of each fillet making an opening into the center (careful not to cut all the way through, just about halfway).
- Using a small spoon, spoon in the mixture into the salmon fillets then add the rest on top in the center of the fillets. Sprinkle additional paprika on if desired.
- Place in the preheated oven at 350°F (175°C/Gas Mark 4) for 15 to 18 minutes. To get a nice finish on the fillets, you can broil them for a minute or two when they are almost done.
- Remove from oven and garnish with a small amount of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and parsley if desired. Serve immediately.
Andrea Jones says
Is it possible to make the stuffing without the eggs? Huge egg allergy in my household.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
You can omit the eggs if needed. They help to bind your stuffing together, so it may not stay in place as well but if you increase your breadcrumbs by a tablespoon or two it should help.
Michael Vaughn says
Excellent recipe! I did substitute sour cream for mayonnaise and sweet onion for green ('cause we didn't have green) though. We had it with rice and chopped spinach. It was delicious!
Tina says
Absolutely perfect, the filling for the salmon is so good!
Emily says
Looking forward to trying this! Are the breadcrumbs essential? I'm trying to make this gluten free
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Hi Emily, you can omit the breadcrumbs for a gluten-free version. I've used crushed pork rinds as the topping to add a bit of 'crunch' too.
Emily says
Thanks! It turned out delicious! The stuffing was a little more runny without the breadcrumbs, more like a sauce. But tasted great!
Anonymous says
Pork rinds sounds delish 😋
Anonymous says
You know they sell gluten free panko breadcrumbs?!! Worth a try! 🙂
Robert says
Great recipe. Could easily be a 28.00+ dinner in a restaurant. Best of all, I made it, wife loved it.
Denise says
Can the stuffing be prepared the day before and covered and refrigerated?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Yes, it definitely can be. However, the breadcrumbs will have softened a bit so I would hold off on adding them until the last minute of possible. Enjoy!
JJOYCE says
CAN YOU PREPARE IN AM AND BAKE BEFORE DINNER???
Charlene says
I’ve made this twice thus far with mushrooms and salmon. This is an amazing recipe and I’m so glad I found it!
Bart says
Tried this recipe and wow, I love this crab stuffed salmon. So good thank you!
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Thanks Bart! So glad you enjoyed the salmon! 🙂
Winny says
Terrific salmon recipe, I had your garlic green beans with this dinner and it was awesome!
Anonymous says
Love the crab stuffing, totally changes up plain boring salmon!
Mac says
This is the perfect use for canned crab. It takes a simple, small amount of succulent crabmeat and makes a divine seafood dinner! I also added some tiny shrimp the second time I made this. Thanks for an easy, elevated recipe!!
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Thank you! The baby shrimp addition sounds delicious!
Andy Bracegirdle says
What a great seafood dinner! The salmon was moist and perfectly cooked, and the crab stuffing was over the top!
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Super, thanks for sharing your results! We love hearing about a great dinner 🙂
Brian says
My family loved it. The Crab stuffing recipe stays nice and moist. Not dry and crunchy taking away from the crab meat experience.🎉
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Thanks for the kind words Brian, I love this recipe too! In fact, next time I make it I want to try it with Dungeness Crab 🙂