We promise that this Stuffed Salmon Recipe is the fanciest but easiest dish you’ll ever make at home. This elegant dinner could be from a high-end restaurant, but it’s achievable for any home cook in less than 40 minutes!

Pieces of stuffed salmon on a platter with lemon wedges.

“This was very easy and very delicious.”

—Cheryl

This Easy Crab Stuffed Salmon Is Elegant But So Simple

We hear you. We see you. We KNOW that there are a ton of recipes on the internet where the creator tells you it’s super easy and simple, but you actually end up frazzled with a sink overflowing with dishes. We hate this too!

This Crab Stuffed Salmon Recipe is NOT that. When we say it’s easily achievable for a novice home cook, we MEAN that. With a 4.6 rating from home chefs who have made it, you can trust this recipe.

If you can stir a few things together, chop some parsley, and make one simple cut in the salmon with your knife, you’ve got this. And you’ll need exactly 1 sheet pan and 1 bowl.

Oh, and if you don’t want to get out the measuring cups and spoons and measure the ingredients exactly, you don’t have to. We won’t tell anyone, and it will still turn out 100% amazing.

Why You Will Love This Stuffed Salmon Recipe

  • Hardly any chopping. Fresh parsley is the only reason you need a cutting board. And if you don’t want to even do that, just use dried parsley; it’s fine!
  • The fanciest dish you’ll ever make in less than 40 minutes.
  • Not a ton of dishes. One bowl, one pan, and a cutting board.
Overhead image of ingredients on a wooden surface, including raw fish fillets, a can of crab meat, Old Bay seasoning, mayonnaise, cream cheese, lemon, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and salt.

Stuffed Salmon Ingredients

A full recipe card, including exact ingredient amounts, appears at the bottom of this post.

  • salmon – If you have a grocery store, butcher, or seafood market where you can specify that you need center-cut pieces, that’s ideal. You can use any variety of salmon you like best, whether that’s Atlantic salmon, sockeye salmon, or something else.
  • cream cheese – this acts as a binder, and also adds creaminess. Light cream cheese works fine, too.
  • egg – this also acts a binder, holding everything together.
  • Dijon mustard – this adds a little kick of heat to the mixture. Whole grain Dijon is also good.
  • mayonnaise – again, binder + creaminess.
  • lemon zest – seafood and lemon are a match made in heaven, and we love zest because it packs a powerful, bright punch, even in small amounts.
  • Old Bay seasoning – this seasoning mix includes celery salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes and paprika. You can make homemade Old Bay seasoning if you have a well-stocked spice cabinet. Or you can substitute our Salmon Seasoning Recipe if you don’t have Old Bay.
  • crabmeat – we used canned, lump crabmeat, but there are other options for this stuffed salmon with crabmeat. More on that below!
  • panko breadcrumbs – we like these big, flaky breadcrumbs because they are so crunchy, but traditional breadcrumbs work just as well for this salmon stuffed with crab.
  • Parmesan cheese – since this cheese is so salty, it really helps to season the mixture.
  • parsley – we love the bright note that fresh herbs add to a seafood dish. Chives would also be great here. You can also use dried parsley – just reduce the amount to 1 tablespoon.

How To Make Salmon With Stuffed Crab

Two images showing cream cheese, an egg and spices being whisked together in a glass bowl.
  1. WHISK. Microwave the cream cheese to soften it, then add the egg, mustard, mayo, lemon zest and Old Bay and whisk everything together.
Two images showing cream cheese, crab, breadcrumbs and herbs being stirred together in a glass bowl.
  1. ADD. Add the crabmeat, some of the breadcrumbs, Parmesan and parsley to the cream cheese mixture and fold until everything is combined.
Two images showing the process of assembling salmon with stuffed crab.
  1. STUFF. Place the salmon filets on a rimmed baking sheet. Cut a slit down the center of each filet and fill it with the stuffing. Season the salmon with salt and more Old Bay, sprinkle the remaining breadcrumbs over the stuffing, and drizzle everything with olive oil.
Two images showing crab stuffed salmon before and after baking.
  1. BAKE. Bake until the internal temperature of the salmon AND the stuffing reaches 145 degrees F.
Three pieces of stuffed salmon with crab meat on a platter with lemon wedges.

Stuffed Salmon With Crabmeat Home Chef Tips

  • The most important thing to remember when choosing the salmon for this salmon stuffed with crab is that it needs to be the thicker, center-cut pieces, and not the thinner, tail-end pieces.
  • We chose lump crabmeat for this filling, which is also typical for crabcakes. Cheaper types of crab like claw meat and backfin are also absolutely fine.
  • We would NOT recommend imitation crab meat for this stuffed salmon.
A stuffed salmon recipe with a fork digging into it, on a plate with potatoes and asparagus.

Save This Recipe!

Enter your email and we’ll send this recipe to your inbox.

How To Serve This Crab Stuffed Salmon Recipe

Each piece of this crab stuffed salmon is quite a large, restaurant-style portion. It’s a decadent treat, for sure.

In fact, if you’re a lighter eater, you could easily split one piece with somebody else, especially if you had some side dishes.

We like to serve this with Roasted Potatoes and Balsamic Asparagus. Other side dish options that work well here are Seasoned Rice, Homemade Garlic Bread, Mashed Potatoes With Heavy Cream and Roasted Glazed Carrots.

Crab Stuffed Salmon Storage

While stuffed salmon is best eaten immediately after it is baked, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 day.

Can You Freeze Stuffed Salmon?

Again, this crab-stuffed salmon recipe is really best enjoyed freshly cooked, but if you need to freeze it, we suggest wrapping the cooked and cooled salmon in plastic wrap and foil before freezing for up to 2 months.

Can You Reheat Stuffed Salmon?

Yes! To reheat, simply place the refrigerated or frozen salmon with stuffed crab in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for about 20 to 25 minutes or until it is heated through.

Crab Stuffed Salmon Recipe FAQs

Should I cover salmon when baking?

It is not necessary to cover salmon when baking. In fact, you want the stuffing to get a little browned, and covering it would prevent this.

How do you make salmon not dry and juicy?

The key to juicy salmon is simply not overcooking it. Cook until the salmon and stuffing reach 145 degrees F and no longer.

A cross section of a crab stuffed salmon recipe on a plate.

More Foxes Love Lemons Favorites

Pieces of stuffed salmon on a platter with lemon wedges.

Crab Stuffed Salmon Recipe

Author: Lori Yates
Yield: 2 servings
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 18 minutes
Total: 38 minutes
We promise that this Stuffed Salmon Recipe is the fanciest but easiest dish you'll ever make at home. This elegant dinner could be from a high-end restaurant, but it's achievable for any home cook in less than 40 minutes!
4.6 from 33 ratings
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Leave a Review

Save This Recipe!

Enter your email and we’ll send this recipe to your inbox.

Ingredients

  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 2 ounces cream cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • ½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning plus more for topping
  • 4 ounces crabmeat
  • 6 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs divided
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley plus more for garnish
  • 2 center cut salmon fillets 6 ounces each
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • Olive oil for topping

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray rimmed baking pan with cooking spray.
  • In microwave-safe medium bowl, microwave cream cheese 30 seconds or until very soft. Add egg, mustard, mayonnaise, lemon zest and Old Bay to bowl; whisk until fully combined (there may be a few lumps – this is OK).
  • Add crabmeat, 4 tablespoons breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese and parsley to bowl; gently fold with spatula until combined.
  • Place salmon on prepared pan. Using a sharp knife, cut a slit lengthwise down the center of each salmon fillet to create a pocket for the filling. 
  • Sprinkle salmon with salt. Stuff each salmon fillet with half of the crab stuffing, mounding it on top of each fillet if necessary.
  • Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs over crab stuffing. Lightly drizzle olive oil over breadcrumbs, and sprinkle with a pinch of additional Old Bay seasoning.
  • Transfer to oven and bake 18 to 22 minutes or until internal temperature of salmon and stuffing reaches 145 degrees F. If desired, slip spatula between salmon skin and flesh to remove skin before serving.
Calories: 613kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 55g, Fat: 31g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 0.03g, Cholesterol: 235mg, Sodium: 1368mg, Potassium: 1110mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 815IU, Vitamin C: 8mg, Calcium: 198mg, Iron: 4mg
This website provides estimated nutrition information as a courtesy only. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Did you make this recipe?Leave a Review below or share a photo and tag me on Instagram @foxeslovelemons with the hashtag #foxeslovelemons.
© Foxes Love Lemons LLC. Images registered with U.S. Copyright Office.