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The perfect dish for a fancy occasion, this super easy Crab Stuffed Salmon is made with tasty salmon fillets and a homemade cream cheese and crab meat filling. Make it once, and you’ll want to make it every week!
If you love flaky salmon, don’t leave here before grabbing these easy and healthy salmon recipes or our amazing pesto salmon.
Whether you’re planning a special occasion, a romantic Valentine’s dinner, or a birthday celebration, this crab stuffed salmon recipe is the perfect choice! It’s elegant, easy to make, and absolutely delicious.
Tender, juicy salmon fillets are the star of the show here, but they are well accomplished with the stuffing mixture. Because, you guys, the stuffing is cream cheese and crab! It’s so delicately sweet, creamy, and savory all at once, and you’ll be hooked!
Plus, stuffed salmon with crab meat is simple to make, with very little cleanup! Unlike a branzino fish, which needs a thorough cleaning, here, all you have to do is mix the filling in one bowl and then bake the salmon on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Perfection in every way!
Recipe Ingredients
To make this crab stuffed salmon recipe, you’ll need salmon fillets, crab meat, and a few pantry basics. Below is the list, along with notes on substitutions and swaps to make it your own! Please scroll down to the recipe card for full amounts and complete directions.
- Salmon: You’ll need four salmon fillets. Skin-on is fine. At times, I like to use sockeye salmon, too.
- Salt and Black Pepper: For seasoning the fish to enhance all the flavors.
- Crab Meat: I used lump crab meat, but you can use whatever crabmeat you like. Drain it well, and finely chop it.
- Cream Cheese: Soften half a block of cream cheese, so that it’s easy to mix with the other stuffing ingredients.
- Bell Pepper: Just a little bit of finely diced bell pepper (red peppers, green, or yellow) will complement the flavor of the crab and cream cheese perfectly.
- Garlic: Mince or press the fresh garlic cloves. A teaspoon of garlic powder is also okay to use.
- Egg: Acts as a binder for the stuffing mixture, helping everything hold together. If you prefer, you can swap it for mayonnaise as an alternative.
- Parsley: Chopped fresh parsley adds freshness to the dish, and makes a pretty garnish as well.
- Old Bay Seasoning: This classic seasoning blend is perfectly balanced for use with seafood.
- Breadcrumbs: Bread crumbs add a little crunch to the finished dish, like in my honey mustard salmon recipe. Crushed crackers are a good swap.
- Cooking Spray: Spritzing cooking spray or oil over the stuffed fish before baking helps create a crispy top.
How To Cook Crab Stuffed Salmon
This salmon recipe comes together in just a few simple steps. Let’s break it down so you can make this flavorful, restaurant-quality dish at home!
- Prep the Salmon Fillets. Before you start, make sure your oven is preheating to 425˚F. Then, place your salmon filets on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper, and then cut a ¼-inch-deep pocket into the center of each one.
- Make the Crab Meat Stuffing. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the chopped crab meat, cream cheese, bell peppers, garlic, egg, parsley, and Old Bay seasoning. Stir until thoroughly combined. You could also add a little bit of lemon zest to the cream cheese mixture.
- Stuff the Fillets. Generously stuff the salmon fillets with the crab meat stuffing, sprinkle with breadcrumbs, and lightly spritz the tops of the stuffed fillets with cooking spray.
- Bake. Place the baking sheet in the oven, and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through. You’ll know it’s done when an instant-read thermometer registers at 130°F to 140˚F inside the fish fillets.
- Enjoy! Serve your crab-stuffed salmon garnished with parsley and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
Recipe Tips
- Avoid Overcooking: As with all fish, it’s important not to overcook salmon, or the fillets will be tough, dry, and disappointing. Alternatively, make this recipe salmon en papillote style, and you’ll always have juicy results!
- Don’t Cut Through the Skin: These fillets are really more “topped” than “stuffed,” and that’s okay! Don’t try to cut too deep of a pocket into the fillets, or you might cut through the skin, which would cause the juices and stuffing to leak out during cooking.
- Stuffing Consistency: If the stuffing seems too runny, you can add a tablespoon or two of extra breadcrumbs to thicken it up.
- Spice It Up: This recipe can easily be turned into Cajun stuffed salmon by adding Cajun seasoning to the stuffing, instead of Old Bay. Or, for a fun twist, take some inspiration from my air fryer salmon bites for even more seasoning goodness!
Side Dishes To Serve
This is the kind of recipe I like to cook for a special occasion, maybe Valentine’s Day or a birthday. To complement the crab stuffed salmon, I usually whip up these roasted green beans with squash and tomatoes – they are always a winning combination!
This creamy, homemade lemon parmesan risotto is the perfect match for stuffed salmon. And, since it’s studded with asparagus, it’s a rice and veggie side in one! If you love mushrooms, grab this recipe for crab stuffed mushrooms or mushroom rice.
Everyone knows that roasted potatoes pair beautifully with fish, and these lemon garlic roasted potatoes or my Vesuvio potatoes are no exception!
How to Store and Reheat Your Leftovers
- Fridge: Store your leftover salmon in the refrigerator, well covered, preferably in airtight containers. While salmon typically lasts a couple of days, crab stuffing will not stay fresh as long. For that reason, this dish should be reheated and served within 24 hours. I use the leftovers and make a salmon dip.
- Freeze: While it is possible to freeze salmon for 1 to 2 months, I don’t recommend it because thawed cooked salmon tends to have a grainy texture and strong smell.
- Reheat: Place the leftover portion in an ovenproof dish, and reheat in a low temp oven (around 300°F) until heated through.
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Crab Stuffed Salmon
Ingredients
- 4 salmon fillets, each fillet should weigh about 5 to 6 ounces
- salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- 8 ounces crab meat, drained well and finely chopped
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup diced bell peppers, (red, green, or yellow peppers)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 whole egg, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon old bay seasoning
- 2 tablespoons panko bread crumbs
- cooking spray, for topping
- chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat oven to 425˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prepare the salmon. Arrange the salmon fillets on top of parchment paper and season them with salt and pepper. Cut a ¼-inch-deep pocket in the center of each salmon fillet. Set aside.
- Make the crabmeat mixture. In a mixing bowl, combine chopped crabmeat, cream cheese, bell peppers, garlic, egg, parsley, and old bay seasoning; mix and stir until thoroughly combined.
- Add the crabmeat mixture to the salmon. Stuff the salmon fillets with the prepared crabmeat filling. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top of fillets and lightly spray the tops with cooking oil.
- Cook. Transfer the stuffed salmon to the oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until the salmon is cooked through and the internal temperature registers at 130˚F.
- Finish and serve. Remove from oven. Garnish the crab stuffed salmon with parsley, and serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
I followed the directions to a T. Salmon is fully cooked but the crab mixture is a solutely raw!!! I call BS on this recipe. I even put it back into the oven and extra 10 mins and the crab stuffing is still slimy and gross from the egg. I will never make this again.
You’re calling BS on a recipe that’s rated 4.91 stars? If you scroll down through the comments, you’ll find that others have had great success with this recipe. Maybe it’s you? ☺️ If the stuffing wasn’t fully set, it likely needed a bit more time in the oven or a slight adjustment based on your oven’s calibration. Cooking times can vary depending on individual ovens and ingredient moisture levels.
We are having a ball eating. I’ve never cooked salmon before. I will be making this every week.
I’m so happy to hear that! Glad the salmon was a hit—enjoy making it every week! Thank YOU! 🙂
I have this all prepped and ready to go. Just wondering if anyone felt 425 degrees was too high a heat?
Thank you for the feedback.
Hi!
425˚F is actually a great temperature for cooking salmon. It helps to ensure that the salmon cooks through evenly and develops a nice, slightly crispy exterior. I think you’ll find it turns out perfectly!
Easy recipe and came out delicious. There were no leftovers!
Outstanding! I made this for Easter 2024, it was a hit! Absolutely delicious 🙂
Tried it for Valentine’s night. Let’s just say “she liked it” alot!
That’s fantastic to hear it was a hit for Valentine’s night! Glad she enjoyed it so much. Sounds like a success! Thank YOU! 🙂
Absolutely delicious! Easy recipe to follow. Ingredients go well together and final result was so yummy!
Can I pan sear it quickly first, then bake it?
You can sear the fish before adding the filling.
Recipe sounds great … born and raised by Chesapeake Bay … I will have to omit the garlic in the crab meat!
I live in the midwest, landlocked. 😄 I add garlic to everything. 😬
I made this dish last night. Absolutely delicious!!! I used Cajun seasoning in the crab mixture… Da Bomb!!!