Crab and Shrimp Stuffed Salmon is the elevated special occasion meal that is perfect for a quiet date night in! Salmon fillets are filled with a crab, shrimp, fresh herb and cheese stuffing, then baked until melted and light golden brown. This salmon dinner is just like an entree you’d find on the menu at a fancy seafood restaurant, but it’s surprisingly easy to make and much more budget-friendly.
Baked Stuffed Salmon with Shrimp and Crab
It’s hard to beat the delicious flavors of fresh salmon, succulent shrimp and meaty crab. Combine it all into one elevated meal and you truly have the perfect recipe for a special occasion dinner for two.
This is a great way to show off your impressive chef skills but secretly, know that it’s an easy salmon recipe to pull together! The shrimp and crab stuffing takes this salmon dish over the top, and it goes great with a variety of side dishes, too.
Feeling extra fancy? Serve this dish with our Goat Cheese Potatoes au Gratin or Truffle Mashed Potatoes. Or, if you want to keep the prep time to a minimum, this salmon stuffed with seafood is also perfect with a scoop of Coconut Rice and Rainbow Glazed Carrots on the side.
Why this Stuffed Salmon Recipe Works
The shrimp and crab filling is mixed with soda crackers, Gruyere cheese, fresh dill and fresh chives. Stuffed into the salmon and baked, the filling gets toasted and cheesy with incredible savory flavors.
This delicious recipe is also a low lift, which means you don’t have to spend hours making an impressive meal. Here’s what you’ll love about it:
- An impressive, restaurant-quality meal that’s low effort and will turn you into the date night dinner hero!
- A crowd pleaser all around, and a recipe that is easy to scale up if you’re serving more than two people.
- Healthy and flavorful, with succulent seafood as the star of the show.
Ingredients Needed
To make this seafood stuffed salmon recipe, you will need:
- Salmon. Each salmon filet should be pretty thick and weigh at least 8 ounces. For the best results, choose wild salmon over farmed salmon (note that all Atlantic salmon is also farm raised). Wild coho, sockeye salmon or king salmon will cost a little bit more but is definitely worth it!
- Fresh lump crab meat. For the meaty shrimp and crab meat stuffing!
- Small shrimp. Use pre-cooked, small shrimp since it will be easier to mix up the filling.
- Garlic. For a delightful savory flavor that pairs so well with seafood.
- Soda crackers. Crushed soda crackers act as a binder and will soak up moisture in the filling.
- Gruyere cheese. Gruyere adds a delicious flavor and melts beautifully.
- Fresh chives and fresh dill. Fresh is best, especially with seafood!
- Old Bay Seasoning. A common seasoning for seafood. You’ll use it to season the salmon and stir into the filling mixture.
- Fresh lemon juice. This gives the filling a bright, lemon-y taste that won’t overpower.
- Olive oil. For both the filling and drizzling on top of the stuffed salmon.
- Mayonnaise. A creamy add-in that helps bind the crab and shrimp stuffing together.
- Fresh parsley, dill, and lemon wedges. For garnishing the prepared salmon.
Substitutions
If you don’t have everything on hand, here are some suggestions for ingredient swaps in the shrimp and crab stuffed salmon. These swaps are primarily for the stuffing. You can substitute the salmon with a different fish, but cooking times may vary if you don’t use salmon.
Cheese: While Gruyere adds a wonderful nutty flavor and complements the salmon, you can use other cheeses like Emmental, sharp Cheddar, or Monterey Jack. Choose a good melting cheese as it helps bind the stuffing together.
Crackers: Instead of soda crackers, you could use breadcrumbs, panko, or crushed Ritz crackers. The bread or cracker crumbs absorb the juices and add texture and flavor to the stuffing. If you want a low carb substitute, you could use Parmesan or pork panko for a keto option.
Herbs and spices: While dill and chives are classic, feel free to experiment with other herbs such as chopped fresh parsley, thyme, or tarragon. Similarly, if you don’t have Old Bay seasoning, you can use a mix of paprika, celery salt, garlic, and a hint of cayenne pepper.
Mayonnaise: Greek yogurt could serve as a substitute for mayonnaise, but an egg yolk would work better than yogurt in this stuffing.
Baked Salmon with Shrimp and Crab Stuffing
Stuffed salmon is an elevated meal that is easier to prepare than you probably think! Take a look at the step-by-step photos below and make sure to scroll to the bottom of the page to view the printable recipe card.
Prep the Fish
Dry the salmon with a paper towel. Place on a cutting board. With a sharp knife, cut a slit across each fillet about 1/2-inch from each end.
Make the Shrimp and Crab Filling
In a large bowl, add the crab meat, shrimp, garlic, cracker crumbs, cheese, herbs and 3/4 teaspoon of the Old Bay seasoning. Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil. Mix well to combine, then add some of the mayo until the ingredients hold together.
Fill and Bake the Stuffed Salmon
Spread open the salmon slits and pack the stuffing mixture into and on top of the salmon fillets. Place the stuffed salmon fillets in a baking pan or on a baking sheet.
Bake and Serve with Lemon Butter Sauce
Brush the tops of the salmon with olive oil and dust with the remaining Old Bay seasoning. Bake until the filling is hot and bubbly.
Let it rest for 5 minutes then serve it with our garlic lemon butter sauce or tarragon cream sauce. This recipe is actually quite delicious without a sauce but, it will add some decadence.
If you love salmon recipes, this is for you.
If You Use Frozen Salmon
Frozen salmon is a fantastic option for making your shrimp stuffed salmon recipe. Just make sure to defrost it properly before you start. Run the sealed package under cold water, or let it thaw overnight in your refrigerator. The salmon needs to be thawed first so it will be easier to handle and ensure it cooks evenly.
Tips for Success
Here are some tips for the stuffed salmon recipe.
- For the best result, we recommend wild Alaska King salmon since it’s extra thick and is easier to stuff. The thickness of the salmon is important. Our King salmon fillets were about 1-1/4 inch thick. If you want a more budget-friendly option, you could use thin fillets, about 3-4 ounces each and sandwich the stuffing in between two thin fillets. Make sure to remove the skin from one of the fillets. Hold it together with toothpicks.
- We used fresh Dungeness crab meat but you can also use canned crabmeat.
- Panko breadcrumbs are a good substitute for soda crackers.
- You can adjust the amount of mayonnaise. Use just enough to help the filling adhere together.
- Store any leftover salmon in an airtight container for up to two days.
Serving Suggestions
Here are a few side dish recipes that will pair well with shrimp and crab-stuffed salmon.
- Steamed green beans
- Melted garlic butter
- Instant Pot Black Rice recipe
- Roasted Baby Potatoes recipe
- Honey Sriracha Brussels Sprouts
- Pea shoots salad or Tabbouleh
- Cranberry walnut bread or einkorn bread
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More Recipes You Will Love:
If you are looking for more seafood main dishes, we have a large selection of recipes. Here are a few.
Alaskan King Crab Cakes feature meaty chunks of sweet Alaskan King crab! They are tender and flavorful and make a delicious main course or the perfect dinner starter.
Miso Butter Salmon is a one pan dinner that you can have on the table in less than 30 minutes.
Crab-Stuffed Shrimp is an impressive, elegant and delicious way to enjoy large shrimp. The crab filling is similar to a crab cake, and these tasty morsels are bound to be the star of any dinner party! You can serve crab stuffed shrimp as a main meal or an elevated, finger food appetizer.
Traeger Smoked Salmon is tender, smoky and briny, and quite easy to make at home! The smoking process is simply and our easy dry brine ensures the fish is perfectly seasoned and cured. Make it once and you’ll never go back to store-bought smoked salmon again!
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Crab and Shrimp Stuffed Salmon
Ingredients
- 2 thick salmon fillets about 8 oz. each
- ¼ cup fresh crabmeat
- ¼ cup cooked small shrimp
- 2 garlic cloves grated or minced
- ⅓ cup crushed soda crackers
- ½ cup grated Gruyere cheese about 1-½ oz. chunk
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh chives
- ¼ cup chopped fresh dill
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning divided
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley for garnish
- Dill sprigs for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F.
- Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels then place on a cutting board. Cut a slit in each fillet beginning and ending about ½-inch from each end. Set aside while preparing the filling.
- Place crabmeat, shrimp, garlic, cracker crumbs, cheese, fresh herbs and ¾ teaspoon of the Old Bay seasoning in a dish. Drizzle with the lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Toss to combine.
- Stir in ¼ of the mayonnaise until the the ingredients hold together.
- Spread the salmon slits open and pack filling into the slits, piling any extra filling on top.
- Place the stuffed fillets in the baking dish and brush the tops with the remaining olive oil and dust with the remaining Old Bay Seasoning.
- Transfer the dish to the oven and bake for 15 to 17 minutes and the filling is hot and bubbly. You should see some of the cheese melting out of the filling.
- Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- The thickness of the salmon is important in order to stuff the fillets. We chose wild Alaska King salmon because of its 1-1/4-inch thickness. A budget-minded suggestion would be to use 2 thn fillets such as sockeye of 3-4 oz. each, remove the skin from the fillet to be on top and place the stuffing sandwiching the two fillets together with toothpicks.
- We used fresh Dungeness crabmeat but you can also use a canned crabmeat.
- Panko bread crumbs is another option for the soda crackers.
- Use any sort of cheese that melts, such as mozzarella, fontina or gouda.
- The amount of mayonnaise may be adjusted, use just enough to make the filing adhere together.
Diana
Saturday 19th of August 2023
Will be my next seafood dish.
Dahn Boquist
Saturday 19th of August 2023
You're in for a treat! Thanks for the comment.