Y’all my Crab Stuffed Salmon is straight up slamming. I add a cajun spiced crab cake filling to salmon fillets, bake em up then top with a delish lemon butter wine sauce. You might think crab stuffed fish is a “restaurant-only” dinner, but this recipe is ready in about 30 minutes and simple to pull off. It impresses like nobody’s business.
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They’re Lovin’ It! Here’s what They’re Sayin’:
“Absolutely thrilled with this crab-stuffed salmon recipe! As a novice chef, I was hesitant, but the step-by-step instructions made it foolproof. My husband, a tough critic, gave it a solid 5 stars, declaring it better than store-bought alternatives. Highly recommend!”
—CYNTHIA
Ingredient Notes
- Salmon: You can also swap in Chilean sea bass, red snapper, halibut, rainbow trout, or even flounder.
- Crab: While I prefer jump lump crab meat, lump crab or even canned will work in a pinch.
- Mayo: or Plain greek yogurt or sour cream.
- Crackers: Replace the Ritz crackers with breadcrumbs or Panko.
- Wine: If you want to keep the alcohol out, just replace with broth or stock.
How to Make Crab Stuffed Salmon
These step-by-step photos show how to make Cajun crab stuffed salmon, but be sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and detailed instructions. Skip to the → Crab Stuffed Salmon Recipe
1. Mix together the crab stuffing for salmon
Sauté the crab mixture first with crackers, shallot, and garlic, then stir in the mayo, seasonings, lemon juice, and herbs until combined.
2. Fill the salmon fillets with the crab mixture
Cut a slit into each salmon filet, stuff generously, then top with Cajun seasoning and butter.
3. Bake the stuffed salmon until golden and cooked through
Let the crab topping get nice and browned.
4. Make the buttery lemon wine sauce in a saucepan
Simmer the shallots, garlic, wine, lemon juice, and spices together, then whisk in butter and drizzle over the salmon before serving.
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Full Crab Stuffed Salmon Recipe
Crab Stuffed Salmon Recipe
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I’ll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Ingredients
For the Salmon
- 3 tbsp salted butter divided
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 8 oz jumbo lump crab drained
- 10 ritz crackers crushed (a little over 1/2 cup)
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/3 cup mayo or greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp hot sauce
- 1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
- 2 tsp cajun seasoning divided
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp Old Bay
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 4 (8 oz) salmon fillets
For the Lemon Butter (optional)
- 6 tbsp cold unsalted butter sliced and divided
- 1 tbsp finely chopped shallots
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 3 tbsp dry white wine
- 1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp cajun seasoning
Instructions
For the Salmon
- Preheat the oven to 425.
- Heat 1 tbsp of butter along with olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat then saute crab, crushed crackers, shallot and minced garlic until there is some color then set aside.
- Add mayo, hot sauce, parsley, 1 tsp of cajun seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, Old Bay, cumin and lemon juice to a medium bowl and whisk until completely combined.
- Next fold in crab cracker mixture until combined.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper then using a paring knife, slit a pocket into the center of each salmon fillet and fill with crab filling.
- Sprinkle the remaining cajun seasoning on top of the fillets then divide 2 tbsp remaining butter and add to the top (1/2 tbsp each fillet).
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until stuffing is golden brown.
For the Lemon Butter
- In a saucepan over medium heat, add 1 tbsp of butter then add shallots and minced garlic clove and saute until tender and fragrant.
- Next add wine, lemon juice along with cajun seasoning and bring to a boil for a few minutes then turn off the heat and add the rest of the butter and whisk together and serve with salmon.
Notes
How to store & reheat crab stuffed salmon
Make sure you tuck the leftovers into an airtight container within 2 hours of being baked. When you want to reheat the salmon, preheat that oven boos. Set it at 275 degrees and place the fish on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Heat for 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 130 degrees then serve it back up. Don’t use the microwave boos. That salmon will overcook and get too tough if you do.How long will crab stuffed salmon last in the fridge?
It will keep for up to 3 days.Can I freeze stuffed salmon ?
Yep for sure boos but just know that the texture might be a bit different. Just wrap each stuffed salmon fillet individually with plastic wrap then cover again with foil. I then like to add the fillets to freezer bags and label with the date. It should keep up to 3 months. Thaw individually overnight in the fridge when you want to serve it up again. Tip: It’s best to reheat salmon in the oven! To do so, preheat the oven to 275 degrees and place the fish on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Heat for 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 130 degrees.Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Thicker Even Salmon: Make sure you select salmon fillets that are the same size or cut them yourself so they end up the same size for even baking.
- Drain: Make sure you drain your crab meat so your stuffing isn’t too watery.
- Create a Deep Pocket: Use a sharp knife to create a deep pocket in the center of the fillet so you can get more delish filling inside.
- Secure The Salmon: If the filling seems to be spilling over, you can secure the stuffing with toothpicks so it all stays in.
- Don’t Overcook: Nobody wants tough and dry salmon y’all. About 17-20 minutes of cooking at 425 degrees should be perfect.
Serving Suggestions
- Surf and Turf: It’s so great paired with marinated skirt steak or seared steak.
- Restaurant Vibes: Serve on abed of garlic mashed potatoes with glazed brussels sprouts.
- Dinner Party: Dish this stuffed salmon up along with creamed spinach, a pot of dirty rice, squash casserole and some strawberry punch bowl cake. Now that’s good eatin!
- Cajun Sunday Supper: Start with a bowl of seafood gumbo then serve this up with red beans and rice and don’t forget to end the meal with beignets.
Recipe help
For sure boos. I like to make the stuffing a day ahead and pop in the fridge. When ready to use, stuff the fillets and move to the oven.
Yep for sure boos. The quality will change but it’s a fine sub.
I actually suggest keeping the skin on so the fillet can hold together and keep the filling in place boos.
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I am confused. You said split the salmon and stuff. But the picture on the recipe shows the stuffing on top. Which is correct?
Yes, you want to split the salmon on the top and stuff which will have some of the stuffing coming out of the tip of the salmon. Hope you enjoy!
Delicious!
My boyfriend loved it!
Absolutely delicious! Will be making again.
I was looking for a good salmon recipe – can’t wait to try!!
This recipe was easy to make and was a big hit with my whole family! It looked so professional when it was done. I’ll be making again and again! I’ve made a number of her recipes and they’ve always been sooo good! Another favorite is the cream cheese pound cake. Yum!
Going to try this. Can this be cook in air fryer or the oven is better?
Can I use salmon that doesn’t have skin on it? If yes, does the baking time remain the same? also, I don’t like food that is anything hotter than very mild. Can I completely forego the hot sauce or do I need to just add a little bit to round out the flavor of the dish?
Yes you can remove the skin and it will be fine and also you can omit the hot sauce.
I just made this and honeyyyy I’m scraping the plate! I did it over mash and with a side of kale. So good FMF approved ✅
#foodmeatsfashion
I made this delicious salmon! It was so good! Served it with herb roasted red potatoes. Will definitely make this again!
This looks so delicious! I can’t wait to try making this for myself this summer!