This restaurant-worthy Crab-Stuffed Salmon is the easiest gourmet meal you’ll ever make! Tender salmon filets are stuffed with a succulent jumbo lump crab cake mix and brushed with a heavenly lemon-y old bay butter. This is a true date-night-at-home meal that comes together in under 40 minutes!
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The Easiest Restaurant-Quality Salmon You’ll Ever Make
In my many years of restaurant cooking, I’ve found that home cooks are most intimidated by making seafood recipes at home. Salmon and crab are expensive and worrying about how to cook them perfectly is common! My version of crab-stuffed salmon is so easy to throw together and will WOW anyone who tries it!
You don’t need fancy knife skills or cooking equipment to get this recipe on the table. Truly, even the most novice cook can make it! If you follow my recipe to the tee and observe my tips & tricks, you’ll be making an incredibly delicious salmon stuffed with crab that rivals even the best seafood restaurants.
Jenny’s Tips for Making Crab-Stuffed Salmon
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. Ask your fish monger to cut your salmon filets from the center of the salmon side.
The best crab for this recipe is jumbo lump or lump crab meat. You only need 8 oz to make 4 servings so it’s worth splurging for the best quality crab you can find. I do not recommend using imitation crab meat for this recipe.
Don’t overcook the salmon! The key to tender salmon that isn’t dry is to cook it until the salmon and crab cake filling reach 145°F and no further. The crab is already cooked and really only needs to be warmed through.
Helpful Cooking Tools
Key Recipe Ingredients
full list of ingredients, quantities & method in the recipe card at the end of the page.
- Salmon. Make sure to select center-cut thick pieces of salmon. You could also use rainbow trout, chilean sea bass, or another firm fish.
- Crab meat. I use the fresh cooked lump crab meat found at the seafood counter. You could use canned crab meat if that’s what you prefer.
- Ritz cracker crumbs. I love the buttery flavor that ritz crackers add but you could swap in any cracker crumbs or panko bread crumbs.
- Mayonnaise. The mayonnaise helps bind the crab filling and adds much needed fat since crab meat is lean.
- Old bay seasoning. The perfect flavor pairing for the salmon and crab!
- Lemon zest. Lemon zest adds a fresh and zippy flavor to the crab filling.
- Parsley. Fresh parsley adds great flavor to the crab filling.
- Butter. The old bay butter is the best part of this recipe!
The 4 Easy Steps to Make Crab-Stuffed Salmon
- Make the crab cake filling. All you have to do to make the crab filling for the salmon is to mix everything together in a mixing bowl! Make sure the ingredients are evenly mixed. The crab filling can be mixed and stored in the fridge for up to 2 days before using.
- Make the old bay butter sauce. First, you’ll melt the butter in a small saucepan. Then, you’ll add the lemon zest, garlic, and old bay and cook for 1-2 minutes, until the butter is fragrant. Set it aside and let it cool.
- Prep the salmon. If you didn’t have your fish monger remove the skin, do that first. Then, pat the salmon very dry and season the filets with salt and pepper. Use a sharp knife to cut a slit in the salmon, but don’t cut all the way through. You want to just make a pocket for the crab.
- Stuff and bake. Use a spoon to mound the crab into the salmon filets into a heaping pile. Then, liberally brush the crab and salmon with the butter. Bake until the crab is warmed through and the salmon is opaque. Brush with more butter and a squeeze of lemon and dinner is ready to go!
What to Serve on the Side
Each portion of salmon is a restaurant-worthy portion and is quite large! That being said, serving this crab-stuffed salmon with the right sides is so important for the overall presentation.
I like serving salmon with either mashed potatoes, lemon-dill rice, or loaded twice baked potatoes. For veggies, I like to serve grilled asparagus, garlic green beans, or creamed spinach with gruyere.
If you do give this recipe a try, I love hearing about it! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram.
More Simple Seafood Recipes to Try
Grilled Lobster Tails
Crab Cake Sandwiches
Gochujang Glazed Salmon
Grilled Greek Salmon
Fish Fry with Tartar Sauce
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Crab-Stuffed Salmon Recipe
Ingredients
Crab Filling
- 8 oz lump crab meat, drained
- 1 small shallot, finely minced
- 1/4 cup crushed ritz crackers
- 1 1/2 teaspoons old bay seasoning
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons minced flat leaf parsley leaves
Salmon
- 4 center-cut salmon filets, 6 – 8 oz each with skin removed
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 teaspoons old bay seasoning
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- lemon wedges, for serving
- Kosher salt & freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Make the crab filling. In a mixing bowl, combine the crab, shallot, ritz crackers, mayo, old bay, lemon zest, dijon, and chopped parsley. Use a rubber spatula to fold everything together until it’s well mixed. Season with kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper. Set aside.
- Make the old bay butter. Melt the salted butter in a small saucepan until the butter is foamy. Add the old bay, grated garlic, and lemon zest and stir well. Cook for 1 minute, then remove the butter from the heat.
- Prep the salmon. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pat the salmon filets dry and season them on both sides with salt and pepper. Place them evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheet. Use a sharp knife to cut a slit across the top of each filet lengthwise to create a pocket (don’t slice all the way through the salmon).
- Preheat an oven to 425°F.
- Stuff the salmon. Divide the crab into 4 portions and stuff each salmon filet with the crab mixture, mounding it on top. Use half of the old bay butter to liberally brush the top of each salmon filet.
- Bake. Bake the salmon for 16-20 minutes (depending on size of salmon filets used), until the salmon is opaque and the crab is warmed through, with an internal temperature of 145°F. Remove from the oven and drizzle with the rest of the old bay butter. Squeeze with fresh lemon before serving.
Storage Instructions
- Leftover crab-stuffed salmon can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 2 days. Rewarm in an air fryer or in a 400°f oven for 10 minutes or so. The salmon is best enjoyed fresh, however, and may be a little dry upon reheating.
Nutrition
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