Flavorful, juicy, flaky, and absolutely delicious Baked Seafood-Stuffed Salmon!
This dish looks beautiful on a dinner party table. But, because it's so simple to prepare, it can be made any time, for any occasion, or no occasion. Any day of the week!
It's lovely paired with potatoes, rice, or any other one of our side dishes, such as the Easy 3-ingredient Baked Potato Wedges or simply the Healthy Turmeric Oven Roasted Vegetables.
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The main stuffing ingredients:
- Shrimp: for this recipe, you can purchase cooked, deveined, and peeled shrimp. Choose the smallest shrimp available. This way, there is no need to cut up the shrimp into smaller pieces. And, the shrimp look better in the salmon. Simply thaw the frozen shrimp under cool running water for several minutes.
- Imitation Crab: diced. The smaller the better!
- Cheese: I use the grated store-bought Mozzarella-Cheddar mix. But you can, of course, use only Mozzarella or only Cheddar.
- Seasoning: 1 teaspoon of dried basil. That's all the seasoning you'll need for the stuffing!
*** See recipe card below for full ingredients list and quantities
Preparation:
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 425°F
- In a large mixing bowl combine the shrimp, diced imitation crab, 1/2 cup grated cheese, 2 pressed garlic cloves, and 1 teaspoon of dried basil seasoning. Add 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise, stir well, and set aside.
- Place salmon on a large cutting board. Using a sharp knife, slice the top half of the fish so that you are left with two whole fillets. Don't worry about making it perfect or even. Sprinkle both sides of the two fillets with salt, pepper, and dried basil.
- Transfer the bottom fillet onto the parchment paper-lined baking dish and top with about 3/4 of the stuffing. Spread the stuffing evenly over the fish. Place the second salmon fillet on top and distribute the remaining stuffing. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup grated cheese and bake in the oven at 425°F for about 20 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 145°F, measured at the thickest part of the fish.
Serving Suggestions:
Serve the salmon with a side of potatoes and a salad to make it a full meal. Here are a few of my recipes that will go great with the fish:
- Easy 3-ingredient Baked Potato Wedges
- Oven Roasted Potato Cubes
- Sweet Potato and Zucchini Hash Browns
- Spring Vegetable and Berry Salad
Storing and reheating leftovers:
Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It's best to store it in the coldest part of your fridge. Consume within 3 to 4 days.
Reheating: the best way to reheat the salmon is in the oven. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and place the leftover fish on a parchment-lined baking dish. Heat for approximately 12-15 minutes.
If you prefer to heat leftovers in the microwave, use a lower setting of your microwave and make sure to cover the container with a lid (don't lock the lid, just gently cover it).
The salmon can also be served chilled.
A few helpful tips:
- Removal of the skin is optional. In fact, it's better to leave the skin on; it provides more flavor. The skin is easy to remove after it's been cooked, so you can always remove it before serving.
- Season the salmon right before adding the stuffing and right before it goes in the oven. Do not allow the salmon to sit in the seasoning and draw out its moisture.
Try our other seafood recipes:
Recipe
Baked Seafood-Stuffed Salmon
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. 1300 gm. salmon fillet
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried basil divided
- 8 oz. 250 gm. imitation crab meat, diced
- 1 lb. 450 gm. tiny shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 cup grated cheese Mozzarella or Cheddar, or a mix of both, divided
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 425°F
- In a large mixing bowl combine the shrimp, diced imitation crab, 1/2 cup grated cheese, 2 pressed garlic cloves, and 1 teaspoon of dried basil seasoning. Add 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise, stir well, and set aside.
- Place salmon on a large cutting board and, using a sharp knife, slice the top half of the salmon, so that you are left with two whole salmon fillets (don't worry about making it perfect or even). Sprinkle both sides of the two fillets with salt, pepper, and dried basil.
- Transfer the bottom fillet onto the parchment paper-lined baking dish and top with about 3/4 of the stuffing. Spread the stuffing evenly over the fish. Place the second salmon fillet on top and distribute the remaining stuffing. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup grated cheese and bake in the oven at 425°F for about 20 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 145°F, measured at the thickest part of the salmon.
Notes
- Season the salmon right before adding the stuffing and right before it goes in the oven. Do not allow the salmon to sit in the seasoning and draw out its moisture.
- Do not reheat in the microwave. It will dry it out. It can be served chilled or reheated in the oven, in an oven-safe dish, at a low temperature of 250 - 275°F for 10-15 minutes. Make sure to cover the salmon with foil.
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