Restaurant-Quality Crab and Shrimp Stuffed Salmon: The Ultimate Seafood Indulgence at Home

If you are looking to bring the five-star steakhouse and seafood experience into your own kitchen, look no further than this incredible Crab and Shrimp Stuffed Salmon. This dish is the epitome of seafood luxury, combining the rich, distinct flavor of oven-baked salmon with a decadent, creamy filling loaded with sweet lump crab meat and succulent shrimp. It is a meal that looks incredibly impressive—perfect for anniversaries, dinner parties, or just treating yourself on a Friday night—yet it is surprisingly straightforward to assemble. In this detailed guide, we will walk you through selecting the best catch, mastering the creamy seafood stuffing, and baking your fish to flaky, moist perfection, ensuring you achieve that “wow” factor every single time.

Why This Flavor Combination Works

Salmon is a robust fish with a high oil content, making it rich and flavorful on its own. However, it also serves as an excellent canvas for other flavors. The magic of this dish lies in the textural and flavor contrasts. The salmon provides a savory, meaty exterior that flakes beautifully when cooked correctly. The stuffing brings an entirely different dimension. We use a base of cream cheese and mayonnaise to create a luscious binder that holds the shellfish together. The crab meat adds sweet, delicate oceanic notes, while the shrimp provides a satisfying snap and bite within the soft filling. When seasoned with savory herbs, garlic, and a hint of Old Bay, the result is a symphony of seafood flavors where every component complements the others without overpowering them. The final drizzle of garlic butter, as seen in the photos, ties everything together with a glossy, savory finish.

Sourcing Your Seafood

Because this recipe relies so heavily on the natural flavors of its main ingredients, sourcing quality seafood is paramount. Here is what you need to look for at the market:

The Salmon

For stuffing, you want thick, substantial fillets. Look for center-cut salmon fillets that are at least an inch thick. Thin tail pieces will overcook quickly and are difficult to stuff without tearing. While wild-caught salmon (like Sockeye or King) offers tremendous flavor, high-quality farmed Atlantic salmon is often thicker, fattier, and more forgiving in the oven, making it an excellent choice for stuffing. Ensure the fish smells fresh like the ocean, not “fishy,” and that the flesh is firm and vibrant in color.

The Crab Meat

When it comes to stuffed fish, the type of crab meat you use matters. Avoid imitation crab meat, which is made from processed white fish and lacks the authentic flavor and texture needed here. Your best options are fresh lump crab meat or claw meat found in the refrigerated seafood section. Lump crab meat consists of larger, sweeter white pieces that make for an elegant filling. Claw meat is darker, has a stronger crab flavor, and is often less expensive; it works wonderfully if you want a bolder taste. Whichever you choose, be sure to gently pick through it to remove any residual bits of shell or cartilage before mixing.

The Shrimp

You want the shrimp to be visible and provide a good bite, so avoid the tiny salad shrimp. Aim for raw, medium-sized shrimp (around 41-50 count per pound). They should be peeled and deveined. You can leave the tails on for a dramatic presentation, as shown in the images, or remove them for easier eating. Using raw shrimp is crucial; they will cook perfectly inside the salmon in the oven. Pre-cooked shrimp would become rubbery and tough during the baking process.

Mastering the Creamy Stuffing

The stuffing is the heart of this dish. It needs to be rich enough to feel luxurious but stable enough so it doesn’t melt entirely and run out of the fish during baking. The foundation is softened cream cheese, which provides tang and structure. A little high-quality mayonnaise adds creaminess, and a touch of Dijon mustard brings a necessary sharp acidity to cut through the richness. Seasoning is simple but effective: garlic powder for savory depth, dried parsley for color, and the essential seafood seasoning, Old Bay. Feel free to add a pinch of cayenne pepper if you like a little heat. The key is to mix the binder ingredients thoroughly first, then *very gently* fold in the delicate crab meat and raw shrimp to avoid breaking up those beautiful lumps of crab.

Preparing the Salmon for Stuffing

There are two main ways to stuff a salmon fillet. The method shown in the image is a “top split” or “boat” method. To achieve this, place the salmon fillet skin-side down (if it has skin) on a cutting board. Using a very sharp, thin knife, cut a slit lengthwise down the center of the top of the fillet, going about three-quarters of the way deep, but being careful not to cut all the way through to the bottom. You can then gently nudge the flesh apart to create a pocket or “boat” to hold the generous mound of filling. This method makes for a stunning presentation where the filling is bursting out of the top.

Alternatively, you can slice a pocket into the side of the fillet horizontally, like slicing a bagel, leaving the back edge intact. This “book” method encloses the filling more completely, but the top-split method is generally more visually appealing for this specific dish.

The Bake: Achieving Moist Perfection

Salmon can go from perfectly moist to dry and chalky very quickly. Because we are dealing with a thick stuffed fillet, we need a moderate oven temperature—around 375°F (190°C)—to ensure the heat penetrates to the center of the stuffing and cooks the raw shrimp without scorching the exterior of the salmon. Before baking, brushing the exposed salmon flesh with melted butter not only adds flavor but also helps encourage beautiful browning and keeps the fish moist. The final touch, a drizzle of garlic herb butter right when it comes out of the oven, gives it that irresistible restaurant-style gloss and aroma.

Ingredients

For the Seafood Stuffing:

– 4 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature

– 2 Tbsp mayonnaise

– 1 tsp Dijon mustard

– 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning (or more to taste)

– 1/2 tsp garlic powder

– 1 Tbsp dried parsley (or 2 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley)

– 1/4 tsp black pepper

– 6 oz fresh lump crab meat, picked over for shells

– 6 oz raw medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails on or off)

For the Salmon:

– 4 large salmon fillets (about 6-7 oz each), center-cut, skin-on or off

– 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted, for brushing

– Salt and black pepper, for seasoning the fish

– Fresh chopped parsley, for garnish

– Lemon wedges, for serving

For the Garlic Butter Drizzle (Optional but Recommended):

– 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

– 1 clove garlic, minced very fine

– 1 tsp fresh chopped parsley

Instructions

1. Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet or a large baking dish with parchment paper or aluminum foil for easy cleanup, and lightly grease it with cooking spray.

2. Make the Stuffing Binder: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Old Bay seasoning, garlic powder, black pepper, and dried parsley. Using a hand mixer or a sturdy whisk, beat until the mixture is completely smooth and creamy.

3. Fold in Seafood: Gently fold in the lump crab meat and the raw shrimp using a rubber spatula. Be careful not to break up the crab lumps too much. The shrimp should be well coated in the creamy mixture.

4. Prepare the Salmon Pockets: Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels. Place them on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut a slit lengthwise down the center top of each fillet, cutting about 3/4 of the way down, creating a deep pocket without cutting through to the bottom. Gently open the pocket slightly.

5. Season and Stuff: Season the inside of the salmon pockets and the exterior lightly with salt and black pepper. Generously spoon the crab and shrimp filling into each pocket. You want them to be blissfully overflowing. Divide the filling evenly among the four fillets.

6. Butter and Bake: Transfer the stuffed salmon fillets to the prepared baking sheet. Brush the exposed salmon flesh lightly with the 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Bake for 18-22 minutes. Cooking time will vary based on the thickness of your salmon fillets. The fish should be opaque and flake easily with a fork, and the shrimp inside the stuffing should be pink and opaque.

7. Prepare Drizzle and Garnish: While the salmon bakes, mix the ingredients for the garlic butter drizzle (3 Tbsp melted butter, minced garlic, fresh parsley) in a small bowl. Once the salmon is removed from the oven, immediately spoon this garlic butter over the top of the hot fish and stuffing. Garnish generously with fresh chopped parsley.

8. Serve: Serve the stuffed salmon immediately while hot and bubbly, accompanied by fresh lemon wedges for squeezing over the rich filling.

Serving Suggestions

Because this main course is quite rich, it pairs best with lighter, simpler side dishes that can cut through the creaminess. Garlicky roasted asparagus or green beans are excellent choices. A crisp, acidic green salad with a vinaigrette dressing provides a nice contrast. For a heartier meal, serve it alongside roasted baby potatoes or a simple lemon-herb risotto. A glass of crisp, dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio, completes this elegant dining experience.