Shrimp & Crab Stuffed Salmon Dinner
Stuffed salmon belongs on everyone's menu, and this version makes a real showpiece dinner. Salmon fillets get deep pockets cut into them and are loaded with cream cheese plus a seasoned shrimp and jumbo lump crab filling brightened with garlic and spinach. Sear them gently so the filling warms through without the outside burning, then round out the plate with roasted asparagus and creamy garlic mashed potatoes.
I cooked this whole spread just for myself in the video, and by the end I was wishing out loud that I had someone to feed it to. It's that kind of dinner — the one you make when you want the plate to do the talking. Like I say on camera, you can never go wrong with stuffed salmon.
The move worth stealing is the pockets. I like my salmon stuffed really big, so cut them deep, line them with cream cheese, then pack in the shrimp and crab. And learn from my mistake — I got so excited building the filling that I forgot to season the fish and had to double back. Season it before you stuff it.
Watch me make it — video from my YouTube channel
The recipe
Shrimp & Crab Stuffed Salmon Dinner
Ingredients
- shrimp, to taste
- avocado oil, for the pan
- Creole seasoning, to taste (for the shrimp)
- butter, to taste
- fresh garlic, chopped, to taste
- baby spinach, to taste (add as much as you like)
- cream cheese, to taste (room temperature)
- jumbo lump crab meat, to taste (or any crab meat you prefer)
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- roasted garlic, to taste (or garlic powder)
- salmon fillets, to taste
- cream cheese, to taste (for stuffing the pockets)
- Old Bay seasoning, to taste (both sides, light)
- butter, for basting (optional)
- asparagus, to taste
- oil, to taste
- garlic powder, to taste
- onion powder, to taste
- lemon pepper seasoning, to taste
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- red potatoes, to taste (or yellow potatoes)
- butter, to taste
- salt, to taste
- heavy whipping cream, to taste (or whole milk or half and half)
- fresh parsley, to taste
- roasted garlic, about 4 to 5 pieces
How to Make It
- Heat a pan over medium-high heat and add avocado oil.
- Place the shrimp in the pan and season with Creole seasoning.
- Cook the shrimp about 2 to 3 minutes per side, then remove and set aside.
- To the same pan, add butter, chopped garlic, and baby spinach, and cook until the spinach wilts down.
- Stir in the room-temperature cream cheese until combined.
- Chop the cooked shrimp and add it to a mixing bowl.
- Add the jumbo lump crab meat to the bowl.
- Mix together 1 teaspoon each of lemon pepper, pepper, salt, and garlic powder, then add to the crab.
- Add the roasted garlic.
- Gently fold everything together, taking care not to break up the crab meat too much.
- Cut deep pockets into the salmon fillets.
- Lightly season both sides of the salmon with Old Bay.
- Stuff each salmon pocket with cream cheese, then with the shrimp and crab filling.
- Toss the asparagus with oil, then season with garlic powder, onion powder, lemon pepper, salt, and pepper, and mix well.
- Roast the asparagus at 450°F for about 8 to 9 minutes, or to your preferred texture.
- Heat a pan over medium-high heat, keeping it from getting too hot so the salmon does not burn before the filling warms through.
- Sear the stuffed salmon about 6 to 7 minutes per side, basting with butter if you like. (Alternatively, sear the sides, then finish in a 350°F oven for about 15 minutes.)
- Cut the red potatoes into even pieces and boil in a pot until fork tender.
- Mash the potatoes with butter, salt, heavy whipping cream, fresh parsley, and about 4 to 5 pieces of roasted garlic, tasting and seasoning as you go.
- Plate the stuffed salmon with the roasted asparagus and mashed potatoes.
Curtis's Tips
- Baby spinach cooks down a lot, so add as much as you like.
- Use jumbo lump crab meat, special crab meat, or any crab meat you prefer.
- Roasted garlic gives a bolder flavor than garlic powder, but either works.
- When mixing the filling, blend it well but try not to break up the crab meat too much.
- Make nice deep pockets if you like your salmon stuffed big and thick.
- Season the fish before you stuff it so you don't have to go back for it later.
- Keep the pan at medium-high, not too hot: the filling cooks the salmon fast, so high heat can leave the inside cold while the outside burns.
- Nervous about overcooking? Sear the sides and finish in a 350°F oven for about 15 minutes.
- Basting with butter is optional.
- Red or yellow potatoes cook faster when you want dinner done quickly; cut them evenly so they cook evenly.
- With only a few ingredients in the mash, use the freshest you can and taste as you go.
Why this works
Heat control carries the salmon. That filling cooks the fish fast from the inside, so a too-hot pan gives you a burnt outside and a cold middle — medium-high, no hotter, about 6 to 7 minutes per side. The filling gets built in stages: shrimp seared with Creole seasoning first, then butter, fresh garlic, and spinach, then cream cheese to pull it together. Once everything lands in the bowl, I fold gently — I go with jumbo lump for those big pieces of crab, and breaking them up while mixing would waste them.
FAQ
What kind of crab meat should I use?
I go with jumbo lump, but special crab meat or any crab you prefer works fine. Just fold it in gently — blend the filling well without breaking the crab up too much.
How do I keep the salmon from burning before the filling warms through?
Keep the pan at medium-high, not too hot — the filling cooks the salmon fast, so high heat leaves the inside cold while the outside burns. If you're afraid of overcooking or burning, sear the sides and finish in a 350°F oven for about 15 minutes.
Can I use garlic powder instead of roasted garlic?
You can — either works. Roasted garlic is just way more bold, which is why I reach for it in the filling and again in the mashed potatoes.
What if I don't have heavy cream for the mashed potatoes?
Whole milk or half-and-half both do the job. With only a few ingredients in that mash, go as fresh as you can and taste as you go — I like mine a little thick.
Estimated nutrition, per serving (recipe makes about 4 servings): ~989 calories · 65 g protein · 65 g fat · 36 g carbs. Computed from the ingredient list using standard reference values — an estimate, not a lab analysis; your exact brands and portions will vary.
