How To Make Stuffed Salmon With Shrimp: Best Recipe Guide

Crispy filets of stuffed salmon with shrimp and lots of cheese make a perfect dinner combination elegant for guests.

This stuffed salmon recipe only requires seven ingredients and can easily be prepared for your family and friends!

The shrimp sauteed in garlic are mixed with cheese and then used to make a stuffing for salmon fillets.

It also works for a tasty dinner at home. 

However, you may have thought that making stuffed salmon with shrimp is too much work or too difficult, but it’s actually much easier than you’d think.

Hence, we will discuss how to make a perfect stuffed salmon with shrimp recipe from home in this guide. 

Also, the ingredients needed, the method of preparation, cooking tips, and the nutritional value of this recipe will be discussed. 

What is Stuffed Salmon With Shrimp?

The Shrimp Stuffed Salmon is a refined meal made super easy. 

Shrimp is mixed with a garlic and spinach cream cheese filling, then stuffed inside a salmon filet, and baked to perfection using minimal ingredients. 

This recipe might look like you can only get it at a fancy seafood restaurant, but it is actually something that is easy to make at home for a weeknight meal. 

Although it is a wonderful meal for seafood lovers to get the best of both worlds, it takes about 30 minutes from start to finish.

However, if you think Shrimp is a lot less expensive than crab and easier to find at your place, you can Substitute salmon with another fish filet around the same thickness, like halibut.

Then get a small pan to cook the shrimp filling, and the rest is roasted in the oven.

You can then pair it with another recipe like Crab Dip, Scallop Pasta, or Wine-Free Clams for a seafood extravaganza.

How to Make Stuffed Salmon With Shrimp 

Equipment Needed

  • Skillet
  • Sharp knife
  • Mixing bowl
  • Small roasting pan or baking sheet
  • Spatula

Ingredients Needed 

  • 2 tablespoons of butter or olive oil
  • 4 cloves of minced garlic 
  • 16 medium-sized raw shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails removed, then chopped into ½ pieces
  • 4 to 5 oz of cream cheese
  • 1 large handful of fresh spinach leaves
  • ¼ teaspoon Primal Kitchen New Bae seasoning
  • 4 center-cut salmon filets
  • ¼ cup of panko breadcrumbs
  • kosher salt and black pepper
  • Parsley for garnish (optional)

Ingredients Note 

  • Salmon Filets

These need to be defrosted or “fresh”; as such, get 5-6oz filets with a wider surface area so you can fit in more stuffing because it’s more difficult to stuff tall, thin pieces. 

Meanwhile, farmed or wild salmon will work for this recipe but farmed salmon usually has a more delicate flavor.

  • Shrimp

Use Uncooked, peeled, and deveined shrimp with tails off for this recipe, as it will be the easiest to work with. 

You can cut them into any size as you will still chop them smaller before cooking.

  • Cream Cheese 

Philadelphia cream cheese, or any cream cheese without carrageenan, will work for this recipe. 

  • Panko Breadcrumbs

Panko breadcrumbs provide a lighter texture and more crunch than regular breadcrumbs, but both could work in a pinch. 

  • New Bae Seasoning

Use Bae seasoning in a very small amount just for some extra flavor.

You can also use a pinch of paprika and celery seed, which are the two main ingredients.

  • Garlic 

Garlic gives the flavor up a notch.

  • Spinach 

Add a few spinach leaves for some greens, but you could also cook down kale and use that or just leave it out.

  • Green Onion 

Green onion is great mixed into the cream cheese or as a topping.

  • Olive Oil Spray 

Olive oil spray help makes it easier instead of rubbing olive oil on the salmon, but you could put olive oil on before you cook it too.

Ingredients Substitutions and Variations

  • Salmon 

You can substitute it with your favorite fish. Thicker fish fillets such as tuna or cod will work best for stuffing.

  • Shrimp 

Use crab or lobster instead of shrimp.

  • Cheeses 

Swap the parmesan and mozzarella for swiss cheese.

  • Dairy-free 

If you want a dairy-free recipe, leave out the cheese. 

  • Crab and shrimp stuffed salmon:

You can replace half the shrimp with jumbo lump crab meat to make the filling for the recipe.

  • Florentine 

Use ½ cup of well squeezed frozen spinach to the stuffing mixture to make shrimp and spinach stuffed salmon.

Instructions on How to Make Stuffed Salmon with Shrimp

  • Defrost shrimp either overnight or in cold water, pat dry, and slice into small ¼-1/2″ pieces.
  • Melt butter or olive oil in a small pan over medium heat, then add the garlic.

Stir often till fragrant, about 1 minute. 

  • Add shrimp, and often stir with a wooden spoon till cooked through for about a few minutes with chopped shrimp.
  • Mix cream cheese, green onion, and spinach, then pour in the warm shrimp mixture to allow the cream cheese to melt a bit, making it easier to stir. 
  • Mix in new bae seasoning or spice alternatives, and add salt and black pepper to taste.
  • Pat salmon filets dry, then season with salt and pepper, and transfer them to a baking sheet covered with parchment or sprayed with oil – skin side down. 
  • Make a small slit about ½ inch deep through the center with a sharp knife and Fill the slit with the shrimp mixture.
  • Top with panko, then spray the tops of salmon lightly with olive oil and bake at 400 degrees F for 15 to 18 minutes. 
Cooking Information 
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes 

Expert Cooking Tips 

For a perfect homemade stuffed salmon with shrimp recipe, here are some cooking tips for you 

Get thicker cut, and wide – get a “center cut” piece of salmon fillets. 

For shrimp, get the ones just containing “shrimp and salt,” as occasionally sulfites can be added to preserve them.

You can defrost Frozen salmon and shrimp by placing them in the fridge overnight if you don’t have access to buy them fresh or want to wait a few days to cook this recipe.  

You can also place them in a bowl of cold water for quicker defrosting. This can take about 30 minutes to an hour.

Watch out for white spots appearing around the salmon filet (albumin) when baking. 

If you see a lot of it, it means the salmon is overcooked, and it should be removed immediately. 

15 minutes of baking should give you a nice medium-cooked fish.

For a gluten-free version of this recipe, use a gluten-free panko like Aleia’s or Jeff’s.

Also, use your favorite dairy-free cream cheese for dairy free recipe and replace the butter with olive oil or Earth Balance Pressed Oils.

Nutritional Information

  • Calories: 399 kcal 
  • Carbohydrates: 5g 
  • Protein: 36g 
  • Fat: 25g 
  • Saturated Fat: 7g 
  • Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g 
  • Monounsaturated Fat: 11g 
  • Cholesterol: 123mg 
  • Sodium: 176mg 
  • Potassium: 894mg 
  • Fiber: 1g 
  • Sugar: 1g 
  • Vitamin A: 377IU 
  • Vitamin C: 1mg 
  • Calcium: 56mg 
  • Iron: 2mg

What to Serve With Stuffed Salmon with Shrimp

You can enjoy your stuffed salmon with:

  • Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi
  • Steamed Broccoli or Green Beans
  • Roasted Mashed Cauliflower (for low carb!)
  • Roasted Potatoes
  • Baked Goat Cheese Pasta or Boursin Pasta

Storage and Reheating Information 

It is best not to store for more than a day because of the fish. However, you could prep the fish the night before and stuff it, then stick it in the refrigerator to save time.

Place on a baking sheet the next day and top with panko just before baking.

You can then store your leftover stuffed salmon in an airtight container and put it in the fridge once it cools a bit. 

To reheat, place on a baking sheet and heat oven to 300 degrees F, then cook for about 10 minutes until just warmed through.

Wrapping up 

Salmon is an easy and versatile fish to prepare, and stuffing it with shrimp makes it even better. 

It is prepared with seven main ingredients, which are olive oil, wild salmon fillets, fresh garlic cloves, raw shrimp, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and salt and pepper

These ingredients required to make this seafood dish can easily be picked up at your local grocery store. 

However, when cutting the pocket for the stuffing, be sure not to cut all the way through and don’t overcook the shrimp, as they will cook quickly in less than five minutes.

Also, stir frequently so the garlic doesn’t burn, and ensure to use a fish spatula when serving so the fish doesn’t break in half.

You can store your leftover stuffed salmon in an airtight container and put it in the fridge once it cools a bit. 

To reheat, place on a baking sheet and heat oven to 300 degrees F, then cook for about 10 minutes until just warmed through.

We hope you find this recipe guide helpful! Don’t forget to check back for more interesting recipes. 

FAQS

How do I know the salmon is cooked all the way?

The best way to check if the salmon is done is to insert a meat thermometer into the thickest area of the fish. 

For a medium-cooked piece of salmon, the temperature should read 130° F, and for a well-cooked piece of salmon, it should be 145° F. 

How can I keep the filling inside the fish I accidentally cut all through while it cooks?

Add the stuffing the best way you can, then tie a piece of kitchen string in 1 to 2 spots around the salmon to hold it together. 

Cut and remove the strings after cooking for 20 minutes before adding the extra stuffing on top and returning it to the oven to broil.

What’s the best salmon to buy for stuffing?

The wild-caught Pacific salmon is considered a healthier and more sustainable fish than Atlantic farmed raised salmon. 

However, when choosing the fillets, look for thicker pieces that will make it easier to stuff.  

Use frozen salmon if you can’t find fresh ones. 

Should I remove the skin when baking stuffed salmon?

Leave the skin intact while the salmon cooks as it helps to keep the fish moist during cooking but ensure to place the salmon skin side down on the pan. 

The skin should easily slide off once done cooking.

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