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Crab stuffed salmon with lemon butter is a decadent dinner that is surprisingly easy to make, very healthy, and utterly delicious.
You may have had crab stuffed fish in a restaurant before and relegated it to a special “restaurant only” dinner, but this stuffed salmon recipe is simple and delicious made right in your kitchen. With less than a dozen healthy ingredients and only 20 minutes of cooking time, this stuffed salmon with crab meat is going to become one of your favorite meals.
It’s not only a fantastic choice for a low carb seafood recipe, it’s an easy way to enjoy crab stuffed fish. This is a meal that can be prepped ahead of time and just baked when you’re ready to eat it. You can even “wow” your company with it; no one would ever guess how easy it is to make lemon butter salmon.
Inspiration for a Crab Stuffed Salmon Recipe
Do you remember your first date with your husband? You can probably remember all the details: what you wore, where he took you, what you enjoyed for dinner…
For us, it was more than a decade ago and I can remember it like it was yesterday. Even though it wasn’t our actual first date, it was the first one after we decided we would “officially” be a couple.
We went to a restaurant called Vic’s, which sat nestled along the river in Minneapolis. The name of the restaurant was quite fitting, because it was my cousin, Vic, who first introduced us.
Oleg and I sat across one another over plates of walleye with crab stuffing and began our love story. We sat by the window looking out onto the glistening lights of the Minneapolis skyline, enjoying a wonderful bottle of wine and talking up a storm. We both ordered the same crab stuffed fish plate, which was the inspiration for this stuffed salmon recipe.
It would later become a regular choice for us at every visit to this amazing restaurant for years to come. It should come as no surprise that this sparkling memory brought on the urge for me to recreate a healthier version of the dish that accompanied it.
If you’ve ever enjoyed lemon butter salmon, you know why. Mmm.
This romantic memory inspired the creation of this lemon butter salmon recipe; after all, a dinner so delicious should be able to be enjoyed whenever the mood strikes (and not just when you happen to be in Minneapolis).
Now you can enjoy crab stuffed salmon from the comfort of your own kitchen any time you want (but you’ll have to find your own handsome date!).
Ingredients for Lemon Butter Stuffed Salmon with Crab Meat
Crab stuffed fish is a pretty popular meal. My husband and I enjoyed walleye on our first date and other restaurants may use their house specialty. This recipe calls for salmon because it’s easy to find, affordable, and is a good option for any low carb fish meal.
You could, of course, use walleye (Vic’s does!) or any fish you choose. Another tweak to the original inspiration is the lemon butter drizzled on top. Don’t skip this step! It’s the perfect addition to crab stuffed fish.
If you’ve never tried lemon butter salmon (or lemon butter on any fish), you’ll know what a tantalizing difference it makes as soon as you take your first bite.
Unlike typical crab stuffing, this one has no fillers (not even almond or coconut flour!). They are completely unnecessary and without them, the crab meat flavor really shines. The great part about this is that it allows your crab stuffed fish to stay keto, paleo, whole30, and low carb. And, you can find the ingredients easily in grocery stores without buying any special flours.
The flavors of this crab stuffed salmon are enhanced only by an array of spices, a little mayonnaise, a splash of lemon juice, and lightly sweet, almost caramelized onion.
Seriously, stuffed salmon with crab meat is already perfect without adding fillers! That means that this recipe is not only paleo and low carb, it’s also gluten-free. It contains no nuts, coconut, or any other flour substitutes. Sometimes simple is truly the best way to go!
So what’s in this stuffed salmon recipe? Salmon, crab, mayonnaise, butter, and a few spices to add an irresistible flavor. Here’s the list:
- Salmon fillet (wider is better)
- Lemon zest
- Butter
- Sea salt
- Pepper
- Lump crabmeat
- Onion
- Mayonnaise
- Fresh parsley
- Garlic
- Lemon juice
- Old Bay seasoning
If you’re looking for a keto seafood recipe for a busy weeknight, you’ve found a winner in this easy stuffed salmon recipe. And it’s one that everyone will love with it’s light, buttery flavor and savory stuffing.
What are you waiting for? Let’s get dinner cooking! You’re going to love this stuffed salmon with crab meat.
How To Cook Stuffed Salmon with Crab Meat
If you don’t already know how to cook crab stuffed salmon, you’re in for a delightful surprise; it’s quite easy.
The first step is to sauté the onion; it’s up to you how sweet you want your onion here. While it’s beginning to brown, mix up your crab filling.
And, don’t feel intimidated by the “stuffed” aspect of this recipe; cooking stuffed salmon with crab meat is much easier than you’d think.
Simply mix together the filling, arrange it down the center of the salmon filet, then fold it over. After you do that, just brush melted lemon butter on top, sprinkle with some salt and pepper, and you’re all set to bake it in the oven.
Really, the only trick is to get the stuffed salmon filet to stay folded. This is why a wider filet works best, which makes the process easier. If it really won’t stay, you can use toothpicks to hold it shut, but I’ve never found it necessary.
Who knew making crab stuffed salmon could be so easy?
Make Ahead Crab Stuffed Fish
One awesome thing about this stuffed salmon recipe is that it can be prepped in advance. Gotta love an easy, make-ahead weeknight dinner idea! I do this all the time.
It’s very simple. All you’ll do is make the crab stuffing up ahead of time, fold it into the salmon, and then cover with foil until you’re ready to bake it.
At dinner time, pull out the stuffed salmon with crab meat and put it in the oven. Within 20 minutes you’ll be taking your first mouth-watering bite of lemon butter salmon!
Food prep is the key to eating healthy even when life gets busy. This simple crab stuffed fish recipe is the perfect addition to your keto recipe rotation for busy evenings. And, your family – or company – will never know that you didn’t spend hours making it!
Tools To Make Low Carb Stuffed Salmon with Crab:
Click the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.
- Saucepan – These nonstick saucepans are my go-to cook ware items to cook on my stove top. Either size would work for sauteing the onion for this recipe.
- Whisk – A whisk is a must have tool to have in your recipe. This classic version is the size you need for making this keto fish recipe.
- Utensils for stirring – These utensils won’t scratch your nonstick cookware and has a variety of different tools included so that you have the perfect size for this low carb salmon recipe.
Crab Stuffed Salmon with Lemon Butter (Paleo, Low Carb):
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Reader Favorite Recipes
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RECIPE CARD
Easy Crab Stuffed Salmon Recipe with Lemon Butter
This crab stuffed salmon recipe looks fancy and tastes delicious, but is quick and easy to make with common ingredients. You'll love this simple take on lemon butter salmon and crab stuffed fish. Naturally low carb, gluten-free and paleo, but you'd never guess!
Recipe Video
Click or tap on the image below to play the video. It's the easiest way to learn how to make this recipe!Ingredients
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Salmon
Crab Filling
Instructions
Get RECIPE TIPS in the post above, nutrition info + recipe notes below!
Click on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
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In a pan over medium heat, saute onion for about 7-10 minutes, until translucent and browned (or cook longer to caramelize if desired).
- Meanwhile, whisk together the mayonnaise, minced garlic, fresh parsley, lemon juice, and Old Bay seasoning.
- Stir in the sauteed onion. Gently fold in the lump crab meat, without breaking up the lumps.
- Place the salmon filet on the baking sheet. Arrange the crab mixture lengthwise down the middle of the salmon. Starting from the thinner edge of the filet, fold over the long way.
- Whisk together the melted butter and lemon zest. Brush the lemon butter over the top of the salmon. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and black pepper.
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Bake for 16-20 minutes, until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Sprinkle with additional fresh parsley. Cut cross-wise into individual filets to serve.
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 4 oz fish + filling, or 1/8 of entire recipe
Video Showing How To Make Stuffed Salmon:
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Nutrition Information Per Serving
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database. You can find individual ingredient carb counts we use in the Low Carb & Keto Food List. Net carb count excludes fiber, erythritol, and allulose, because these do not affect blood sugar in most people. (Learn about net carbs here.) We try to be accurate, but feel free to make your own calculations.
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34 Comments
Audra
This recipe was so easy and delicious. The only thing I did differently is I didn’t sauté the onion in the the crab filling (I kept the onion raw and it cooked in the oven) and I did not fold over the salmon.
Debra Jones Knight
I love this recipe…but I think I would have cooked the salmon first to give it a brownish color then add the crab… I also added shrimp… it was delish
Carmen D. Hernandez
Delicious!!! I substituted one tablespoon of non-fat Greek yogurt for one tablespoon of mayo cause my hubby has heart disease and it was great. The crab filling was subtle, tasty and made the salmon even better.
Lisa
a) I didn’t have any lemon zest (so I skipped it)
b) My salmon filet wasn’t big enough but it was really thick and had the skin on one side (so I had to skin it)
c) The filet wouldn’t (couldn’t) roll.
d) I remembered seeing a recipe that involved lining the cups in a muffin pan with bacon.
So I followed the basic recipe but cut a piece of bacon for the bottom of each muffin cup, and a piece of bacon to line the side of each. I then added the crab filling. I then sliced the thickest part of the salmon in half to make thinner filets and then cut into pieces a little larger than the muffin top. I drizzled the melted butter no top and finished with a couple of grinds of both salt and pepper and popped it into the oven at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes. It is DELICIOUS!! And, much like your recipe, this would shine at an elegant dinner party!! Actually, I live alone and I ended up with 9 seafood “cups.” I want to get dressed and run the remaining 7 over to my neighbors to enjoy while they’re still warm and fresh!! Two Thumbs Up!!
Mary Roberts
This recipe was very easy to follow and the dish was delicious! I love salmon and have never added the crab meat before but it was very good and I will definitely cook this again.
Barbara
My daughter made this for my sister, her husband and us last night. It was simply Amazing!!
Connie Bauer
I’ve prepped the salmon and will cook it for Christmas Eve dinner tonight after church. I was wondering if you can prep the fish and freeze it for another night? I think I have way too much for tonight and with Christmas dinner tomorrow night, I’m afraid it might not get eaten
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Connie, Yes, you can freeze extras if you like! It’s best to do that before baking, that way it won’t get too dry when reheating. Just let the frozen fish thaw before baking as usual.
Roberta
I tried to pin this recipe but it wouldn’t work.
Wholesome Yum A
Hi Roberta, can you tell me where you tried to pin it from? There are a few different places to do it on each recipe page, so I want to make sure I’m looking at the right button.
Roberta
Can’t find canned nor fresh crab that isn’t loaded with sugar: could lump shrimp work as substitution for this recipe? Thank you for your always inspiring and well-explained recipes 🙂 !
Wholesome Yum A
That would be wonderful, Roberta! Let me know if you try it that way.
Cheryl Shaw
Do you use canned lump crab? I’ve never tried it. Which brand(s) are the best?
Wholesome Yum
Hi Cheryl, I get mine in the same section as fresh seafood in the grocery store. Any brand will work, but try to find one with no additives, sugar, or gluten.
Grace
Looks amazing! Just to make sure, you only line a baking sheet and then cook the fish? You don’t wrap the fish in foil?
Wholesome Yum
Correct, Grace! Watch the recipe video if you need more guidance.
Louis
I used a very large salmon fillet and was certain there would be left overs. Not so, everyone ate double helpings. DELICIOUS and so easy, great recipe!!
Elyse
Made this last night and it was delicious! Only change I made was I added some chopped chive to the stuffing mixture. My salmon wasn’t really wide enough to fold but it was long, so instead I just chopped the piece in half and stacked it on top of the crab, securing it together with a few toothpicks. Worked perfectly and allowed me to pile up lots of the yummy crab stuffing! Thanks for the recipe!
Betty Bahlin
This was amazing…..easy to make and super delicious…..my hubby said it was better than restaurant salmon. Directions were terrific, served with parmesan upside down potatoes and veggie mix. Love it will be making it often. Yummy
Ray
I brought a salmon from the store with the skin on one side of the fillet. Do I remove the skin before cooking?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Ray, the recipe was for a filet without skin, but it might work with a skin-on filet too. If you do, it’s best to have the skin on the outside so that it crisps up.
Beverly Norris
I am cooking this over the labor day holiday, on a cedar plank over the campfire for guests. I also like to mix in some shrimp with the crab.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you for sharing, Beverly! That sounds delicious!
Beverly Norris
I make this dish often to rave reviews. This week-end I am making it over the campfire for the guests.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy you liked the salmon recipe, Beverly! Please come back again soon!
Kathy
I had shrimp and Bay scallops I needed to use so I followed your recipe and substituted them. My salmon was a bit thick so I butterflied it was absolutely delish!! Can’t wait to try it with crab. Restaurant quality dish well actually better! Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy you liked it, Kathy! Have a nice day! Please come back again soon!
Cheryl
It says to sauté the onions. Do you do it in butter?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Cheryl, Yes, you can saute the onions in any fat of your choice.
Beverly Norris
Delicious! I’ve made it many times to rave reviews. I also add shrimp to the stuffing. So GOOD!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
OOOH, great idea to add shrimp, Beverly! Thank you!
Kelly
Do you leave the foil on to bake it? I want to make the stuffed salmon ahead of time.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Kelly, The recipe calls for baking it uncovered, but with salmon you could really do it either way.
monechetti
This looks incredible! I love low carb fish recipes <3