Baked Stuffed Salmon Spinach Feta (Printable Version)

Salmon fillets filled with spinach, feta, and roasted peppers, baked for a simple and delicious dinner.

# What You'll Need:

→ Salmon

01 - 4 salmon fillets, 6 ounces each, skin on or off
02 - 1.5 tablespoons olive oil
03 - Salt to taste
04 - Freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Spinach-Feta Filling

05 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
06 - 4 cups fresh spinach, or frozen spinach thawed and squeezed dry
07 - 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
08 - 0.5 teaspoon paprika
09 - 1 pinch cayenne pepper
10 - 6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
11 - 0.33 cup grated Parmesan cheese
12 - 0.25 cup roasted red peppers, chopped
13 - 0.5 teaspoon garlic powder
14 - Salt to taste
15 - Freshly ground black pepper to taste

# Cooking Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly oil the surface.
02 - Pat salmon fillets dry with paper towels. Place them skin-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
03 - Using a sharp knife, cut a lengthwise pocket into each fillet, slicing approximately three-quarters of the way through without cutting through the skin.
04 - Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add spinach, Italian seasoning, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until spinach is wilted and any excess moisture is released.
05 - Remove skillet from heat. Stir in crumbled feta cheese, grated Parmesan cheese, roasted red peppers, and garlic powder. Mix thoroughly and allow to cool slightly.
06 - Brush salmon fillets inside and out with remaining 1.5 tablespoons olive oil. Season generously with salt and black pepper.
07 - Divide spinach-feta mixture evenly among fillets, gently spooning filling into each pocket. Avoid overfilling to prevent spillage during baking.
08 - Bake for 12 to 17 minutes, depending on fillet thickness, until salmon flakes easily with a fork and reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.
09 - Remove from oven and allow salmon to rest for 2 minutes before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The whole meal comes together in 30 minutes, which means weeknight dinner that feels restaurant-worthy without the stress.
  • Stuffing a salmon fillet yourself is easier than it sounds and somehow makes you feel like a professional cook.
  • It's naturally gluten-free and low-carb, so it works for almost any table without anyone feeling left out.
02 -
  • Don't cut all the way through the skin when making your pocket, because that's your barrier against the filling escaping and the fish drying out during cooking.
  • Squeezing frozen spinach until your hands ache is not optional if you want a filling that's cohesive and flavorful rather than watery and sad.
  • Check the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer at the thickest point because visual cues can be deceiving and overcooked salmon breaks your heart.
03 -
  • A sharp knife makes cutting the pocket effortless and keeps the fillet intact, so this is genuinely worth using your best knife for rather than fighting with a dull one.
  • If your fillets are particularly thick, butterfly them gently instead of cutting straight pockets, which gives you more surface area for the filling and looks impressive plated.
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