Creamy spinach artichoke stuffed salmon doused in a homemade lemon butter sauce! This summer food that’s fancy enough to serve dinner guests but takes no time at all to whip up!

top shot of seared salmon stuffed with spinach artichoke dip and drizzled in lemon butter sauce

Hello there!

I’m still here! I haven’t disappeared. A small Memorial Day break snowballed into a week-long hiatus for me. There are a ton of things going on behind the scenes at the moment. Things I want to share with you, but I feel it would be premature to do so now. So let’s give it a month, and I hope that by then I’ll be able to tell you more about why I’ve been so MIA! 

But I’m here now; I’m back! And I’ve got a spinach artichoke stuffed salmon recipe that is sure to be a go-to summer meal! We’re talking about fresh salmon filets that you can get your fishmonger at the grocery store to make for you if you ask nicely, stuffed with a creamy spinach artichoke dip and then pan seared and doused in homemade garlicky lemon butter sauce and oh my lanta!

This is one of the best ways I’ve ever made salmon!

How to make stuffed salmon:

drizzling lemon butter sauce on seared salmon filets

Salmon is a staple at our house! It’s a fatty omega-3 + Vitamin B 12 loaded powerhouse of a protein that takes no time to whip up at all Ideal for weeknight dinners, you see? And there are just so many ways to make salmon that you could serve it every night of the week and not repeat the same recipe twice.

Our personal favorite: my garlic butter baked salmon in foil. The sauce that I use in that recipe is the same one we’re using today. But it’s a whole lot fancier because our salmon is stuffed with creamy spinach and artichoke first.

Other ways we love serving salmon: Seattle-style salmon chowdah, baked firecracker salmon, spicy miso glazed salmon, pan seared salmon with lemon cream saucechili lime salmon, but also with crunchy lemon pepper. 

And, well, I think you get the idea!

lemon butter sauce drizzled on artichoke and spinach stuffed salmon filets

What do you need to make stuffed salmon?

  • large salmon filets
  • olive oil
  • spinach artichoke dip (homemade or store-bought)
  • shredded mozzarella cheese
  • lemon juice
  • cold butter
  • minced garlic
  • red pepper flakes
dipping a tortilla chip in prepared spinach artichoke dip

How to make the best spinach artichoke stuffed salmon recipe:

  1. Make sure the salmon sits at room temperature for 15-30 minutes before starting. This is really important and keeps the salmon from shrinking and curling when you sear it! Then, brush the salmon with olive oil using a basting brush and generously season with salt and pepper.
  2. Start by making a slit in the thickest part of the salmon. I suggest doing this with a paring knife and very carefully cutting the salmon until you get a pocket between the two searing surfaces of the salmon. Stuffed the prepared spinach artichoke mixture into the pouch and gently use the paring knife to push the filling in further but we careful not to go through to the other side. Heat the olive oil in a pan and gently sear the salmon for roughly 5-7 minutes per side.
  3. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the lemon juice and minced garlic, allow the lemon juice to reduce to 2 tablespoons. Add in 1 tablespoon of butter, remove the pan from heat, and swirl, so the butter starts to melt. Place back on the heat for a few seconds, remove, and continue to swirl until the butter completely melts. 
  4. Repeat with the remaining butter, one tablespoon of butter at a time. When butter is completely melted, remove sauce from stove; set aside for later or you can also just place it on a simmer burner on the lowest setting if you’d like to keep it warm for serving.

stuffed salmon filet being flaked with a fork

FAQs about stuffed salmon:

What kind of salmon works best?

I suggest purchasing fresh salmon for this recipe so that we can get the salmon to sear beautifully on both sides. Frozen salmon would also work, but you would need to defrost it first, then you’d want to pat it dry entirely. Even after all of that, keep in mind that frozen salmon, unfortunately, just won’t get that same beautiful sear as fresh salmon will. So I really suggest going with fresh if you can for this recipe.

Can I use a store-bought spinach artichoke dip?

Absolutely! I love making this with leftover spinach and artichoke dip but if you don’t happen to have any on hand, feel free to grab ready-made dip! You could even use the jalapeño artichoke variety if you like that sort of thing!

Can I make this in the air fryer?

I haven’t tried it but I do think that this could easily be made in the air fryer. Keep in mind that this is purely based on research and that I haven’t tried it myself so actual cooking times may vary by a couple of minutes here or there. But I suggest air frying the salmon at 385-390ºF for roughly 6-8 minutes. You won’t need to flip the fish in the air fryer so be sure to place it skin side down. Also, be generous with cooking spray or brush with olive oil using a pastry brush.

Do I have to serve the lemon butter sauce?

Nope! If you want to go a lighter route, you can simply season the salmon with 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder and a pinch of cayenne along with the salt and pepper and skip the lemon butter sauce altogether! 

What do serve with this recipe:

My roasted Brussel sprouts! But also, steamed asparagus, southern buttermilk biscuits, rosemary focaccia, cheddar mashed potatoes, instant pot mashed potatoes, sautéed green beans, steamed rice, butter egg noodles or a simple salad and pull-apart garlic bread! 

I hope you’ll give this easy stuffed salmon recipe a go! It’s truly delicious enough to serve company!

prepared seared salmon filets in stainless steel sauce pan
Yield: 4 servings

Creamy Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Salmon with Lemon Butter Sauce

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Creamy spinach artichoke stuffed salmon doused in a homemade lemon butter sauce! This summer food that’s fancy enough to serve dinner guests but takes no time at all to whip up!

Creamy Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Salmon with Lemon Butter Sauce

Ingredients

  • 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (plus more)
  • ½ cup prepared spinach artichoke dip (homemade
  • ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 4 tablespoons EACH: lemon juice AND cold butter (cubed)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions

  1. PREP THE SALMON: Make sure the salmon filets have sat at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before starting. Brush the salmon filets with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and a big pinch of black pepper on each of the fillets (making sure to season both sides.) 
  2. MAKE THE FILLING: place the prepared spinach artichoke dip in a bowl and combine with the shredded mozzarella cheese, set aside.
  3. STUFF IT: Using a small paring knife, cut a thin pocket in the thickest portion of the filet, taking care not to go all the way through to the other side. The slit should be large enough to easily fit a tablespoon. Take the filling and fill each of the filets with roughly 2 tablespoons of the prepared dip. If it doesn’t go in all the way, use the paring knife to help push it in without ripping through the other side.
  4. LEMON GARLIC SAUCE: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the lemon juice and minced garlic, allow the lemon juice to reduce to 2 tablespoons. Add in 1 tablespoon of butter, remove the pan from heat and swirl so the butter starts to melt. Place back on the heat for a few seconds, removed and continue to swirl until the butter completely melts. Repeat with the remaining butter, one tablespoon of butter at a time. When butter is completely melted, remove sauce from stove; set aside for later. You can also just place it on a simmer burner on the lowest setting if you’d like to keep it warm.
  5. SEAR THE SALMON: Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add a swish of olive oil to the skillet. Gently lower the salmon filets into the skillet and let cook for 5-7 minutes on each side. It’s difficult for me to tell you exact cooking time as this depends on the thickness of the fillet. The salmon should gently spring back when pressed with the index finger and be flakey. For best results, use a fish turner to flip the fish. Brush or pour the prepared lemon garlic sauce over the salmon and serve warm with roasted brussels sprouts, steamed asparagus, or broccoli!

Have you made this recipe?

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below. You can also share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #LITTLESPICEJAR, I'd love to see what you made!

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