Baked Stuffed Salmon Spinach Feta (Print Version)

Salmon fillets stuffed with spinach, feta, and roasted peppers, baked for a delicious and easy meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Salmon

01 - 4 salmon fillets, 6 ounces each, skin on or off as preferred
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

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly oil it.
02 - Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels. Place them skin-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
03 - Using a sharp knife, cut a pocket lengthwise into each fillet, slicing about three-quarters of the way through without cutting to the skin.
04 - Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add spinach, Italian seasoning, paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until the spinach is wilted or heated through and dry if using frozen.
05 - Remove from heat. Stir in crumbled feta, grated Parmesan, roasted red peppers, and garlic powder. Mix well and let cool slightly.
06 - Brush the salmon fillets inside and out with the remaining 1.5 tablespoons olive oil. Season generously with salt and black pepper.
07 - Divide the spinach-feta mixture among the fillets, gently spooning it into each pocket. Do not overfill; leave a little space at the edges.
08 - Bake for 12 to 17 minutes, depending on fillet thickness, until the salmon flakes easily with a fork and reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.
09 - Remove from oven and let rest for 2 minutes before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It feels fancy enough to serve guests but comes together faster than ordering takeout.
  • The spinach and feta filling stays inside the salmon, keeping everything moist and flavorful without extra fussing.
  • It's naturally gluten-free and low-carb, so you don't have to explain your dinner choices to anyone.
02 -
  • The stuffing must be mostly cooled before it goes into the salmon or the heat will cook the fish unevenly and the cheese separates instead of staying creamy.
  • Don't skip patting the spinach dry if you're using frozen; watery spinach leaks into the salmon and turns it from roasted to steamed.
03 -
  • Buy slightly thicker fillets if you can, at least an inch, so they stay moist inside while the outside edges get a gentle color.
  • Don't waste energy worrying about the exact baking time, just use your eyes and a fork to check for flakiness instead of watching the clock obsessively.
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