Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Stuffed Salmon with Spinach, Capers, and Greek Yogurt
Cutting into stuffed salmon gives you a pleasant surprise in the middle. The filling has a tangy, briny bite that works well with the rich fish, making a familiar salmon dinner feel fresh again. Get a little of that filling onto your fork with the first piece.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 14 min
- Total
- 34 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 13 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Fish
- Cuisine
- Mediterranean
- Cooking method
- Baking · Baked & roasted
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 16–30 minutes · Total: 31–60 minutes
A few quick notes
1. Drain the spinach well
After the spinach wilts, press it in the strainer a few times with your spoon. That little step keeps the filling from turning watery as the salmon bakes.
2. Cut the pocket gently
Slice into the side of each salmon portion without going all the way through. You want a pocket that holds the filling, not two separate pieces of fish.
3. Season inside, too
A little salt and pepper inside the pocket helps the salmon taste seasoned all the way through, especially since the filling sits right against the cut side of the fish.
Get to know the ingredients
Use thick salmon
The salmon needs to be at least 1-inch thick so there’s enough room to cut a pocket and spoon in the filling without tearing through the fillet.
Chop the preserved lemon finely
The preserved lemon goes in peel, pith, and flesh, so chop it finely before stirring it into the filling. That keeps its salty lemon flavor spread through each bite.
Roasted peppers are flexible
Homemade or jarred fire-roasted red peppers both work here. Dice them before mixing so they tuck neatly into the spinach filling instead of making the pockets bulky.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 7 steps completeMake room for Stuffed Salmon with Spinach, Capers, and Greek Yogurt
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
The last little job
Once the salmon flakes easily, serve it right away with the lemon wedges. A squeeze at the table brightens the rich fish and the briny filling.
A little more help as you go
A little extra heat is optional
The filling already has Aleppo pepper, but you can sprinkle more over the fillets before baking if you’d like a warmer finish on the salmon.
Keep the filling even
Spoon a quarter of the spinach filling into each salmon pocket before baking.
A few questions you might have
Why do I need to chop the spinach after cooking it?
Wilting makes the spinach soft, but chopping it after draining helps it mix evenly with the peppers, capers, preserved lemon, yogurt, and seasonings. It also makes the filling easier to spoon into the salmon pockets.
Can I use jarred roasted red peppers and preserved lemon?
Yes. You can use homemade or jarred for both. Just dice the peppers and finely chop the preserved lemon before adding them to the filling.
Should the salmon be skin-side up or down in the pan?
Arrange the salmon skin-side down before stuffing and baking. That keeps the cut pocket facing up and makes it easier to add the filling.
How do I know the salmon is done?
Bake it until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily. The recipe gives 12 to 14 minutes at 400°F as the baking window.
Where does the lemon juice go?
Half the lemon is reserved for juice. Squeeze that over the salmon before baking, then serve the remaining wedges on the side for extra squeezing.
Any more cooking tips?
Make sure to press as much water as possible out of the salmon mixture to prevent excess water from releasing as the salmon bakes. Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including olive oils, honey, jams, and spices.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: themediterraneandish.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
