One of my favorite restaurant-style dishes will always be stuffed flounder. And It's easier to make than you think. Why not turn dinner into a special occasion with this delicious recipe?
If you want a delicious and easy to make restaurant-style dish for your next date night, give my Stuffed Flounder Recipe a try, you’ll be glad you did.
One of the most popular dishes on my restaurant menu at the shore was flounder stuffed with crab imperial. Pretty much any dish including Flounder was a big hit at the Jersey Shore and adding Crab Imperial made it an easy choice for many of our guests.
What do I need to make Stuffed Flounder?
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Stuffed Flounder. In Chef Speak this is called the “Mise en Place” which translates to “Everything in its Place”.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the up cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
WHAT TYPE OF CRABMEAT CAN I USE?
The source of the crabmeat can be from any part of the world that has crabs and includes varieties such as Blue Swimming, Dungeness, Snow, King and of course my favorite Blue Claw.
- Jumbo Lump
- Lump
- Backfin
- Claw
- Imitation Crabmeat
What other types of fish can I stuff with Crab Imperial?
If you want the same type of presentation, fish fillets that are thin work best.
- Tilapia
- Sea Bass
- Sole
- Turbot
But any fish can be topped with crab imperial. The stuffing doesn’t have to go between the fillets, it can simply go on top of the fish before baking.
How do I make Stuffed Flounder?
The first step is making the imperial sauce for the crabmeat. In a small bowl mix all the ingredients for the imperial sauce together until well blended.
Gently blend the sauce into the crab meat, don’t add it all in, in case you don’t need quite that much sauce.
The next step is stuffing the placing the crab imperial between the flounder fillets. It can be baked on a sheet pan or baking dish.
Or you can place the stuffed flounder in individual au gratin style baking dishes.
The nice thing about this dish is that it can be prepped ahead of time, so the only work you really have to do is pop it in the oven when your guests arrive. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
More Recipes You’ll Love!
- Lobster Stuffed with Crab Imperial
- Salmon Stuffed with Cream Cheese and Crabmeat
- Maryland Style Crab Imperial
- Chicken stuffed with Crab Imperial wrapped in Puff Pastry
- My Famous Crab Cakes
Stuffed Flounder
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 8 ounces crab meat lump or jumbo lump
- 12 ounces flounder fillets
- 2 Tablespoons melted butter
Imperial Sauce
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 large egg lightly whipped
- 1 squeeze of fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon old bay seasoning
Instructions
- In a small bowl mix all the ingredients for the imperial sauce together until well blended.
- Gently blend the sauce into the crab meat, don’t add it all in, in case you don’t need quite that much sauce.
- Place a small piece of flounder in the bottom of your baking dish, and place half of your crab imperial mixture on top of each fillet.
- Place a piece of flounder on each side of the stuffing, leaving the top visible. It will look great as it browns, and you want your guests to see all of that lovely crab meat!
- Place a little water in the pan with your stuffed flounder to help keep them moist, and if you’re feeling really decadent, top the stuffed flounder with a little melted butter (that’s how we would have done it in the restaurant). It’s definitely worth the extra effort!
- Place the baking dish in a 350 degree preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. It’s important not to let the flounder dry out, but you do want your crab imperial to be hot enough (if you have a food thermometer check its internal temperature to make sure its at least 165 degrees).
- Serve with your favorite side dish and sit back and enjoy!
Nutrition
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- Blood Orange Pecan Muffin Recipe
- Pasta alla Caponata – a light and delicious meatless pasta dish
Robert says
Trying it out today chef but using crawfish tails instead of crab meat. Let ya know how it turns out.1
Peggy Scott says
Delicious, I loved it!
Dayle Brignac says
I am looking forward to trying your flounder dish. I live on Galveson Island and fish a lot. Yesterday you can guess what type of fish i caught. I will let you know how much I do r don’t enjoy it. Look forward to trying some of your other reciptes.
Dale
Nikki $ says
It was awesome! My husband loved it. Did tweaked it a bit. I put salt, pepper and old bay on all the fillets. Then topped it with Italian seasoning. Most recipes don’t have enough seasoning for my hubby and I. We also baked it covered for 20 minutes then uncovered it for 5-7 minutes to brown the top this helped keep the fish moist. Thanks for sharing. Will cook again. I also used imitation crab meat that’s what I had available.
Andy says
Tried this tonight! I worked in a cape cod restaurant during college and I was trying to remember how to prepare this old stand by. You recipe was closest… the only difference was I turned up the oven to 400, and checked it at 10 minutes… 12 minutes later it was done… The imperial sauce was SPOT ON! THANKS!
Mike Miroux says
Chef,
I followed you recipe last night and it was delicious! Everyone loved it! Thanks for the recipe! Keep them coming!
Mike
Chef Dennis Littley says
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the stuffed flounder Mike! Thanks so much for letting me know.
George Sarricueta says
how long can i keep the stuffing of the stuff flounder in the fridge and freezer??
Chef Dennis Littley says
I wouldn’t keep it more than 2 days. It’s also going to start getting runny the longer it sits. You can freeze it but freezing crabmeat is the best thing for it. It will make it stringy.
Robbin says
Chef Dennis – this dish looks scrumptious. But I would like to try this with chilean sea bass stuffed with the crab imperial. Will I need to soak the fish in water so that it will not dry out? Also, would you recommend just salt and pepper on the fish. I don’t want to take away from the crab imperial, but I do want to enhance the flavor of the chilean sea bass.
Chef Dennis Littley says
hi Robbin,
I don’t think you need to soak the fish, the stuffing should help keep it moist, but when baking it I would add a little water to the bottom of the pan to help keep it moist. As for seasonings with the imperial as the stuffing I would keep the seasoning mild just using a little olive oil and salt and pepper on the fish.
[email protected] says
I grew up in Pennyslvania (Harrisburg) eating blue crab and lots of stuffed flounder. This takes me back to that great seafood that we don’t have here in Nashville. Glad i found your site. Congratulations on the changes.
admin says
Hi Angela, I’m so glad you stopped by! I do take for granted all the wonderful fresh seafood we have in the area, and my wife loves it! Hope all is well in Nashville!
Lin Ann says
I had stuffed flounder while on vacation and I now want to make it at home. So guess where I looked first – your blog. And here it is! I knew I could count on you!!!
Maranda says
Oh my goodness! Stuffed flounder is one of my favorite things to get at Red Lobster. I can't wait to try this!!! I pinned it on pinterest so I won't forget!
Thanks for the great information as well!
Gloria says
I love this Dennis, look delicious! gloria
[email protected] says
I always love all your seafood creations… this flounder sounds fantastic!
Great post chef, very informative…and as always, a beautiful recipe!
Kim - Liv Life says
Another wonderful post Dennis! That corn has me thinking summer… while you have the hot weather I'm dreaming of, I've still got long sleeves. No socks though! I have to admit it's really been beautiful in the day time, but I could still do with a few more degrees. We do our corn on the grill as well and I'm eager to get some.
Love the twitter info… I'm still wading those waters and probably not using it as well as I could be!
kita says
I knew about tweetdeck – but I had no idea about all the other links you included in this weeks ask Dennis! I can't wait to check it all out.
Stuffed flounder is a family favorite. My daddy always makes it for the holidays in the winter. I've been looking for a recipe to challenge him (the best way we bond).
Julie M. says
Now that is truly a Mid-Atlantic treat! Just beautiful Dennis. Great advice as well. I definitely check out Path.com and foodspotting; they sound like great sites.
The Mom Chef says
This recipe got bookmarked for sure. I can well imagine that Mrs. Chef would prefer to eat at home with this amazing meal instead of be taken out. Bravo, Chef, bravo.
Elin says
Hi Piggy Chef….Congrats to Mrs.Dennis for passing her exam 🙂 Your dish makes me salivate …Stuffed flounder with crab meat…gosh..who wouldn't want to marry a Chef ? LOL! Thanks for sharing the recipe…I can substitute flounder with other fish I guess ,since we don't have it over here 🙁
I always find your ' Ask Chef Dennis ' so valuable. So much to learn from you. Thanks for being our Rock in our blogging world 🙂
I will be submitting my best recipe to Nancy end of June 🙂
Have a great weekend,
Elin
kankana says
You are so right.. wonder what we would have done without all these social media.
About that fish .. I never had this fish before but it looks SO SO SO creamy .. just wanna grab that plate 🙂
Torviewtoronto says
this is a delicious summer dish corn looks fabulous with the fish and sauce
Kate says
Dennis, that fish looks magnificent. I've got some crabmeat from TJ's in the fridge so all I've got to do is get the flounder…
Baking Serendipity says
Congratulations to your wife! This celebratory dish looks fantastic, and while I know the fish is the main star, I can't help but drool over that grilled corn. Yum!
sensiblecooking says
That flounder with crab center just looks simply delis. ANd you are right it is far better than dining out.
Jennifurla says
I always make sure to follow every follower!
Pachecopatty says
Hi Chef Dennis, thanks for sharing another one of your wonderful inspired recipes, we need to eat more fish and I have no excuses we have a great fish department at Whole Paycheck 5 minutes from our house. My son is helping me learn how to use Twitter, he tweeted for me where we were for dinner last night and what we were going to eat. I had to laugh because it looked like I knew what I was doing….Congrats to your wife on her accomplishment, I'm sorry I don't know her name, sounds kind of impersonal, oh well, take care;-)
A SPICY PERSPECTIVE says
I haven't had stuffed flounder in ages–it looks so yummy!
And great tips, I hadn't heard of Tweet Karma. 😉
Happy When Not Hungry says
Great post! This flounder and corn looks delicious and like the perfect summer meal!
spcookiequeen says
Chef I think you just made my head spin around with all those things you can do with twitter. I almost forget about this great flounder dish you made. I love fish stuffed with crab, sound perfect to me. Hope you are having a great week and not working too hard.
-Gina-
[email protected] says
Stuffed flounder is the first dish my husband made for me when we started dating. I was so impressed with his cooking that it took me weeks to get my courage up to cook for him. Lovely dish Chef.
Free Spirit Eater says
Congratulations to your wife on passing the exam! And the stuffed flounder makes me wish I had ordered that instead of the yellow fin tuna steak I had. The twitter thing, yea I follow everyone who follows me, so it's quite rude when they unfollow, I thought I was the only one annoyed by it, but when it happens it makes me wonder, "what did I do wrong?" or maybe that part is just me lol. Thanks for sharing Chef!
Betty @ scrambled henfruit says
Wegman's is my absolute favorite place to shop. 🙂 (You have to realize that I live in a place that doesn't have a Whole Foods or a Trader Joes.) Sigh. Your flounder dish looks fantastic- the crab is pricy but totally worth it. Congratulations to your wife!
skip to malou says
What a beautiful dinner plate this is. It speaks "Let's CELEBRATE!" I would prefer to have this plate (it makes it more special) than go out. Congratulations to your wife, Thank you for the tips and etiquette re: blogosphere.
xo,
Malou
a. maren says
oh i am so very jealous of your wide selection of fresh seafood! i could eat all of this in one bite. it looks fantastic. thanks chef!
Jen says
I'm with you – I LOVE to grocery shop! I have to steer clear of the store unless it's time to grocery shop or I spend way too much. Especially at the specialty cheese counter… Congratulations to your wife!
Wendy Irene says
Congratulations to your wife her Praxis exams!!!
Pretend Chef says
Forget heading out to Red Lobster for dinner. I will need to bookmark this page so I can surprise my guy with a romantic dinner in. Amazing! I really love shopping too and enjoy seeing the new products on the market and thinking about ways to use them.
Adora's Box says
I almost wasn't able to read the Ask Chef Dennis part because I could't get past your flounder photo. I love fish and seafood and this just looks like the sort of food that is going to be my favourite once I've tasted it. Good tips on social networking. I could only cope with a few. A bit challenged in that area 🙂
Michael Toa says
Oh Chef! That looks so, so good. I haven't had fish for a while and really need to visit the fishmonger at the coast here.
Have a nice a day.
RavieNomNoms says
Oh wow look at that! That lump crab meat is just to die for…I would ask for that any night of the week in a heartbeat!
I miss Wegmans SO much! They don't have them here in the New England and it makes me so depressed. I know what you mean about being methodical about your shopping. I am the same way!
Drick says
gosh yes, your wife is right, nothing better than fresh flounder and stuffed is just how we like to do it… we have to find something to do with all the crabmeat and shrimp down here right???? always like a good sauce too, imperial is one of the easiest and is mighty tasty for seafood… yup, she knows a thing or two, better keep her
Cooking Creation says
You are so right about the layout of most grocery stores; I have never thought about that before! Congrats to your wife on passing the Praxis! This stuffed flounder sounds so good! A perfect meal for a special occasion! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Katrina {In Katrina's Kitchen} says
Congrats to your wife for passing her Praxis! I'm a Reading Specialist too! 🙂 It is SO rewarding to see a child celebrate the little advances in reading under your direction! Kudos to her!
Tiffany says
Grocery shopping totally destresses me too! 😀
anniebakes says
Great tips Chef and that flounder looks spectacular!! anne
Mari says
Flounder!!!! I love this dish; it came out perfect and mouthwatering. My dad used to love this fish. I will save this recipe, thanks Chef Dennis. As for the social media etiquette, I totally agree.
Hasta Pronto 🙂
Jenn says
I'm so envious of your wonderful seafood selection!! The stuffed flounder looks wonderful! Love the imperial sauce 🙂
Pegasuslegend says
this is a keeper, we eat tons of flounder in Florida, I usually stuff it but this is different never used the mayo.. cant wait to try book marking!
Boulder Locavore says
Love reading all your seafood recipes as I never make seafood (as a locavore, we are a long way from the sea). Despite the ability to ship reliably now, I'm still twitchy about it having lived by the ocean for many years. Congrats to your wife! What an accomplishment.
Love all your resources as always. Always love finding new and interesting tools.
Megan @ Pip and Ebby says
I have to say, Chef Dennis, that I truly drool over every one of your creations….but this one?? WOW. This, I absolutely must make. Incredible! Thanks so much for sharing!!
Kate from Scratch says
Fantastic post, Chef Dennis! Twitter Karma is awesome. I usually go through every three months to weed out the no follow backers. haha. I'm honest to a fault, I know. 😉 Great post! Love the look of that corn…delicious! Buzzed and saved!
Federica says
wowwwwwww che meraviglia!!!complimenti!baci!
Apron Appeal says
Why eat out when you have a chef for a spouse? I guess you need children at home to finish the deal…someone's got to do dishes. 😉
How many girls to you feed daily at your school? I was wondering because I remember having (not gourmet) but almost all from scratch food in my school cafeteria growing up and now all it is is pre-purchased, preservative laden, processed yuck. I want better for my kids. This is probably not my business to ask, but how much to you spend over or under what a school of the same size is spending on processed yuck?
thecompletecookbook says
Congratulations to your wife Chef and what a fabulous meal to celebrate.
🙂 Mandy
purabi naha says
Chef Dennis, you experiment a lot with seafood. This recipe looks really yummy. I haven't experimented with flounders yet, now it's time!
Marguerite says
What a great meal to celebrate! Flounder stuffed with crab meat is my fave and yours looks fabulous. Thanks for the great recipe and links!
The Harried Cook says
Congrats to your wife on passing her exam! 🙂 This celebratory dinner looks fabulous… better than any restaurant dinner, i'm sure! This recipe sound great! Thanks for sharing 🙂
kitchenarian says
The flounder looks amazing. I would rather have a really nice meal at home than go out.
Thanks for the twitter tips.
sara @ CaffeIna says
Oh Chef, you are so right…social media is not going away….you should approach it as a way to get help and friends…it just takes so much time. Lately I have been very much out of the "public sphere". I know I have to go back and connect. Maybe with the summer break 🙂
Have a great week!
Claudia says
I'm thinking I need to cross state lines to find some good lump meat. But what's a few borders between friends? That's how much this flounder excites me. Congrats to your wife! Exciting news!
All That's Left Are The Crumbs says
Wow, your fish looks incredible. My mouth is watering looking at all of that crab meat in the stuffing. I wouldn't want to go out either when this is what is being served at home.
Please pass on my congratulations to your wife on passing her exam.
Chris's Gourmet Fashion says
First of all congratulations to the wife on her achievements. What a way to celebrate. That flounder looks mouth watering. Wish I could have that for dinner too 🙂
Lizzy says
Oh, Dennis, you are tempting me once again with a gorgeous fish dish. Can I come to dinner at your house??? You sure know a lot more about Twitter than I do…I am going to re-read your advice in the AM…and work on my tweets 🙂 Thanks for being our rock in this blogging world! xo