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    Home » Recipes » Seafood Recipes

    Crab Stuffed Flounder Recipe

    Published: May 10, 2022 by Chef Dennis Littley

    19.4K shares
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    4.87 from 118 votes
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    My Crab Stuffed Flounder Recipe is the ultimate restaurant-quality dish that you can make in your own kitchen.

    Sweet crab meat blended with an easy-to-make imperial sauce stuffed between fillets of ocean-fresh flounder couldn’t be easier to make. Whether it’s for your next dinner party or date night, be prepared to impress your guests with this delicious seafood dish.

    Stuffed flounder on a white plate with asparagus and lemons

    One of the most popular dishes on my restaurant menu at the Jersey shore was flounder stuffed with crab imperial.

    If you were a seafood lover, my stuffed flounder was at the top of the list of choices. One of my other favorites is my baked seafood casserole.

    overhead view of stuffed flounder and asparagus on a white plate with lemon circles

    The secret is in the imperial sauce, which takes 3-5 minutes to make. And that same sauce mixed with crab meat can be used to make Crab Cakes, Crab Imperial, Stuffed Lobster, and so much more!

    Table of Contents:

    • Ingredients to make Stuffed Flounder?
    • WHAT TYPE OF CRAB MEAT CAN I USE?
    • What other types of fish can I stuff with Crab Imperial?
    • How do I make Imperial Sauce?
    • How do I make Crab Stuffed Flounder?
    • Recipe FAQ’s
    • More Crab Meat Recipes You’ll Love!
    • Crab Stuffed Flounder
      • Ingredients
        • Ingredients
        • Imperial Sauce
      • Instructions
      • Nutrition

    Ingredients to make Stuffed Flounder?

    ingredients 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 up the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

    *My choice of crabmeat is always from blue crabs, and while I do love fresh flounder fillets, frozen is definitely acceptable.

    WHAT TYPE OF CRAB MEAT CAN I USE?

    The source of crab meat 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 is Blue Crab from the east coast and gulf of the US.

    • Jumbo lump crab meat
    • Lump crab meat
    • Backfin crab meat
    • Claw crab meat
    • Imitation crab meat

    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 Imperial Sauce?

    ingredients for imperial sauce in one bowl, with the finished sauce in another bowl

    The first step is making the imperial sauce for the crab meat. In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients for the imperial sauce together until well blended.

    finished crab imperial mix in glass bowl

    Gently blend the sauce into the crab meat, don’t add it all in, in case you don’t need quite that much sauce.

    How do I make Crab Stuffed Flounder?

    four images showing how to make stuffed flounder
    • Place a small piece of flounder on the sheet pan. This will be the placeholder for the crab meat.
    • Add four ounces (or more) of the 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 a squeeze of lemon juice. This will help keep the stuffed flounder moist, and if you’re feeling really decadent, brush 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!

    *You can also make the stuffed flounder in individual au gratin style baking dishes.

    cooked stuffed flounder on a small sheet pan

    Bake the Flounder stuffed with crab meat at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until you reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

    *If you want the top to be extra brown, make the last minutes under the broiler.

    overhead view of stuffed flounder on a white plate with lemon circles

    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.

    Recipe FAQ’s

    What is Crab Imperial?

    Crab Imperial is a classic American dish made with crabmeat that has been combined with an imperial sauce made with mayonnaise, egg, lemon juice and old bay seasoning. It is used as a stuffing for various seafood and can be baked in small shallow baking dishes or decorative shells. No bread is used in crab imperial!

    What temperature should stuffed flounder be cooked to?

    The flounder itself can be cooked to 140 degrees, but the imperial crab meat stuffing needs to reach 165 degrees to be safe because it contains raw egg.

    Is Flounder the same as Fluke?

    Flounder as, known as winter flounder, faces right with its mouth up. Fluke is also known as summer flounder, faces left with its mouth up. The flavor of both fish is mild and very similar. Some say the texture of fluke is better.

    More Crab Meat Recipes You’ll Love!

    • overhead shot of baked crab imperial on a white plate with sauteed greens and roasted potatoes
      Maryland Style Jumbo Lump Crab Imperial
    • Lobster stuffed with crab Imperial
      Lobster Stuffed with Crab Imperial
    • Famous Lump Crab cake on a glass plate with a salad on the side
      Easy Crab Cakes Recipe
    • overhead view of crab meat stuffed shrimp on a white plate with cocktail sauce and lemons
      Crab Stuffed Shrimp

    Did you make this? Please RATE THE RECIPE below!

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    overhead view of stuffed flounder on a white plate with lemon circles
    Print Recipe Save Saved!
    4.87 from 118 votes

    Crab Stuffed Flounder

    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?
    Prep Time15 minutes mins
    Cook Time25 minutes mins
    Total Time40 minutes mins
    Course: Entree
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 741kcal
    Author: Chef Dennis Littley

    Ingredients

    Ingredients

    • 16 ounces crab meat lump or jumbo lump
    • 24 ounces flounder fillets
    • 2 Tablespoons melted butter

    Imperial Sauce

    • ½ cup mayonnaise
    • 1 large egg lightly whipped
    • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
    • 1 teaspoon sugar
    • 1 teaspoon Italian parsley finely chopped
    • 1 teaspoon old bay seasoning
    • old bay sprinkle on top of the flounder before baking.
    US Customary – Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    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) and a sprinkle of old bay or paprika. 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

    Calories: 741kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 59g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 259mg | Sodium: 1938mg | Potassium: 533mg | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 615IU | Vitamin C: 13.8mg | Calcium: 110mg | Iron: 1.8mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @askChefDennis or tag #askChefDennis!

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      Easy Smoked Trout Dip Recipe
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      Ultimate Soft Shell Crab Sandwich Recipe

    About Chef Dennis

    Picture of Chef Dennis

    Chef Dennis Littley is a classically trained chef with over 40 years of experience working in the food service industry. In his second career as a food blogger he has made it his mission to demistify cooking by sharing his time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen. Let Chef Dennis help you bring the joy of cooking into your home. For more details, check out his About page.

    Reader Interactions

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    1. sensiblecooking

      June 02, 2011 at 8:14 pm

      That flounder with crab center just looks simply delis. ANd you are right it is far better than dining out.

      Reply
    2. Jennifurla

      June 02, 2011 at 4:16 pm

      I always make sure to follow every follower!

      Reply
    3. Pachecopatty

      June 02, 2011 at 3:14 pm

      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;-)

      Reply
    4. A SPICY PERSPECTIVE

      June 02, 2011 at 1:18 pm

      I haven't had stuffed flounder in ages–it looks so yummy!

      And great tips, I hadn't heard of Tweet Karma. 😉

      Reply
    5. Happy When Not Hungry

      June 02, 2011 at 12:04 pm

      Great post! This flounder and corn looks delicious and like the perfect summer meal!

      Reply
    6. spcookiequeen

      June 02, 2011 at 3:38 am

      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-

      Reply
    7. Angela@RecipesFromMyMom

      June 02, 2011 at 3:30 am

      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.

      Reply
    8. Free Spirit Eater

      June 02, 2011 at 2:43 am

      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!

      Reply
    9. Betty @ scrambled henfruit

      June 02, 2011 at 2:38 am

      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!

      Reply
    10. skip to malou

      June 02, 2011 at 2:34 am

      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

      Reply
    11. a. maren

      June 02, 2011 at 2:15 am

      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!

      Reply
    12. Jen

      June 02, 2011 at 12:36 am

      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!

      Reply
    13. Wendy Irene

      June 01, 2011 at 6:39 pm

      Congratulations to your wife her Praxis exams!!!

      Reply
    14. Pretend Chef

      June 01, 2011 at 6:11 pm

      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.

      Reply
    15. Adora's Box

      June 01, 2011 at 5:56 pm

      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 🙂

      Reply
    16. Mari

      June 01, 2011 at 1:27 pm

      5 stars
      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 🙂

      Reply
    17. Michael Toa

      June 01, 2011 at 4:54 pm

      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.

      Reply
    18. RavieNomNoms

      June 01, 2011 at 3:12 pm

      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!

      Reply
    19. Drick

      June 01, 2011 at 3:01 pm

      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

      Reply
    20. Cooking Creation

      June 01, 2011 at 2:18 pm

      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 🙂

      Reply
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