Baked Stuffed Haddock (Seafood Stuffing)

I grew up consuming this traditional Baked Haddock with Seafood Stuffing and it nonetheless stays certainly one of my all-time favourite dishes! Between the superbly flaky fish and buttery seafood stuffing, it is arduous to not love. Served with grilled vegetables throughout hotter months and roasted root vegetables or roasted potatoes throughout cool months, this meal is one you’ll placed on repeat.

I used to be just lately again on the East Coast visiting my household, and certainly one of my favourite meals is traditional baked haddock. Normally, this dish is filled with butter, actually dripping in butter, and relying on the place you go, there could also be simply as a lot stuffing as fish.

Whereas I don’t complain about this when I’m out, at house, I prefer to make a more healthy model that celebrates the fish and makes use of simply sufficient butter and stuffing to make it style scrumptious with out going overboard.

Whereas historically, the stuffing is made with Ritz crackers, I like to make use of Panko breadcrumbs since they’re decrease in energy. Nonetheless, you’ll be able to swap in conventional crackers if you happen to desire – it really works nice each methods. 

For the straightforward seafood stuffing, the bread crumbs are mixed with recent or imitation crab, butter, lemon, and a few easy spices. It’s scrumptious, and for somebody who grew up consuming an excellent buttery model of this stuffing, I like this model even higher. It stays crispy, and you’ll style the seafood and spices.

If you’re searching for extra lightened-up fish dishes, do not miss these Tilapia Fish Burgers, Baja Fish Tacos, and Baked Fish and Chips!

Why You’ll Love Making Baked Stuffed Haddock

Listed below are some the reason why you will wish to bake and stuff your haddock fillets:

• More healthy: My Panko model of traditional New England baked haddock with Ritz cracker crumbs has much less fats and energy however continues to be scrumptious!
• Quick and simple: This appears like a elaborate restaurant dish, however it comes collectively in about Quarter-hour, together with prep time!
• Customizable: Think about this a base recipe and substitute elements as you want. Use different gentle white fish like cod as a substitute of haddock. Add some white wine or lemon pepper to the stuffing. Or prime with parmesan cheese and totally different recent herbs after cooking.

Should you love white fish, you may get pleasure from my Pan Seared Cod and Honey Lime Tilapia subsequent time!

Substances and Straightforward Swaps

Right here is every part you might want to make this baked stuffed haddock recipe:

• Haddock: This white fish provides a pleasant, barely candy taste that retains the dish gentle. No haddock? Cod, halibut, and mahi-mahi are good too.
• Panko breadcrumbs: These Japanese-style breadcrumbs add an excellent crunch with out all the additional richness. Should you do crave that tremendous buttery taste, persist with the Ritz.
• Crab meat: Crab meat provides this stuffing that traditional New England taste! Contemporary seafood is superb, however imitation works nice, too. Be at liberty to throw in some further cooked and chopped seafood as properly, together with shrimp, scallops, or clams. 
• Butter: Melted butter binds the stuffing and makes it crispy. For a dairy-free model, use plant-based butter. It’s also possible to use just a little little bit of olive oil.
• Lemon juice: A little bit of lemon juice retains the stuffing from being too wealthy. Combine in some zest if you happen to prefer it citrusy.
• Parsley: Chopped recent parsley provides a pleasant herb taste and shade to this casserole dish. Dry parsley flakes work, too.

Easy methods to Make Baked Haddock with Seafood Stuffing

This baked haddock has a lighter seafood stuffing with tender and flaky fish. It actually takes a few minutes – combine the stuffing, unfold in your haddock, then bake!

This is the step-by-step course of:

1. Preheat the oven (or grill): Flip your oven as much as 500 levels. You may use the broiler, however the fish cooks extra evenly on a rack within the oven. It’s also possible to grill the fish on a bit of foil.
2. Make the stuffing: Combine the breadcrumbs, crab, butter, lemon juice, parsley, salt, and pepper.
3. Bake: Press the stuffing on to the fish. Place within the oven on a baking sheet and cook dinner for 5-7 minutes or till the fish flakes simply. 
4. To grill: Place the fish on a big piece of professional quality aluminum foil and place on the grill. Grill for 5-7 minutes till fish is flaky and cooked by means of.

What temperature do you bake haddock at?

There are literally a couple of other ways to bake haddock within the oven and all three work nice. Normally, I’ll select the temperature and time that works finest with the opposite dishes I’m making ready.

So, if I roast greens at 425 levels, I may even cook dinner my fish at that temperature. If I’m solely cooking the haddock, I’d broil it since it’s the quickest cooking technique.

Every of those temperatures and cook dinner instances will lead to a flaky, moist fish. Simply do not forget that the thickness of the fish and stuffing can fluctuate barely.

• Broiling: Broiling is certainly one of my favourite methods to cook dinner haddock because it will get barely browned and crispy on prime. When it’s broiled, haddock normally takes 5-7 minutes.
• 400 levels: Should you bake your haddock at 400 levels, it would take 12-Quarter-hour to cook dinner, relying on the thickness.
• 425 levels: Should you bump the temperature as much as 425 levels, the haddock will take 9-12 minutes, relying on its thickness.

Recipe Suggestions and Methods

Cooking white fish might be difficult as a result of they’re so delicate. The following tips will help you get nice outcomes:

• Pat the fish dry: Blot out as a lot moisture as you’ll be able to out of your haddock fillets. This helps stop the underside of the stuffing from getting soggy.
• Do not overload the fillets: I do know that seafood stuffing is scrumptious, however we solely want a skinny layer for each bit. This manner, the stuffing cooks evenly and does not overpower the fragile haddock.
• Preheat your baking sheet: Put the pan or baking dish inside your oven whereas it is preheating. This “sears” the underside of the haddock for crispier fish.
• Use non-stick foil: Are you frightened about your fish sticking to the underside of the pan? As an alternative of placing it instantly in your baking sheet, place the fish over non-stick foil. It makes the haddock simple to carry and reduces clean-up!
• Customise your stuffing: Attempt including shrimp, scallops, or totally different herbs like dill or thyme to make your individual model of baked stuffed haddock.

How do I do know the haddock is finished?

One of the simplest ways to know if the haddock is cooked is to check it with a fork within the thickest a part of the fillet. It needs to be opaque with no translucency, and the fish ought to flake off simply with a fork. Since fillets can fluctuate considerably in thickness, you at all times wish to examine the haddock early to stop it from drying out and overcooking.

Storage, Reheating, and Leftovers

Right here’s easy methods to preserve leftover baked haddock recent and engaging for spherical two, plus a couple of concepts for utilizing up any further fish:

• To retailer: Let the leftovers quiet down, then switch to an hermetic container. It will last as long as 3 days however attempt to end it ASAP for the very best taste and texture.
• To reheat: Bake your leftover haddock at 350°F for 8-12 minutes. It’s also possible to microwave it. Cowl the fish with a moist paper towel so it does not dry out or flip rubbery.
• Leftover concepts: Flake the fish into tacos, add it to a salad, or use it in pasta. The stuffing is nice on baked potatoes and in creamy chowders, too.

Can I cook dinner haddock on the grill throughout hotter months?

When it is heat outdoors, this dish continues to be an excellent one to arrange and might simply be tailored to the grill. Merely put together the fish and place it on a bit of heavy responsibility aluminum foil. It’s also possible to simply double up common foil. Then place it instantly on the grill and cook dinner for 5-7 minutes till the fish is opaque and flakes simply with a fork.

The perfect half? This works with the seafood stuffing on prime of the fish, too. It is undoubtedly an effective way to cook dinner your favourite fish on the grill! The foil ensures you do not have to fret concerning the fish sticking. So long as the grill is preheated, there is no such thing as a must flip the fish.