This Salmon Wellington takes dinner to a whole new level. It’s a savory dish of seasoned salmon that is placed on a bed of cheesy sautéed spinach and wrapped in puff pastry dough.
Serve this salmon wellington with a side of Garlic Asparagus or Scalloped Potatoes.
Table Of Contents
Recipe Details
Salmon Wellington, also known as Salmon en Croute, is made with baked puff pastry that is filled with a cheesy sauteed spinach and seasoned salmon fillets. I love this elegant dish because it’s utterly delicious and sure to impress anyone you serve it to.
- TASTE: The flavor of the salmon is enhanced by the white wine and buttery, cheesy spinach filling. The light sweetness of the outer pastry is the perfect complement.
- TEXTURE: The salmon is tender and layered with creamy, cheesy spinach and wrapped in delicate and flaky puff pastry.
- TIME: It takes just 45 minutes.
- EASE: This is an easy dish to make. Just prepare the filling, wrap it, and bake it for a fabulous dinner.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Salmon- You can use fresh or thawed fillets. Remove the skin and check for pin bones to be sure they are all taken out.
- Puff pastry-These add a delicate layer around the salmon that bakes up flaky and delicious. You can also use thinly rolled dough in its place.
- Cream cheese- Use full-fat to get the richest flavor.
- Shallots- These have a mild oniony flavor that is delicate enough to not overpower this dish.
- White wine- This adds a unique flavor that is gorgeous in this filling. The alcohol cooks out and the flavor is infused with the shallots and garlic.
- Egg- This acts as a binder for the spinach filling.
- Spinach- Fresh spinach is best, but in a pinch, you can use frozen spinach that has been thawed and drained.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Add dill and honey mustard- Add the herbaceous flavor of fresh dill with tangy honey mustard for something different.
- Substitute the protein- You can make this with beef, chicken, or pork loin as well.
- Add prosciutto- A layer of thinly sliced prosciutto will add earthy, salty flavor to this Salmon Wellington that is delicious.
- Substitute feta cheese- In place of the Parmesan, add feta cheese crumbles for a salty, briny flavor in the cheesy spinach filling.
How to Make Salmon Wellington
- Saute the shallots and garlic. In a pan, heat the butter, chopped shallots, and garlic over medium heat. Sauté until the shallots become translucent.
- Add the wine and cream cheese.Bring the heat to high and add the white wine. Let it cook out for about 5 minute, then add the cream cheese and sauté for 1 minute.
- Add the spinach, breadcrumbs, and cheese. Lastly, add the spinach, bread crumbs, and Parmesan cheese. Sauté just until the the spinach softens.
- Prep the puff pastry. Unfold the puff pastry onto a light floured surface and roll out the 2 sheets, then cut them in half (each piece is about 10×14 inches).
- Add the salmon to the pastry. Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper and place them in the middle of each puff pastry sheet.
- Add the spinach filling. Divide the spinach mixture into 4 equal parts and evenly spread it on top of the 4 fillets. Then brush the edges of the puff pastry with egg wash.
- Fold. Begin folding the the puff pastry over starting with the longer side, then the shorter side.
Pro Tip: Leave about 2 inches around the edges of the filling so there is enough puff pastry to fold tightly.
- Add crosshatch marks. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the salmon wellington seam side down. Make crosshatch slits on top of each with a knife. Then brush with more egg wash.
- Bake. Bake at 390 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.
Recipe Tips
- Save time- Make the cheesy spinach mixture a few hours in advance. Also, thaw and cut the puff pastry a few hours prior to assembly, storing it in the fridge tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.
- Adjust the pastry for the fillet- Depending on the size of the fillet, you may need to roll out the puff pastry a little more or less.
- Add more egg wash to the short sides- When folding over the short edges, brush more of the egg wash before folding to help it hold.
- Finish with egg wash- Adding egg wash to the entire wellington gives it a wonderful golden brown coloring and crisp outer layer.
FAQs
Salmon Wellington and Salmon en Croute are the same except the en croute is topped with pate. There is no topping with a wellington.
Make sure that your spinach is fresh or well drained if it was thawed to avoid extra moisture in the salmon wellington. Also, adding an egg wash to the entire outside of the puff pastry can form a moisture barrier as it cooks.
Serving Suggestions
This Salmon Wellington is a delicious and creamy dish in a flaky puff pastry crust. It tastes wonderful when served with salads, grains, veggies, and potatoes.
- Grains: Serve this wellington on a bed of Wild Brown Rice, Wild Rice, Quinoa Fried Rice, or with a Shrimp Quinoa Bowl.
- Salads: Enjoy this main dish with a green salad, like this Spinach Salad, Cabbage Cucumber Salad, Strawberry Feta Spinach Salad, or Broccoli Cranberry Salad.
- Vegetables: Pair this Salmon Wellington with Bacon Wrapped Asparagus, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Crispy Air Fryer Broccoli, or Air Fryer Green Beans.
- Potatoes: Serve this dish with some Scalloped Potatoes, Super Creamy Mashed Potatoes, Air Fryer Potato Wedges, or Crispy Air Fryer Baby Potatoes.
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: You can prepare the spinach mixture ahead of time and thaw the puff pastry, placing both in the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble and bake.
Storing: Store this Salmon Wellington in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat it in the oven or the microwave, but the latter will make it less flaky and crisp on the outside.
Freeze: If the salmon was previously frozen, then it’s not advised to refreeze it. However, if it was made with fresh salmon, then you can freeze these wellingtons for up to 3 months. Thaw and bake in the oven until warmed through and crispy on the outside.
More Delicious Salmon Dishes!
This recipe was originally posted on Dec 30, 2015, we’ve tweaked it a bit since then. This post has Amazon affiliate links for tools we used to make this recipe.
This salmon wellington recipe was featured in Women’s Day Magazine. Find the article HERE
Full Recipe Instructions
Salmon Wellington
Ingredients
- 4 7 oz salmon fillets
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 shallot chopped
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 3 oz cream cheese
- 5 oz fresh baby spinach
- 2 tbsp plain bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 1 lb. package puff pastry
- 1 egg for egg wash
Instructions
- In a pan, heat butter, chopped shallots, and garlic over medium heat. Sauté until the shallots become translucent.
- Bring the heat to high and add the white wine. Let the liquid cook out for about 5 minute, then add the cream cheese and sauté for 1 minute.
- Lastly, add the spinach, bread crumbs, and Parmesan cheese. Sauté just until the the spinach softens.
- Unfold the puff pastry onto a light floured surface and roll out the 2 sheets, then cut them in half. So you end up with 4 pieces. I made each piece about 10X 14 inches.
- Season the salmon with salt and pepper to taste. Place each seasoned salmon fillet in the middle of each puff pastry sheet. Depending on the size of the fillet, you may need to roll out the puff pastry a little more or less. Leave about 2 inches around the edges.
- Divide the spinach mixture into 4 equal parts and evenly spread it on top of the 4 fillets. Then brush the edges of the puff pastry with egg wash (1 egg + 1 tsp water).
- Begin folding the the puff pastry over starting with the longer side. When folding over the short edges, brush more of the egg wash before folding.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the salmon wellington seam side down.
- Make crosshatch slits on top of the Wellington with a knife. Then brush with more egg wash.
- Bake at 390 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
Nutrition
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BJ Tornstrom says
Wonderful recipe. Really tasty. I recommend making it.
I would slice through the “packages” of salmon ( when cooked) and serve sliced. Otherwise, it’s a lot of salmon.
Dina says
Hi 🙂 Glad to hear you enjoyed this salmon Wellington recipe! Thank you for your feedback and support! Let me know if you make any of my other recipes! 🙂
Nicki says
Do you take the skin off the fillets?
Dina says
Hi Nicki, yes I remove the skin.
Penny wolgemuth says
Can you put togather then refrigerate until ready to bake?
Dina says
Hi Penny 🙂 It depends on how long you want to refrigerate this salmon Wellington. If it is like an hour before baking then it will be fine. If it is overnight then the puff pastry can get soggy. I haven’t tried it myself so can’t say for sure but I wouldn’t recommend it. I hope that helps. Let me know how this recipe goes 🙂
Lisa says
Thank you! It was a much loved dinner that I will be making again.
Dina says
Thank you so much, Lisa! I appreciate you taking the time to write your feedback!
Marlies says
I’m excited to try this recipe. I wonder if they will freeze well before they are baked?
Dina says
Hi 🙂 I am not too sure since I have never tried freezing this before baking.
Lorraine says
That is AWESOME I like it so much I have made exactly like the recipe perfect as it is but I have also made it without the spinach because I had none either way it is perfect.
Dina says
Hi Lorraine 🙂 I am so happy to hear you loved this salmon Wellington so much! It really is a delicious and elegant recipe! Awesome to hear this is a repeat recipe in your home 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your awesome feedback and I hope you find many more delicious recipes on my blog 🙂
Yo says
Hi. Recipe looks good but i looked at the nutritional information and it show the serving size is 1g at 395cal? Is that correct?
Dina says
Hi 🙂 It is 395 calories per serving size. It auto-populated the ‘g’ but it shouldn’t be there. This recipe makes about 8 servings from the 4 pieces of salmon wellington. I hope that helps clarify and I hope you give this recipe a try and love it!
Kate says
I made this for my family and it was so good that I am making it for a friend’s family too. Is it possible to assemble it the day before or will that impact the puffed pastry?
Dina says
Hi Kate 🙂 So happy to hear you loved this salmon Wellington so much! You are so kind to make this for your friends 🙂
I have not tried making this recipe ahead so I can’t say for sure. However, I am afraid that the puff pastry will get wet if it sits for that long with the salmon. Hope that helps.
Thank you for taking the time to leave your awesome feedback! 🙂
Lojo says
Amazing recipe. Salmon Wellington was a hit. I made the asparagus and it matched well with a green salad. Easy no fuss recipe!! 💜
Dina says
Thank you 🙂 Glad to hear you loved this salmon Wellington recipe! It really is a delicious and elegant dish! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback! 🙂
Deborah says
I made this for Christmas Day for my family. First time making it, and it turned out perfect. Everyone loved it! I made 6 small ones the day before, then scored them and brushed with egg wash before baking right before the meal. Delicious. Looks so fancy, but really not difficult at all.
Dina says
Yay! So happy to hear you loved this salmon Wellington so much! This recipe really looks so elegant and intimidating but it is much easier to make that most people think 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to leave your awesome feedback! I hope you find many more delicious recipes on my food blog 🙂
Marie- Claire says
Tried it and we loved it 🥰
It’s a keeper for sure 🥰
What brand of puff pastry did you use?
Can wait to try your Panko Crusted Salmon 🍣
Dina says
Hi Marie- Claire 🙂 Glad to hear you loved this salmon wellington! Thank you so much for your feedback 🙂
I use Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheets.
I hope you love the panko crusted salmon! Let me know how it goes 🙂
Join says
Or try the original baked salmon en croute, kulebiak.
Laura says
Do you remove the skin from the salmon
Dina says
Hi Laura, yes I removed the skin from the salmon.
Judy says
I have not tried the recipe, but it looks like a winner! I am a little confused though. Why does it call for 4 salmon fillets, but the recipe says it serves 8? Are you supposed to cut each packet into halves and serve 1/2 to each person? Or slice and serve several slices to each person? Or should it really say serves 4?
Dina says
Hi Judy, the salmon fillets are quite large so I took into account that each fillet would serve 2 people. Yes, you would need to cit into it. I hope you love this recipe! 🙂 let me know how it turns out!
Clarence Bishop says
Looks delicious and I’m making it today. One question did you remove the skin?
Dina says
Thank you, Clarence! I hope you love this salmon Wellington! Yes, you do remove the skin for this recipe. Let me know how it goes 🙂
Julieta says
Hi Dina!!
I had done it several times forte New year dinner’s my 15 year old son loved just a question i did it in one piece of 600 gm and individual, how can do it more juicy when i do it compleate (600gm in one piece) ?
Thanks
Dina says
Hi Julieta, I am so glad that you love this recipe! To keep the salmon juicy try not to bake it too long. I hope that helps.
Julie says
Can I prepare the wellingtons a day in advance and bake before serving
Dina says
Hi Julie, I have never tried making it a day before so I can’t really say much without testing it out myself.
Bev says
Cant wait to try this for a Christmas Brunch. Do you think I could cut pastry into 4’s and make them smaller portion for a bru much table.
Dina says
Hi Bev, I have never tried cutting the salmon down that small so I am not too sure how fast it will bake. It will definitely cook faster though.
Fran says
I made this as written except I substituted chicken stock for the wine. It was outstanding! The salmon was moist and the spinach mixture with cream cheese was the perfect compliment. My husband and 2 friends we had for dinner said it was something you’d eat at a top restaurant. Please try this. You can’t go wrong! Tip: the next time I make this I will use two separate pieces of puff pastry for each fillet with about a two inch border on each side of the salmon. I’d lay the second sheet over the spinach/salmon and bind the pieces of pastry together with a fork or the back of a tiny spoon. This will require more pastry, but this way may be easier and quicker than trying to “wrap” the salmon in one sheet. And the bottom will only be one layer and easier to get done.
Dina says
Hi Fran, I am so glad you enjoyed this salmon wellington! Thank you so so much for leaving your kind feedback. I really appreciate it!
aniko says
how moist is the finished product? We dont like overcooked anything. Sounds delicious, but I am afraid that by the time the pastry is baked, the fish inside is dry. Please reassure me. Thanks,
Dina says
Hi, I am not too sure how to describe how cooked it will be since everyone’s definition of overcooked is a little different. I can say that I have never really heard anyone tell me that the salmon was overcooked 🙂 So I don’t think there is anything to worry about. I hope you love this recipe!
Jody says
What kind of wine did you use? And did you remove the skin from the salmon?
Thank you
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Jody 🙂 I use white wine for this salmon Wellington. Yes, I remove the skin from the salmon. I hope you love this recipe! Let me know how it goes 🙂
May says
Looks delicious, can’t wait to try!
Do you keep skin on the fish, or remove the skin?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi May, I usually just buy salmon with the skin off 🙂 I hope you love this Salmon Wellington Recipe!