Baked Stuffed Haddock (Seafood Stuffing)

I grew up consuming this basic Baked Haddock with Seafood Stuffing and it nonetheless stays one in every of my all-time favourite dishes! Between the superbly flaky fish and buttery seafood stuffing, it is onerous 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 one in every of my favourite meals is basic baked haddock. Normally, this dish is full of 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 residence, I wish 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 possibly can swap in conventional crackers should you choose – it really works nice each methods. 

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

In case you are in search of 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 here are some explanation why you will wish to bake and stuff your haddock fillets:

• More healthy: My Panko model of basic New England baked haddock with Ritz cracker crumbs has much less fats and energy however remains to be scrumptious!
• Quick and simple: This looks like a elaborate restaurant dish, however it comes collectively in about Quarter-hour, together with prep time!
• Customizable: Contemplate this a base recipe and substitute substances as you want. Use different delicate 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 completely different contemporary herbs after cooking.

If you happen to love white fish, you would possibly take pleasure in my Pan Seared Cod and Honey Lime Tilapia subsequent time!

Elements and Simple Swaps

Right here is every part it is advisable 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 a terrific crunch with out all the additional richness. If you happen to do crave that tremendous buttery taste, stick to the Ritz.
• Crab meat: Crab meat offers this stuffing that basic 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 effectively, 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. You can too use somewhat little bit of olive oil.
• Lemon juice: A little bit of lemon juice retains the stuffing from being too wealthy. Combine in some zest should you prefer it citrusy.
• Parsley: Chopped contemporary parsley provides a pleasant herb taste and coloration to this casserole dish. Dry parsley flakes work, too.

How one can 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 possibly can use the broiler, however the fish cooks extra evenly on a rack within the oven. You can too 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 number of other ways to bake haddock within the oven and all three work nice. Normally, I’ll select the temperature and time that works greatest with the opposite dishes I’m making ready.

So, if I roast greens at 425 levels, I may also 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 occasions will end in a flaky, moist fish. Simply do not forget that the thickness of the fish and stuffing can fluctuate barely.

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

Recipe Suggestions and Tips

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

• Pat the fish dry: Blot out as a lot moisture as you possibly can 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 every bit. This manner, the stuffing cooks evenly and would 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 anxious 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 straightforward to elevate and reduces clean-up!
• Customise your stuffing: Strive including shrimp, scallops, or completely different herbs like dill or thyme to make your individual model of baked stuffed haddock.

How do I do know the haddock is finished?

The easiest way to know if the haddock is cooked is to check it with a fork within the thickest a part of the fillet. It must 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 forestall it from drying out and overcooking.

Storage, Reheating, and Leftovers

Right here’s how you can preserve leftover baked haddock contemporary and attractive for spherical two, plus a number of concepts for utilizing up any further fish:

• To retailer: Let the leftovers calm down, then switch to an hermetic container. It’s going to 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. You can too microwave it. Cowl the fish with a humid paper towel so it would 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 remains to be a terrific one to organize and may simply be tailored to the grill. Merely put together the fish and place it on a bit of heavy obligation aluminum foil. You can too 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 very best 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 isn’t any have to flip the fish.