Baked Flounder With Crabmeat Topping

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 12/21/22
Baked stuffed flounder with crabmeat

The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 4 servings

Turn a simple flounder fillet into something special with a crab-cake-like topping. A mixture of crabmeat, crushed crackers, mayonnaise, and seasonings like Old Bay and Worcestershire make for a flavorful stuffing—the perfect complement to flounder's mild taste. Although elegant enough for guests, this fish entrée is also simple enough for a family meal.

Good substitutes for flounder are haddock, catfish, and sole. Serve this rich-tasting fish dish with steamed green beans and rice pilaf.

Ingredients

  • 4 large flounder fillets (about 1 1/2 pounds)

  • 1 cup backfin crabmeat

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped green bell pepper

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped pimiento

  • 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

  • 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper

  • 1/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

  • Dash ground cayenne pepper, optional

  • 4 saltine crackers, crushed

  • 1 large egg, separated

  • 6 tablespoons mayonnaise, divided

  • 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

  • 1/4 cup butter, melted, divided

  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for baked stuffed flounder with crabmeat
    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  2. Heat the oven to 400 F/200 C/Gas 6. Rinse the flounder with cold water and pat dry with paper towels.

    Patting flounder dry with paper towels
    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  3. In a medium bowl, combine the crabmeat with the chopped green bell pepper, pimiento, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, Old Bay, cayenne pepper (if using), and crushed crackers.

    Bowl containing crabmeat, bell pepper, seasonings, and crushed crackers
    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  4. In a small bowl or cup, combine the egg white, 1 tablespoon of the mayonnaise, and the parsley.

    Eggs whites, mayonnaise, and parsley in a small bowl
    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  5. Add to the crab mixture and toss until thoroughly blended.

    Crab mixture in a glass bowl
    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  6. Brush the flounder fillets on the flat, cut side with some of the melted butter.

    Flounder fillets brushed with butter
    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  7. Place the flounder in a greased shallow baking dish and top each fillet with even amounts of the crab mixture.

    Uncooked stuffed flounder fillets on baking sheet
    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  8. Drizzle the remaining butter over the top of the stuffed fillets.

    Uncooked stuffed flounder fillets on baking sheet with melted butter
    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt 

  9. Bake the crab-topped flounder in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.

    Stuffed flounder with crabmeat baking on pan
    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  10. Combine the egg yolk and the remaining mayonnaise in a small bowl.

    Egg yolk and mayonnaise in small bowl
    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  11. Gently spread the egg mixture on top of each fish portion and sprinkle with paprika.

    Stuffed flounder with crabmeat baking on pan
    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  12. Increase the oven temperature to 450 F/230 C/Gas 8 and bake 6 minutes longer, or until golden and bubbly.

    Stuffed flounder with crabmeat baked on pan
    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  13. Serve and enjoy.

    Baked stuffed flounder with crabmeat
    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

Tip

If you don't have Old Bay seasoning, make this easy DIY blend. In a coffee grinder or with a mortar and pestle, grind together 1 tablespoon of black peppercorns, 3 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon cardamom seeds, 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds, a dash of nutmeg, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt.

Recipe Variations

  • Replace the crabmeat with chopped lobster or shrimp.
  • For lighter stuffing, use light mayonnaise, egg substitute, and imitation crabmeat.
  • Use other white fish such as haddock, catfish, and sole in place of flounder.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
422 Calories
33g Fat
4g Carbs
27g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 422
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 33g 42%
Saturated Fat 11g 55%
Cholesterol 187mg 62%
Sodium 1037mg 45%
Total Carbohydrate 4g 1%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 27g
Vitamin C 5mg 23%
Calcium 81mg 6%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 381mg 8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)