Salmon Wellington

A flaky puff pastry wrap with tender wild salmon and creamy spinach filling — elegant enough for a dinner party, simple enough for a cozy weekend dinner at home.

If you’ve never made Salmon Wellington before, you’re in for a treat. This dish looks impressive but is surprisingly easy to pull together. It’s layered with flavor — fresh dill, zesty lemon, garlicky spinach, and the buttery goodness of puff pastry. Whether you’re planning a special brunch, date night, or just want to switch things up from your usual salmon routine, this is the recipe to try.

Why You’ll Love It

• Feels fancy but is easy enough for a home cook
• Packed with bright, herby flavor
• Great make-ahead option — perfect for dinner parties
• Golden, flaky crust and moist, flavorful salmon

Ingredients You’ll Need

For the Filling:

• Olive oil
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped (or ¼ onion)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 3 oz cream cheese (regular or dairy-free)
• Salt and freshly cracked pepper
• 1 egg yolk

For the Salmon Wellington:

• 1 sheet puff pastry (thawed overnight in the fridge)
• 1 salmon fillet (skin removed, ~1 to 1½ lbs)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (or whole grain mustard)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 egg, beaten with a splash of milk (for egg wash)

How to Make Salmon Wellington

Sauté the filling.
In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add shallot and garlic, and sauté until fragrant and soft, about 3–4 minutes. Add spinach and stir until wilted. Remove from heat. Stir in dill, lemon zest, and cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Let cool 5–10 minutes, then mix in egg yolk. Season with salt and pepper. (You can make this ahead and store in the fridge.)

Prep the puff pastry.
Place the thawed puff pastry on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper. Roll it out just enough to fit over the salmon and filling, leaving at least a 1-inch border all around. Be careful not to roll too thin.

Season and layer.
Pat the salmon dry and season both sides generously with salt and pepper. Lay it on one half of the puff pastry, leaving room around the edges. Brush the top with Dijon mustard, then spoon the spinach filling over the salmon and smooth it into an even layer.

Wrap and seal.
Brush the edges of the pastry with egg wash. Fold the pastry over the salmon and filling. Gently press out air bubbles and seal the edges. Trim any excess dough and crimp the edges with a fork or your fingers. Score the top with a paring knife or use a spoon to create a decorative pattern. Brush the entire surface with egg wash.

Chill before baking.
Transfer the wrapped salmon (on the parchment) to a baking sheet or plate and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, place a rimmed baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 400°F (or 375°F convection).

Bake.
Slide the parchment and salmon directly onto the hot baking sheet and bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and crisp. Let rest 5–10 minutes before slicing.

Helpful Tips

• Don’t skip chilling before baking — it helps the pastry puff properly.
• Use a hot baking sheet for best results and no soggy bottom.
• Choose thick salmon fillets (like King or Coho) — they stay juicy and are easier to cook perfectly.
• Score your design well — decorative cuts should go all the way through the pastry to vent steam.

Make Ahead & Storage

• To make ahead: Assemble the whole wellington (minus the egg wash) and refrigerate overnight. Brush with egg wash just before baking.
• To store leftovers: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat, let it come to room temp, then bake at 375°F for 10–15 minutes until warmed through.

Serving Suggestions

Salmon Wellington is rich and flaky, so light, crisp sides work beautifully. Try it with:

• Roasted Asparagus
• Green Beans Almondine
• Spring Green Salad with lemon vinaigrette
• French Potato Salad or roasted baby potatoes

Final Thoughts

There’s something satisfying about slicing into that golden crust and revealing layers of creamy spinach and tender salmon. Whether you’re celebrating something special or just love making dinner feel a little extra, this Salmon Wellington is a showstopper that’s easier than it looks.

Yield: 8

Salmon Wellington

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This showstopping Salmon Wellington (also known as salmon en croute) wraps flaky wild salmon and a rich, creamy spinach-dill filling inside golden, buttery puff pastry.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1–2 large sheets puff pastry, thawed overnight in the fridge
• 1 to 1 1/4 pounds salmon fillet, skin removed and pin bones taken out (king or coho salmon work best)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 8 ounces fresh baby spinach, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
• 2/3 cup cream cheese, in spoonable pieces
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 egg yolk

Instructions

1. Let the puff pastry thaw overnight in the fridge, and bring it to room temperature for about 10 minutes before rolling it out.
2. To make the filling, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Add shallots and garlic, cooking until softened and fragrant, around 3–4 minutes. Reduce the heat slightly, stir in chopped spinach, and cook until wilted.
3. Remove from heat and mix in the dill and cream cheese until fully incorporated.
4. Stir in lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Let the mixture cool for 5–10 minutes, then stir in the egg yolk. This can be made in advance and chilled until ready to use.
5. Prepare the egg wash by whisking together the egg and milk (or half and half) in a small bowl.
6. To assemble, place puff pastry on floured parchment paper. Roll it gently to ensure it will cover the salmon with at least a 1-inch border on three sides. If using smaller pastry sheets, you may need two to cover the top completely.
7. Season both sides of the salmon with salt and pepper. Lay it on one side of the pastry, leaving space around the edges. Brush the top of the salmon with Dijon mustard, then spread the spinach filling evenly on top.
8. Brush exposed pastry edges lightly with egg wash. Fold the pastry over the salmon, smoothing out any air pockets, and seal the edges by pressing them together gently. Trim the edge to about ½ inch, then crimp. Brush the entire top and edges with egg wash. If you’d like, use the back of a spoon or a paring knife to add a decorative pattern to the top.
9. Transfer the wrapped salmon (on the parchment) to a plate or tray and chill for 30 minutes in the fridge.
10. Preheat the oven to 400°F (375°F for convection), and place a sheet pan inside to heat up. When ready, transfer the salmon on the parchment to the hot sheet pan and bake in the center of the oven until the pastry is deeply golden—about 30–35 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through baking if needed.
11. Let it rest for 5–10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

• Baking on a thoroughly preheated, hot sheet pan really helps the bottom of the pastry get nice and crisp while ensuring it cooks through evenly.
• For the puff pastry, the brand you choose and the size of your salmon fillet will determine whether you need one or two sheets. You can always trim the salmon to fit better or even piece smaller sections together. I’ve found that with the Darfour brand, a single large sheet usually works well, but with Pepperidge Farm, I typically use both sheets in the package, layering them on top of each other instead of folding.
• When it comes to the salmon itself, I’ve had the best results using thicker, oilier cuts like sustainable Nordic Atlantic, coho, or wild king salmon—they're more forgiving and less likely to dry out. Wild sockeye tends to cook faster and can dry a little more easily, but even slightly overcooked, it still tastes great.
• If you need a dairy-free option, you can easily swap the cream cheese for a store-bought vegan version made with cashews.
• For planning ahead, you can assemble the entire dish a day in advance and keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to bake. Just make sure your sheet pan is hot when you bake it for the best crust, and wait to brush on the eggwash until just before it goes into the oven.

Nutrition Information

Yield

8

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 486Total Fat 34gSaturated Fat 8gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 23gCholesterol 87mgSodium 468mgCarbohydrates 23gFiber 2gSugar 2gProtein 21g

Easy Shrimp Recipes.com, occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although allchickenrecipes.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

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• Spicy Salmon Sushi Bake
• Baked Salmon Fillet
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