Fish Stuffing Recipes

Unlock the secret to incredibly flavorful seafood with our homemade fish stuffing recipes. Perfect for a family dinner or a special occasion, these stuffings will transform your ordinary fish into a gourmet masterpiece.

Any whole fish weighing about 12 oz to 1lb (375-450g) are suitable. Trout, mackerel, sardines, small plaice, dabs, sole of various types, all lend themselves to being served whole and stuffed.

Make your breadcrumbs by either tearing up bread and putting it in a processor/liquidiser or grate it with a cheese grater ( watch your fingers!).  It is best to use older bread and is a great way of using up stale bread - I crumb ends and leftovers and store them in a polythene box in the freezer. They are super quick to defrost and useable within a minute or two of taking out. 

I always make my stuffing from scratch - I haven't bought a packet since 1978 when I got my first blender - I think the taste is far superior to packets, less synthetic tasting and considerably cheaper I think.

I find that the bought stuffing, no matter what you do to it, is always dry and 'sharp' in texture - this homemade stuffing absorbs the juices and is lovely and moist.

Watch the above quick demonstration of how to make Classic Baked Stuffed Trout - the recipe is simple:

Classic Baked Stuffed Trout

• 1 cup/4 ounces/100g breadcrumbs
• 1 stick/2 ounces/50g butter
• fresh chopped parsley - handful or so
• 1 lemon - half zest and juice, half sliced
• 1 egg - beaten
• salt and pepper
• olive oil to brush fish
• 1 trout - gutted, cleaned and scaled 

1. Melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat.

2. In a separate bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, parsley, lemon zest, and juice.

3. Add the melted butter to the breadcrumb mixture and combine thoroughly.

4. Place the trout on foil and push the stuffing into the cavity and add the lemon slices.  

5.  Brush the skin with oil and wrap the fish loosely with the foil, ensuring the edges are sealed but leaving room for heat to circulate inside. 

6. Bake in preheated 350F, 180C or Gas Mark 4 oven for 30 minutes until the flesh is firm to the touch.

Pair your baked trout with a light salad or steamed vegetables for a balanced, nutritious meal ideal for any occasion.

Savoury Stuffed Mackerel

• 1 tbspn olive oil
• 1 medium yellow or red onion - peeled and finely chopped
• 1 cup/4 oz (100g) fresh breadcrumbs
• handful chopped corainder
• 1 egg - beaten
• 2 mackerel - cleaned
• lemon juice
• black pepper

1. Heat the oven to gas mark 5 (190C or 375F)
2. Heat the oil in a pan and soften the onion.
3. In a bowl, combine the onion, breadcrumbs and coriander - mix well and then stir in the egg.
4. The mixture will have a moist, sticky consistency perfect for stuffing, holding together while imparting rich flavors.
5. Open the mackerel and divide the mixture equally between them.
6. Close them - they should be OK - the filling will spill a little, but that makes it nice and crispy.
7. Lay them in a greased dish, sprinkle lemon juice and a few twists of black pepper and bake in the oven for 30 minutes or so.

Fish Stuffing Recipes - creative variations and tips

When I use larger leaved herbs, I tend to add them to the blender at the same time as I process the bread - it gets a really fine chop and mixes it all together at the same time.

To the basic onion/breadcrumb/egg mix, you can add:-

a few sage leaves
handful of chopped parsley
few sprigs of dill
a couple of sprigs of thyme
a couple of sprigs of rosemary

You could also use dried herbs in this recipe.  Around one tablespoon of dried herb per recipe will be enough to add flavour. 

You could use the stuffing in larger fish - you might need to make more and you'll  need to adjust the timings for cooking, but it would make a lovely change to have stuffed fish to serve at a family meal. 

I also use this basic stuffing recipe to serve with chicken, turkey or pork. I tend to make sage and onion for pork and parsley and thyme for the poultry, but that is entirely up to you which you prefer. I make the second stuffing (with onion) and add the herbs to it at the same time as I do the breadcrumbs. 

I don't often stuff the poultry but  I make little balls out of the mix. I divide it into six or eight, wet my hands and roll it into rounds. Then I bake it in the oven for 20 minutes or so, basting it with the meat juices - they come out crispy and full of flavour. You could do them 

Feel free to experiment with these fish stuffing recipes by adding your favorite herbs or spices, and please share your culinary creations and unique variations with us on our Facebook page! We love seeing your photos and hearing about your experiences.

You may also like these recipes

Herbs to Use with Seafood

Stuffed Plaice

Stuffed Trout

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Stuffed Mackerel





By Liz Alderson, Mar 30, 2016







This easy Stuffed Mackerel recipe can be used to stuff whole fish before baking.





Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Yield: 2

Main Ingredient: mackerel