Rich and flaky salmon folded into a flavor-packed spinach cream sauce and tucked beneath flaky puff pastry. This Salmon Pie Recipe is an easier version of those popular Wellington Puff Pastry Pockets and it's perfect for holiday entertaining or dinner parties. Gorgeous, flavorful and feeds a crowd!
As a full-time seafood recipe developer, salmon is one of the most popular types of fish on my site. So creating this holiday-worthy salmon dish was a treat!
Why You'll Love This Baked Salmon Pie Recipe:
- Just a handful of ingredients (I give a great shortcut option, or make it all from scratch!)
- Less than 30 minutes in the oven!
- Classic creamy, cheese and spinach flavor combination everyone will love.
- All the same flavors as popular Salmon Wellington recipes, with half the work.
If salmon dishes that feed a crowd are your jam, try my Garlic Butter Salmon in Foil or Baked Shawarma Salmon next.
Ingredients for Recipe
Before we get to the step-by-step instructions, a few notes about the ingredients and substitutions:
- Fish: use skinless wild Alaskan salmon like sockeye from Sena Sea in this recipe, or the Atlantic salmon at your local market. Steelhead trout or Arctic char are good substitutions.
- Creamy spinach mix: artichoke spinach dip is our shortcut to a fabulous fish pie. Make my homemade spinach dip or pick up a 16-oz tub at the store. Marketside Brand works well here, as it is a cheese-forward mix. Using a mayo or sour cream heavy dip is not advised.
- Puff pastry: just grab your basic frozen pastry at the store and thaw it in the fridge. Substitute pie crust, if needed.
Check the printable recipe card below for a complete ingredient list and measurements.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prep creamy spinach filling
Preheat oven. Melt butter in oven safe skillet. Whisk in flour, then add milk and parmesan.
When simmering, reduce heat and add spinach artichoke dip, lemon zest and fresh dill. Remove from heat.
Step 2: Build pie
Stir in spinach leaves. Then add skinless salmon chunks.
Finally, roll out puff pastry crust. Cut into about 16 squares. Lay across creamy spinach skillet, slightly overlapping. Brush with egg wash. Carefully slide pie into oven.
Step 3: Bake and serve
Bake salmon pie for 22-25 minutes, until the crust is puffy and golden. Remove from oven and let the pie rest for 10 minutes before dishing out. Serve with lemon wedges.
What to Serve with Salmon Pie
This recipe is really a one-pan-dinner packed with veggies. But if your need for a salad gets the best of you, try my Tossed Salad for a Crowd or Gazpacho Salad.
Do I Need to Cook Salmon Fillets First?
The salmon cooks in the pie while the crust browns. Cooking your salmon fillets first will likely create very dry fish, which is our least favorite kind of fish. Keeping the fish tender is also why we cut the salmon into larger 2-inch chunks.
Can I Use Canned Salmon?
I haven't tested this recipe with canned salmon, but I'm sure it would work. Choose a good quality tinned seafood, drain, then add to the pie when the recipe calls for fresh fish to be stirred into the sauce.
Print
Salmon Wellington Pie (Puff Pastry)
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
A stunning, sophisticated, flavor-packed seafood pie that's perfect for the holidays, entertaining or Sunday supper. Fresh dill, spinach, lemon and salmon never tasted so good.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ tablespoons butter
- 2 ½ tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- ⅓ cup Parmesan
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 4 tablespoons fresh dill
- 16 ounces spinach artichoke dip (Marketside from Walmart is my preferred store brand, or make Easy Homemade Spinach Dip)
- 5 ounces baby spinach leaves (if using homemade dip, extra spinach is optional)
- 18 ounces skinless salmon fillets, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 3 fillets)
- 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
- 1 egg (for brushing crust)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat 12-inch oven safe skillet over medium heat. When warm, add butter and melt. Sprinkle in flour and stir until combined and bubbling for 2 minutes. Slowly drizzle in whole milk, whisking to combine until the mixture is at a full simmer. Add parmesan. Reduce heat to low and add spinach artichoke dip, lemon zest and dill. Stir to combine. Taste and add a pinch of salt and black pepper, if needed. Remove from heat and fold in fresh spinach, then salmon chunks.
- Lightly roll out a sheet of puff pastry. Cut into 16 squares. Place pastry squares over the salmon pie, slightly overlapping. Brush lightly with beaten egg. Carefully transfer skillet to oven and bake for 22-25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and puffy.
- Remove from oven and let pie rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Tips for Success
Puff pastry is best baked from a very cold temperature. If you cut the pastry sheet into squares ahead of time, keep in the refrigerator until right before adding to the salmon pie filling.
Keeping your salmon in larger chunks will ensure the fish is tender and buttery when the crust has finished baking. Cutting small squares may create overcooked salmon.
Be sure that your spinach dip is cream cheese-based (check ingredients, and usually the container will say it can be served hot or cold). If it’s a sour cream or sour cream + mayo dip, the creamy filling may break. Still delicious! Just not as visually pleasing.
Reheating and Storage
Keep leftover salmon pie in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. To reheat, warm in a skillet with a bit of milk or stock on low heat until just warmed through.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 25
- Category: Easy Recipes
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Sam
I love the idea of spinach artichoke salmon pie! From your photos it looks like the salmon should be skinless, is that right?
Christina Jolam
Hi, Sam! Yes, I prefer skinless salmon in this recipe. Hope you love it as much as I do!