Make Salmon Taste Like A Fancy Restaurant Meal — Stuff It With This Classic Party Dip

Preparing a filling dinner every night can get repetitive and feel like a challenge if you're in a time crunch or creative dry spell. But sometimes, those elevated dinners that taste like they took hours are actually just a clever combination of ingredients. Fresh salmon, for example, is a great dinner choice because it takes minimal ingredients to prepare. But to take your standard fillets up a notch, you don't need to do much — just stuff them with some spinach and artichoke dip, which you can easily pick up at the store. As a rich, fatty fish, salmon can stand up to the creamy, dairy-and-mayo-enriched dip's robustness. Beyond flavor, this addition also helps to keep the fish moist as it cooks.

Once you choose the best cut of salmon for stuffed fish, there are two ways to slice the salmon before filling it. You can slice the fillet down the middle, then butterfly it by slicing widthwise on either side. Stuff the spinach and artichoke dip under each salmon "flap," and it's ready to cook. Alternatively, just slice the salmon widthwise from top to bottom, essentially opening it like a door. Then, fill it with the dip, close the edges together, and it's ready to cook. For a quick, simple method that gives the illusion of stuffing the salmon without having to slice anything, simply spoon the dip on top of the fillet. Then, cover the salmon with foil while it bakes to prevent the dip from burning. While this is a pretty straightforward hack, there are plenty of ways to take spinach-and-artichoke-dip-stuffed salmon to the next level.

There are a handful of different spinach and artichoke dips on the market, but a container in your grocery store's prepared food section will be the easiest in terms of scooping. You can also grab a box of frozen dip, but make sure it defrosts at least enough to spoon it into the salmon. The semi-frozen dip isn't a bad idea if you want to make sure the filling doesn't potentially melt over as the fish cooks. Or, if you have the time, a homemade spinach and artichoke dip would be extra tasty. No matter which type you use, make sure the salmon and dip both reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit.

To further enhance the dip-stuffed fillets, don't get too complicated. Season them with a little salt and pepper, or add some garlic powder for an extra bite, then drizzle lemon juice over the top. You can also brush the fillets with olive oil if you want them to get extra crispy as they bake, then drizzle them with lemon juice just before serving. Both the air fryer and the oven are suitable, though the air fryer might be best if you're aiming for a crispy exterior. As easy seafood dinners go, it doesn't get much better than this.