Pappadeaux’s Salmon Alexander Recipe

This Salmon Alexander recipe brings restaurant-level flavor home with grilled salmon, a creamy seafood sauce of shrimp, scallops, and crawfish, all served over rich Cajun dirty rice. Pure Southern comfort on a plate.

Salmon Alexander

If you’ve ever sat down at Pappadeaux’s and ordered the Atlantic Salmon Alexander, you already know: this is no average salmon dinner. It’s a Southern-style, seafood-stacked masterpiece that brings together bold Gulf Coast flavors in one creamy, comforting plate. At its core, Salmon Alexander is grilled salmon topped with a luscious white wine cream sauce, loaded with shrimp, scallops, and crawfish tails, all spooned over a generous mound of dirty rice. It’s rich, it’s satisfying, and honestly? It’s kind of addictive.

The whole dish is rooted in Louisiana-style cooking—you’ll taste that Cajun soul in every bite. The dirty rice isn't just a side; it’s part of the identity. Made with spices, aromatics, and sometimes even a bit of liver for depth, it’s earthy and flavorful, the kind of thing that lingers in the best way. The salmon itself is usually grilled just right, with crispy edges and a flaky, buttery center.

But what really sets the dish apart is that Alexander sauce. It's a velvety seafood cream sauce made with butter, garlic, white wine, and heavy cream, with that trio of shrimp, scallops, and crawfish simmered right into it. It clings to the fish and rice like it was made to be there—which it was.

When you take a bite, there’s this immediate contrast between the smoky grilled salmon and the creamy seafood topping. You get sweetness from the shellfish, a bit of brine, the richness of cream, and that peppery Cajun backbone that ties everything together. The crawfish add a tender snap, the shrimp a hearty chew, and the scallops melt on your tongue if cooked right.

This dish is usually served hot off the grill, plated over dirty rice, and garnished with a little parsley or green onion. Some folks add lemon wedges on the side to brighten things up, which I recommend—just a light squeeze cuts the richness perfectly.

If you’re making this at home and have leftovers (a big if), store them in an airtight container in the fridge. It'll keep well for about 2 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of milk or cream to bring the sauce back to life—just don’t microwave it too hard or the seafood can turn rubbery.

Now, let’s talk nutrition briefly. This isn’t a “light” dish, no doubt. But it’s packed with protein from the salmon, shrimp, scallops, and crawfish. Salmon brings in healthy fats—omega-3s, especially. The cream sauce? Well, that’s the indulgence part. If you want to lighten it up, you could go easier on the butter or use half-and-half instead of heavy cream, but honestly, the full version is worth it when you’re craving something comforting.

Some variations out there skip the crawfish or swap scallops for crab meat. Others go heavier on the spice or add smoked paprika to deepen the flavor. You can even make it with a blackened salmon base instead of grilled for more punch.

What I love about Salmon Alexander is that it doesn’t try too hard. It knows what it is—rich, bold, and absolutely satisfying. It’s the kind of dish that impresses dinner guests but also works for a cozy Friday night in. Just keep an eye on the sauce so it doesn’t break (trust me, that’s the only part that can trip you up if you rush it).

If you're ready to bring a little Gulf Coast magic to your own kitchen, the full Salmon Alexander recipe is right below—grab your skillet, pour a glass of wine (you’ll need a splash anyway), and let’s do this.

Recipe

This Salmon Alexander recipe recreates the famous Pappadeaux dish with grilled Atlantic salmon, topped with shrimp, scallops, and crawfish in a creamy white wine sauce over flavorful Cajun dirty rice.

Ingredients

• 6 (6 oz) salmon fillets, skinless
• 1/2 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 lb bay scallops
• 1/2 lb crawfish tails (cooked)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small shallot, finely diced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (like Sauvignon Blanc)
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 4 cups cooked dirty rice (store-bought or homemade)

Instructions

1. Season salmon fillets with salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning. Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Sear salmon for 4–5 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Set aside and keep warm.
3. In a large skillet, heat remaining olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Sauté garlic and shallots for 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
4. Add shrimp, scallops, and crawfish. Cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until seafood is just cooked. Remove and set aside.
5. Deglaze pan with white wine and simmer for 2–3 minutes. Stir in cream and remaining butter; simmer gently until sauce thickens, about 5–7 minutes.
6. Add Parmesan and lemon juice. Stir until melted and smooth. Return seafood to sauce and warm through. Taste and adjust seasoning.
7. To serve, spoon hot dirty rice onto plates. Place a salmon fillet on top of each, then ladle the seafood cream sauce generously over the salmon.
8. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side.

15 minutes prep time with 30 minutes cook time.

Serves 6 and contains approximately 648 calories per serving.

Southern, Cajun / Main Course, Seafood

Rated 4.9 by 176 reviewers.

Recipe Tags: Salmon Alexander, Salmon Alexander recipe, Pappadeaux copycat, Alexander sauce recipe, Cajun salmon recipe, seafood cream sauce, crawfish recipes, shrimp scallops crawfish, white wine sauce salmon, Southern seafood recipe, dirty rice with salmon, grilled salmon Cajun, Louisiana-style salmon

Published by: Crisprecipe

Recipe Video