41 Fabulous Fish Recipes For Quick Seafood Dinners

Looking to change up your weeknight dinners? We’re ALL about chicken (seriously, we love it grilled, baked, fried…it truly is “what’s for dinner” most nights), but when you want to shake things up, turn to the other top lean protein: fish! Fish pairs with tons of flavors and cuisines, is easy enough for a weeknight but fancy enough for guests, and has lots of healthy nutrients (like vitamin D and omega-3s). And did we mention most of these recipes are ready in less than 45 minutes? Whether you’re a pro at cooking fish or are new to it and need some tips and tricks, we’ve got a recipe for you. Check out our best fish recipes for ideas—you might just find a new dinnertime favorite.

When you think of a weeknight dinner-friendly fish, we bet you imagine salmon. It’s readily available, easy to cook, and pairs with a ton of recipes (pasta, anyone?). We’ve included a few of our top recipes, like our Tuscan butter salmon, our blackened salmon tacos, and our jalapeño citrus salmon, but check out our top salmon recipes and grilled salmon recipes too. Another popular option is cod—probably second in line to salmon in terms of availability, but first for versatility. Try it in our miso butter cod, our Nashville hot fish & chips, and our soba cod and mushroom soup to see what we mean.

Since salmon kind of hogs the fish spotlight, we’re excited to shine a light on some fish you might be less familiar with too, like flounder, red snapper, or mahi mahi. They’re just as easy to cook as salmon or cod, but can add more flavor and intrigue to your plate. If you’re new to cooking with fish, we’ve got some more basic recipes, like our garlicky lemon baked tilapia, our baked chilean sea bass, and our baked catfish that’ll get you well acquainted with it. If you’re looking for something a little more creative, try our grilled tuna steak with scallion sauce, our Arctic char with pistachio gremolata, or our striped bass with herb-olive salsa. Take inspiration from these recipes, and then branch out by adding your own favorite sauces and condiments to whatever fish you like—trust us, you kind of can’t go wrong.

Want more seafood inspiration? Check out our favorite weeknight seafood dinners and our top grilled seafood recipes too.

A longtime favorite of Delish readers, this savory-sweet salmon never disappoints. Hot tip: Let the fillets cook undisturbed for a few minutes. That, and super-high heat, is how you get that delicious crust here.

Get the Honey Garlic Glazed Salmon recipe.

This might be a controversial thing to say, but here it goes: Fried fish sandwiches are better than fried chicken sandwiches. Chicken sandwiches can definitely deliver on the flavor, but due to the more substantial bite to chicken thigh and breast, it can be a little too much to swallow...and chew. Enter flakey, delicate fish!

Get the Fried Fish Sandwich recipe.

If you haven’t tried mahi mahi, you really need to get on that. It’s a firm, mild fish that when cooked is beautifully flaky and tender. Our favorite way to prep it? Cook it on the stove with some fresh asparagus, and then smother it in a lemony butter sauce.

Get the Garlicky Lemon Mahi Mahi recipe.

Tilapia has a very mild fish taste and is a great way to get those non-fish eaters to love it. We cooked ours in plenty of butter, lemon, and garlic to make it bright and fresh and easy for everyone to enjoy. Baking it requires very little effort with zero risk of the fish sticking to your skillet or grill. A win win!

Get the Garlicky Lemon Baked Tilapia recipe.

There's nothing super crazy about this recipe, but when you do it right, it's absolutely perfect. For optimal crispiness, check out our tips. Our top one? Since you've already heated up some oil, throw in a batch of French fries to complete the meal. To make them closer to the authentic British style "chips", just cut them a little bit thicker and shorter.

Get the Beer-Battered Fish recipe.

This is our favorite combo of ingredients, but you can feel free to swap in your favorites or whatever you’ve got in the fridge. The key is to aim for color and variety, but the world really is your oyster...er, tuna!

Get the Ahi Poke Bowls recipe.

Giving the salmon a quick broil at the end of cooking gives the marinade a chance to caramelize—it's too good. Just make sure to keep a close eye on it so you don't overcook the salmon! Two to three minutes is all you need under a hot broiler.

Get the Pineapple Baked Salmon recipe.

The fish—we use cod, but any flaky variety, like tilapia, works—marinates in a mixture of lime juice, chili powder, and cumin that will become your standard. But the real gem of this recipe is the cabbage slaw—don't skip it. It takes just a few minutes to toss together and its brightness is the perfect condiment to the spiced cod.

Get the Perfect Fish Tacos recipe.

This is the kind of recipe that immediately becomes a house favorite. That's because it's easy yet elegant (AKA worthy of dinner parties), it comes together in 30 minutes, and it teaches the foundations of good cooking techniques. (Like how to cook skin-on fish so it gets crispy, not soggy, and how to create an easy herb gremolata to top proteins like fish, chicken, and steak. 😍)

Get the Arctic Char with Pistachio Gremolata recipe.

This recipe is a bit of a riff on pasta puttanesca, using familiar ingredients such as capers, anchovies, and olives. But instead of sitting over a pot of simmering tomato sauce, we used sun-dried tomatoes to form a paste that, when combined with pasta water, is transformed into a luscious sauce–and it’s all made in one pan!

Get the One-Pan Tuna Pasta recipe.

This is an easy and healthy dinner that's ready in just 40 minutes. The cod and bok choy roast together, keeping things simple, but don't worry—this fish is flavor-packed. The miso butter gets a little umami kick from sriracha, honey, garlic, and ginger. Yum!

Get the Miso Butter Cod recipe.

Using canned tuna is already pretty sacrilegious to traditional sushi, so we’re obviously not going for an authentic vibe here. But using properly made sushi rice—correct rice-to-water ratio, correct technique, and adequate seasoning—will make your time assembling this roll a lot easier and your end results a lot more delicious.

Get the Spicy Tuna Roll recipe.

Trout's delicate flavor is the perfect match for citrus and herbs, which is why we love to roast it whole, filling it with all our favorite aromatics. Encasing the fish in foil steams the fish, trapping in all that delicious, buttery jus.

Get the Whole Roasted Trout recipe.

Somewhere between Japanese chicken katsu and Southern-style fried catfish lies this delightfully comforting and hearty dinner. Flaky, buttermilk-brined catfish is accompanied by a crunchy slaw (in place of katsu’s standard shredded cabbage) and some white rice. To finish, drizzle with tartar and katsu sauce.

Get the Southern-Fried Catfish Katsu recipe.

People are always scared to grill fish because they fear it sticking to the grill. The trick is to make sure your grill is really hot and you'll have no problem!

Get the Grilled Fish recipe.

If you're really paranoid about this gorgeous red fish sticking to your grill, make sure to cook over high heat and don't touch the snapper until its skin is crispy. You could also cook over a few slices of lemon or onion to provide a protective layer. Not only will this ensure no stuck bits, but it will also add some flavor to your fish.

Get the Grilled Red Snapper recipe.

Fish and chips meet Nashville-style fried chicken! You could skip making your own fries and buy a bag of frozen, but we love a chance to use the cold oil method for French fries. Plus, you already have to bust out the oil for frying the fish, so it feels worth it to make your own here.

Get the Nashville Hot Fish And Chips recipe.

We love everything Tuscan butter. We've put it on gnocchi, mushrooms, shrimp, and now salmon. There's a reason they are all some of our most popular recipes of all time. The tomato-and-basil cream sauce with Parmesan is SO decadent and packed with umami. If we could take a bath in it, we probably would. 😈

Get the Tuscan Butter Salmon recipe.

You can pan fry, bake, or grill salmon steaks. We love pan-frying them in a skillet because they take only 10 minutes to cook.

Get the Salmon Steaks recipe.

This is a super simple version, so feel free to switch up the flavors. Try swapping limes for lemons and cilantro for dill. Now you've got a Latin-inspired salmon that would be perfect served atop cilantro lime rice!

Get the Pan-Fried Salmon recipe.

We can never say no when it comes to garlic and Parmesan. This easy flounder recipe uses a little bit of bread crumbs, but mostly Parmesan, and we couldn't be happier with the results—the flounder bakes up nice and tender with the perfect amount of crunch.

Get the Garlic Parmesan Flounder recipe.

Being a meaty, tender fish, mahi mahi stands up well to the grill and is even better when marinated. Here we’ve used a mayo-based marinade that adds some richness and a ton of flavor that makes it resemble blackened salmon that you might find in the South. Throw the fish on a tortilla with some spicy pineapple-jalapeño salsa and you'll have an amazing summer taco night.

Get the Mahi Mahi Tacos recipe.

This citrus salmon has tons of flavor from simple ingredients. Here we used oranges and limes, but you can use lemons, grapefruits, or blood oranges if you have them. If you like things a little spicier, leave the seeds in the jalapeño. As the salmon bakes, the juices start to turn into a syrupy sauce thanks to the honey and creates a perfect glaze over the salmon.

Get the Jalapeño Citrus Salmon recipe.

Like a lot of our favorite seafood, striped bass pairs well with many flavors. Here, it's served alongside a spicy herb-and-olive salsa that includes kalamata olives, preserved lemon, sun-dried tomatoes, and Calabrian chile peppers for a kick. Yum!

Get the Striped Bass with Herb-Olive Salsa recipe.

Earthy soba noodles ground this delicate soup made with a light and flavorful awase dashi (AKA Japanese seafood stock) and flaky cod. It’s sophisticated enough for a dinner party, easy enough for a weeknight dinner, and gentle enough to soothe a stomachache or persistent cold.

Get the Soba Cod & Mushroom Soup recipe.

If you don't have Cajun spice, you can make your own! Just stir together some salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and dried oregano before rubbing it on the salmon.

Get the Blackened Salmon Tacos recipe.

With flaky, buttery Chilean sea bass—aka Patagonian toothfish—it's worth getting the flavors and cooking method just right. Enter this foolproof approach, which infuses each bite of fish with umami (aka, savory) flavors from miso and soy sauce.

Get the Baked Chilean Sea Bass recipe.

This healthy baked fish is the best way to feed a crowd. There's no skillet cooking at all—everything is oven-baked in foil, making prep and cleanup a breeze. We believe it might just be one of the best salmon recipes...ever.

Get the Baked Salmon recipe.

These swordfish steaks, shallots, and radishes are simply seasoned with olive oil, salt, and pepper. After a quick-ish grill, they are dressed with a nutty, salty, sweet, and umami-packed hazelnut miso sauce that will blow your mind.

Get the Grilled Swordfish with Hazelnut Miso Sauce recipe.

Cooking fish in these foil packs is a total cinch. Using foil over the grill means your fish stays in one tender piece throughout the cooking process, until it meets your fork. With a simple drizzle of honey, lime, and corn, you have all the sweet-tart freshness of summer in one neat little package.

Get the Honey-Lime Tilapia and Corn Foil Pack recipe.

Catfish makes us think of lazy summer days spent at the lake, and we love it for that. Baking your catfish makes this meal much easier, with no worry of oil getting everywhere. We still bread it in cornmeal and season it with some Cajun seasoning, so you won't miss anything at all!

Get the Baked Catfish recipe.

Salmon only takes around 8 minutes to broil, meaning this can be on your dinner table in no time. Just top the salmon with the herby garlic and grainy mustard sauce, and pop under the heat!

Get the Perfect Broiled Salmon recipe.

We love using a slightly spicy green to counter the fatty tuna here—arugula is great, but if you're in the mood for something different, go for watercress instead! It has a delicious peppery flavor and the stems are satisfyingly crisp.

Get the Seared Ahi Tuna & Arugula Pear Salad recipe.

Halibut is a mild fish and a good options for those that don't like overly "fishy" fish. The mango salsa on top brings it all together and makes the meal feel tropical.

Get the Grilled Halibut recipe.

We love this meal because it comes with lots of veggies! If you want to be extra-healthy, serve the salmon over a bed of arugula salad or spinach.

Get the Greek Salmon recipe.

The best fish tacos have a wide variety of flavors and textures; hot and cold, crunchy and creamy, rich and bright, and with just the right amount of heat. Because this dish has so many flavors and elements, an expensive white fish with a delicate flavor is not at all necessary—save your $$$ and stick with cod rather than a fancy fish like halibut or turbot.

Get the Fried Fish Tacos recipe.

Swordfish makes even the most mundane weeknight dinner special—add a fresh tomato salad to take it next level.

Get the Baked Swordfish Steak recipe.

The secret to a steak that’s beautifully rare on the inside is a ripping hot grill, so be patient as it heats up. This ensures that when the fish hits the hot grates, it'll sear, not stick. Plus, once the grill is preheated, tuna steaks only take around 5 minutes to grill!

Get the Grilled Tuna Steak with Scallion Sauce recipe.

If you're someone who's afraid of cooking seafood at home, cod is the fish for you. It's basically impossible to mess up: It cooks quickly, is hard to overcook (unless you really forget about it), and is easy to flavor however you want. This recipe is a no-brainer and will give you sweet, fall apart tender cod on your table in no time.

Get the Baked Cod Fish recipe.

Labneh is a Middle Eastern strained yogurt that’s creamy, tangy, and thicker than Greek yogurt. It’s rich and luscious, so it takes kindly to basically anything grilled and charred, like ahi tuna and broccolini here.

Get the Grilled Ahi Tuna with Lemony Labneh recipe.

We love tilapia because it's inexpensive, sturdy, and pairs well with assertive flavors. Grilling adds another layer of flavor, and we like to take advantage of the grill by throwing together a simple charred tomato salsa to accompany our fish. Don't skip it—especially if cherry tomatoes are in season!

Get the Grilled Tilapia recipe.