Many inexperienced home cooks avoid making fish and seafood because it seems too complicated. But making these dishes at home is worth it because fish and seafood are good sources of protein and have a healthy dose of Omega-3 fatty acids. The key to adding these foods to your weekly menu is to follow the advice of the American Heart Association and stick to only two servings a week.
The first step to adding more seafood to your diet is to understand how to buy quality fish and seafood. Of course, fresh seafood is best, so be sure to ask your local fishmonger what is fresh or get their recommendations. Fresh fish and seafood are best used the same day the same day because they go bad quickly.
However, sometimes fresh seafood isn’t available or is too expensive, so frozen seafood is also a good choice. Most supermarkets have a selection of frozen scallops, clams, oysters, fish, and shrimp. Another option is tinned fish, which has seen a resurgence in popularity lately. Tins of smoked oysters, salmon, tuna, and sardines are widely available and an inexpensive way to get more of these fish and seafood in your diet.
Are you ready to get more sea life onto your plate? Then check out my list of delicious seafood dishes you can make in thirty minutes or less. These are all easy recipes that are good for home cooks who love seafood but never thought they could make it at home.
If you love seafood, you might enjoy reading Exotic Seafood Delicacies From Around the World.
Ahi Tuna Poke Bowls
Poke bowls are one of the easiest meals to put together. They are filling, taste great, and are easy to customize, so even picky eaters can enjoy them. The basics of a poke bowl are simple: it starts with rice. You can use any rice, like sticky white, jasmine, or brown, and if you are low-carb, you can even swap out the rice for fresh greens or zucchini noodles. After the rice comes the star of the dish, fish. Traditional poke bowls use ahi tuna, but again, you can customize your poke bowl and use salmon, crab, red snapper, or another fish; you can even use tofu. Vegetables are the next addition and can be just about anything. I like to add thinly sliced radishes, cucumbers, and carrot ribbons, but it’s totally up to you which vegetables to add. If you like crunch, like I do, you can add bean sprouts or sunflower seeds for texture. And while it is not required, most poke bowls have slices of fresh avocado for a nice creamy contrast.
I know what you are thinking; that sounds like a lot of chopping and prepping to get this dish on the tables in thirty minutes or less. But it really doesn’t take that long at all. Put the rice in a rice cooker so it basically makes itself. Then prep your veggies, and to keep it simple just use a premade dressing like a lemon garlic tahini or a Thai peanut dressing.
Baked Salmon
Salmon is one of the healthiest fish you can eat. It is chock full of vitamins and nutrients, and the fatty acids are great for hair, skin, and nails. So it’s definitely worth your while to have a few salmon recipes up your sleeve like this baked salmon. You can use fresh or frozen salmon fillets with or without the skin. I prefer ones with the skin because that’s where all the nutrients are, but if the skin creeps you out, then go skinless.
Start with a piece of foil, spread a little olive oil, and place a fillet in foil, squeeze with lemon, and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Fold the foil ends together to make a packet and bake at 400 F for 15 minutes. The internal temperature should be 135 F. Serve with a squeeze of lemon and a side of your favorite greens like roasted asparagus or a fresh salad.
Lemon Shrimp Fettuccini
If you need an easy, simple dish that looks and tastes like it’s a gourmet dish, then you need to make Lemon Shrimp Fettucini. It has a bright, fresh taste thanks to the splash of lemon. I like to make this with fettucini noodles because the sauce is thin, and the wide fettucini noodles hold on to the flavor better. But if you prefer other long noodles like spaghetti or even angel hair, those would work, too.
The key to this recipe is not to overcook the shrimp, so be warned because those little guys cook fast, about three minutes on each side. Trust me; you don’t want to overcook them because they get all rubbery and become too chewy. If you are using pre-cooked frozen shrimp, thaw them first and mix them with the hot pasta.
The lemony sauce is a simple mix of olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, Parmesano Reggiano, and black pepper. Or you can make it even easier with a bottle of store-bought lemon vinaigrette.
Seared Scallops
If a recipe with a sear in the title seems intimidating, I promise it’s not. Searing is just cooking quickly at a high temperature. You can use butter or oil and just cook the scallops quickly on each side to get that crisp outer texture. This cooking technique is worth mastering because you can sear anything from steak to seafood to tofu and vegetables.
You can buy scallops fresh or frozen. Just make sure to thaw the frozen ones and pat them dry before adding them to the hot pan. I like to sear scallops in oil and then add in butter towards the end of cooking time, which is only about two to three minutes on each side. Serve seared scallops with coconut rice or rice pilaf.
Fish Tacos
Whether it is Taco Tuesday, Cinco de Mayo, or you just really love tacos like I do, you must add fish tacos to your repertoire of recipes. You can definitely get fish tacos on the table in thirty minutes, even with all of the fixings.
The most important part of making fish tacos is using the right fish. You want a firm, neutral white fish like tilapia or cod. Traditionally, fish tacos are battered and fried, but if you are trying to keep the calories and fat to a minimum, you can just toss them in an egg wash and panko breadcrumbs. Or if you are low-carb or gluten-free, you can just fry the fish in oil and skip the breading.
Serve fish tacos with shredded cabbage, sliced radishes in lime juice and salt, and your favorite salsa. I like a fruity salsa with some heat, like a mango habanero or a pico de gallo with fresh pineapple.
Traditionally, fish tacos are made with corn tortillas, but you can use flour, too. If you choose corn, one little trick to soften them is to place the tortillas directly on the burner and flip them to give them a little blackened char and make them more pliable. Or you can skip the tortillas and make a fish taco salad bowl.
Smoked Salmon and Shrimp Pizza
Yes, pizza is on the list of seafood dishes you can make in under thirty minutes. The trick is to use premade dough to cut down on time. Most grocery stores sell premade pizza dough, or you can make your own pizza dough and freeze it so you have it when you want to make pizza. Premade pizza crusts are fine, too.
There are a lot of different ways to make smoked salmon and shrimp pizza. Some recipes use a cream cheese or creme fraiche instead of a tomato-based sauce. Some recipes call for a pesto base, but I like to use a white pizza sauce or a simple Alfredo sauce; whichever sauce you prefer is fine. Spread the sauce and add a sprinkle of mozzarella, then add the smoked salmon and cooked shrimp. Add some thinly sliced red onions and a spoonful of capers, and bake for fifteen minutes at 400 F.
Crab Louie Salad
If you have spent time anywhere on the West Coast, from Washington to California, you may have encountered one of the prized dishes from the region, a Crab Louis Salad. This sophisticated salad has a murky history, and many have claimed to be the creator, from coastal chefs from cities like Seattle and San Francisco to inland historic hotels like the Davenport in Spokane, Washington. Unfortunately, it is hard to know exactly who decided to add tender shredded Dungeness crab meat to a crispy bed of greens and serve it with hard-boiled eggs, tomato wedges, and cucumbers.
A crab Louis salad comes together pretty quickly, leaving you plenty of time to make a Louis dressing, which is a mix of mayonnaise, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, capers, and pickle relish. If that sounds too complicated, you can always use a store-bought Louis dressing or a Thousand Island dressing which is pretty similar. Serve with a cold glass of white wine or a fizzy seltzer water.
Shrimp Tostadas
These shrimp tostadas might just be the easiest seafood dishes you can make in thirty minutes on the list. Start with tostadas, which you can find near the tortillas in your local supermarket. Spread on a thin layer of refried beans and top that with a layer of guacamole or avocado slices. Then add some chopped lettuce and cooked shrimp. Top each toast with chopped tomatoes, black olives, and pico de gallo. You can probably pull this together in ten minutes; it’s easy. If you have time and a gas grill, I suggest grilling the shrimp, but that might take an additional eight to ten minutes. Either way, it still comes in in under thirty minutes.
Smoked Oyster and Veggie Flatbread
Tinned fish has been getting some attention recently, and more and more culinary experts are giving the thumbs up to using this inexpensive pantry staple. Some brands are better than others, so always read the labels before you buy.
This decadent version of flatbread features smoked oysters, bacon, and spinach on top of a tomato-based sauce and sprinkled with shredded mozzarella. The key to making this is to drain the oysters so the flatbread doesn’t get soggy and cook the bacon before adding it. Once it’s assembled, it cooks quickly and is ready in no time.
Crab Cakes
Crab cakes are one of my all-time favorites. The best ones have an outer crispy crunch and a chewy, flavorful center and are perfect for dipping into tartar sauce, sriracha mayonnaise, and even straight-up Tabasco.
This is one dish where it really is important to use the freshest crab meat you can find. You might need to take a trip to your local fishmonger or ask the seafood department at your local supermarket, but it is worth the trouble. You don’t want to use tinned crab or imitation crab meat because the crab cakes will have a weird texture and flavor.
Start by mixing fresh lump crab meat with eggs, breadcrumbs, Old Bay seasoning, minced celery, fresh parsley, Dijon, and mayonnaise. Then, form the mixture into balls and fry in a neutral oil. Serve with coleslaw or green salad, and have a healthy dinner in under thirty minutes.
Octopus Salad
If you have never eaten octopus, you are in for a treat with this octopus salad. It is a popular dish in coastal regions of Mexico, where it is known as ensalda de pulpo. It could be considered in the ceviche family, but the octopus is fully cooked, unlike the fish and seafood in ceviche, which is cooked in fresh lime juice.
You might have to visit your local fishmonger or an international market to find octopus. It is generally sold pre-cooked, so you just have to open and chop. Then mix the octopus pieces with diced tomatoes, onions, and cilantro, add a heftysqueeze of fresh lime juice, and mix. In Mexico, it is served with saltine crackers or tortilla chips, but you could also serve it with rice or salad.
Coconut Shrimp
What makes shrimp even better? Covering it in shredded coconut and frying it to perfection. Coconut shrimp is easier than you might think. The recipe is similar to breaded shrimp. You just swap out the breadcrumbs for coconut flakes and get that same crunchy outer layer. You can serve coconut shrimp with a honey lime sauce or a sweet Thai chili dipping sauce.
Make sure to buy raw shrimp, either medium or large. The frozen food aisle usually has both cooked and raw frozen shrimp right next to each other, so be sure to read the labels.
Linguini with Clams
The Italian dish, linguine alle vongole, or linguine in clam sauce, is an elegant and impressive dish made with fresh clams in a white wine sauce. But this under thirty minute version is made with tinned clams. It’s quick and tasty, but it lacks the dramatic presentation of fresh open clams.
If you don’t have linguini, you can use spaghetti, fettucini, or angel hair pasta. Cook the pasta and set aside. Saute garlic and onion in butter, then add in the clam juice from the tinned clams and a dry white wine. Let the sauce simmer for five to ten minutes to blend the flavor. Then, take it off the heat, add the pasta and clams, and mix them together. Serve with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and Parmesan Reggiano.
Cioppino
This soup, with the cool sounding Italian name, is pretty easy to throw together. The dish was originally made with whatever was the catch of the day and had no specific recipe. So you can make it with a mix of your favorite seafood like shrimp, clams, scallops, oysters, mussels, sea bass, and tilapia; it will all work in this soup.
First, cook the onions and garlic, then add in white wine and crushed tomatoes. You can use fresh tomatoes if they are in season; otherwise, stick to canned crushed tomatoes. Let the brothy base cook for a few minutes, and then start adding your seafood and fish. Make sure to take into account the different cooking times; for example, shrimp cooks quicker than mussels. For convenience, you can use precooked frozen seafood, so it’s just a matter of heating everything up and getting it on the table. Serve with thick slices of sourdough.
Shrimp Fried Rice
Do you have leftover rice sitting in your refrigerator? Then, you have the base for a quick and easy shrimp fried rice. Start with a hot pan, saute the shrimp, and set aside. In the same pan, scramble a couple of eggs and set aside. Then, cook onions and garlic for a few minutes, and add a bag of frozen stir-fry vegetables or just a bag of frozen peas and carrots. Then mix it all together and give it a splash of soy sauce and a splash or two of your favorite hot sauce; I like sriracha.
Fish and Chips
How do you like your fish and chips, the American way with tartar sauce or the British way with vinegar? Either way, fish and chips are another super easy seafood dish you can have on the table in no time. The easiest version is to throw some frozen fish fillets and potatoes in the air fryer, and voila, in ten minutes, you have a meal.
Or you can use fresh fillets, toss them in an eggwash and flour bath, and fry them in oil. Either way, you choose, you can still get it on the table in under thirty minutes.
Shrimp Salad
Similar to chicken and tuna salad, shrimp salad is a mix of small salad shrimp, mayonnaise, Dijon, and veggies. You can add minced red onion or bell peppers. I like to add some finely chopped celery because it adds a little crunch, while black olives give some umami. It is great on a bed of lettuce or just in with some tortilla chips.
Smoked Salmon Wrap
This smoked salmon wrap is as simple as a burrito but much healthier. Take a large flour tortilla and spread a spoonful of cream cheese out so it covers the tortilla in a thin layer. Then add in pieces of smoked salmon, sliced cucumbers, red onion, capers, and lettuce. Next, roll it up and eat it like a burrito or slice it into rolls for a lighter meal.
Lobster Roll
Nothing says New England like a classic lobster roll. Luckily, you don’t have to travel all the way north to make a lobster roll. However, depending on where you live, you might have trouble finding real lobster. If your supermarket or fishmonger does carry it, you can always order it online. This sandwich is pretty straightforward; it’s just lobster meat mixed with mayonnaise, minced onions, and celery, all stuffed into a hoagie bun.
Clam Chowder
Many home cooks avoid making homemade clam chowder because it seems complicated and time-consuming, but it is actually a seafood dish that can be made in just under thirty minutes. It’s the perfect recipe to have up your sleeve when you want a warm mug of soup on a rainy day.
The recipe starts with cooking the bacon and then setting it aside to cool. But if you don’t like bacon, skip this step. Your chowder will still be good without it, but it will lack some of the fat and smoky flavor the bacon brings. Next, cook onions and garlic in butter and add water, potato, clam juice, and heavy cream. Then cook it all down for about twenty minutes or until the potatoes are tender, and add in flour, milk, and tinned minced clams. Serve with thick slices of sourdough bread.