Quick & Easy Fish Recipes for Healthy Weeknight Dinners

Bright, fresh flavor and superior nutrition take center stage in this collection of quick and easy fish recipes perfect for the Mediterranean diet.

Adding fish to your diet when you aren't used to working with it can be intimidating. As a Mediterranean diet food blogger, I'm always looking for ways to make fish dinners easy and accessible for unfamiliar cooks and busy families. It's true that fish is less forgiving that chicken or beef, but it only takes a little bit of practice to master cooking it well.

My advice to anyone trying to work more seafood into their weekly menus is to find a handful of quick and healthy fish recipes that you enjoy and stick to them for a while. Once you get the hang of quick fish preparations, it becomes easier to modify and improvise to add in some variety.

Below I've collected 10 healthy fish recipes that take less than 30 minutes. I've included a variety of fish types, preparations, and flavors, and vetted them for nutrition and quality. They are all relatively easy to make, and some are even downright simple! Hopefully you'll discover a new way of cooking fish to add to your regular weekly repertoire.

1

Almond & Asiago-Crusted Rockfish

This recipe for nut crusted fish is adaptable to any mild white fish, such as tilapia, cod, or snapper. Wild Pacific rockfish is widely available on the West Coast, relatively cheap, and has a light, sweet flavor. It's also high in heart-healthy Omega-3 fatty acids. Because the filets are relatively thin, they cook in a flash, either on the stovetop or in the oven. The nuts and asiago add richness and crunch to this easy fish recipe and make it appealing for the whole family.

20 minutes total time

Almond and Asiago Crusted Rockfish at Parsley & Parm

2

Broccolini Pasta with Tuna and Lemon-Almond Pesto

Bright, rich, and packed with Mediterranean flair, this quick pasta toss combines flaky tuna, crisp-tender broccolini, and a punchy basil-lemon pesto for a weeknight dinner that tastes far fancier than it is. Use store-bought pesto and mix in a bit of lemon juice and minced zest for even faster and easier prep.

30 minutes total time.

Broccolini Pasta with Tuna at Parsley & Parm

3

Haute & Healthy Living

Best Mediterranean Salmon Recipe

This healthy Mediterranean salmon recipe caught my eye very early in my search for quick and easy fish recipes. I love using a fresh chopped salsa on top of perfectly cooked fish, and it's a preparation that works particularly well with salmon. This salsa also features three of my favorite Mediterranean diet ingredients: fresh tomatoes, kalamata olives, and feta!

30 minutes total time

Mediterranean Salmon Recipe from Haute & Healthy Living

4

Beyond Mere Sustenance

Pan-Seared Mexican Fish

The flavors in this pan-seared Mexican fish recipe from Beyond Mere Sustenance are really outstanding, and will work with any mild, firm white fish such as cod, halibut, tilapia, or snapper. It's a bright, fresh, delicious fish recipe that can easily be on your table in less than 30 minutes. Also check out Tamara's really excellent discussion of global flavor profiles, which is linked from her post.

25 minutes total time

Pan-Seared Mexican Fish at Beyond Mere Sustenance

5

Grilled Halibut Skewers with Garlic and Lemon

These Grilled Halibut Skewers are fresh, fast, and packed with flavor. Tender halibut is marinated with lemon, garlic, and herbs, then grilled to juicy perfection-perfect for summer dinners or backyard BBQs. A simple, healthy fish recipe that comes together in minutes.

30 minutes total time

Grilled Halibut Skewers at Parsley & Parm

6

The Sifted Field

Fresh Salmon Fillet with Rainbow Swiss Chard and Olives

This healthy fish recipe from The Sifted Field is one of my favorites. I could eat this every week. It's Whole 30-compliant and an absolute nutritional powerhouse, with healthy fats from the salmon and olives, vitamins and minerals from the chard, and plenty of fiber from the artichokes. I don't think a Mediterranean diet recipe gets much better than that!

15 minutes total time

Fresh Salmon with Swiss Chard and Olives at The Sifted Field

7

Veena Azmanov

Chraime - Moroccan Fish in Tomato Sauce

I'm a big fan of Veena Azmanov's food blog. She and I are in full agreement that Moroccan fish cuisine is one of the best, and this recipe for Moroccan Fish in Tomato Sauce, known as Chraime, is proof of that. It has enough flavor to seem elaborate, but it's actually deceptively simple to make. And it'll work with almost any white fish: rockfish, tilapia, halibut, sea bass, and more.

30 minutes total time

Moroccan Fish in Tomato Sauce from Veena Azmanov

8

Sear-Roasted Alaskan Halibut with Macadamia Nut Pesto

I originally developed this recipe as a vehicle for my macadamia nut pesto, which is one of my favorite things ever, but it's the cooking technique I want to highlight here. Giving thicker filets a quick sear on the stovetop and finishing them in the oven is the perfect way to cook firm white fish such as cod or sea bass. And it works great with any pesto - homemade or store-bought. Update: I also now have a recipe for Lemon Almond Pesto that goes beautifully with this dish as well!

25 minutes total time

Check out this recipe

9

Discover Spain Today

Spanish Fried Anchovies - Boquerones Fritos al Limón

Don't let the "fried" part of this dish scare you off, these little guys are lightly fried in olive oil, and a little goes a long way. If you can find fresh anchovies...I recently found some at Whole Foods Market...they are so darn healthy and delicious fresh that you won't believe your taste buds. This simple fish recipe calls for dredging in flour; you can choose to dredge your fish in cornstarch, arrowroot, or rice flour instead. Serve these little guys with a salad such as my loaded Greek salad for a healthy, delicious Mediterranean diet meal.

20 minutes total time

Spanish Fried Anchovies at Discover Spain Today

10

Cobb Salad with Salmon and Everything But the Bagel Dressing

I wanted to include one salad recipe in this roundup for anyone looking for a "prep and assemble" type meal. Using smoked or tinned fish is maybe the quickest and easiest way to get some fish into your weekly diet, and this Cobb salad with smoked salmon features it prominently. The cream cheese balls are YUM, but I leave them out most of the time. For a truly special meal, try this smoked salmon from Fishwife. It's my favorite!

20 minutes total time

Cobb Salad with Salmon at Parsley & Parm

11

My Chef's Apron

Easy and Healthy Garlic Shrimp

I used leeks I harvested from my garden to make this recipe last week, and oh my gosh it was so delicious! It was bright and healthy and full of flavor, and the whole family enjoyed it. I served it over some whole grain spaghetti, but no one needed it...this healthy shrimp recipe was delicious all by itself. And it clocks in at 25 minutes of time on the recipe card, but it was closer to 20 minutes when I made it.

25 minutes total time

Easy and Healthy Garlic Shrimp at My Chef's Apron

12

Two Healthy Kitchens

Pan-Seared Salmon with Basil Tzatziki

I do sometimes like a creamy topping on my salmon, and since giving up my favorite sour cream and dill preparation, yogurt-based tzatziki has been my go-to. This gem of a recipe uses basil instead of mint in the tzatziki, and it's a really nice way to switch it up to go with fish. The write-up also features what I think is a good description of how to sear salmon properly, and is worth a read if you are new to cooking fish. It's an excellent easy fish recipe for beginning cooks.

12 minutes total time

Pan-Seared Salmon with Basil Tzatziki at Two Healthy Kitchens

I hope this collection of easy fish recipes gives you plenty of inspiration for bringing more seafood into your weekly meals. If you have any questions about changes or substitutions, just ask-I'm always happy to help you make these dishes your own. And if you try any of them, I'd love to hear what you think!

For more fresh, Mediterranean-inspired recipes, you can subscribe to my newsletter, and follow along on Instagram. You'll also find plenty of recipe inspiration on my Pinterest boards and daily favorites on Facebook. I'd love to see you there!

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