36 Delicious Fish Recipes for Busy Weeknights
Updated: Feb. 25, 2021
Including more fish and seafood is a heart-smart choice. Expand your dinner repertoire with these easy-to-make, healthy recipes.
Sheet Pan Salmon Fajitas
Make this spicy dinner a weekly staple in your house. Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, salmon is always a smart nutritious choice and these fajitas are delicious. Find out why omega-3 fatty acids are so good for you.
Tuna Freekeh Tabouli
Combining the nutty-flavored of freekeh with protein-rich tuna and Mediterranean flavors of fresh parsley and mint is pure genius. Anne Danahy, RDN shares this make-ahead salad to fuel your afternoon.
Lemon Fish Soup with Broccoli and Pasta
Created for her family to enjoy during Lent, this light and healthy soup from Christy Wilson, RDN, will surely become your family’s favorite, too. (Here’s why you shouldn’t worry about buying frozen fish.)
Tuna Burgers with Smashed Avocado and Tomato
Change up your classic burger night with a tuna burger for a burst of healthy omega-3s and protein. Elizabeth Ward, RDN, tops hers with smashed avocado and tomato for extra healthy fats, fiber, and vitamins.
Salmon Zucchini Linguini
Convenient and economical, canned salmon stars in this dinner from Judy Barbe, RDN. Ready from the pantry to the table in about 25 minutes, so it’s a true winner. Another bonus: Omega-3 fatty acids can boost your mood.
Sheet Pan Cod with Rosemary and Potatoes
Short on time? No problem! Chef Abbie Gellman, RDN, combines garlic, rosemary, and sage for a delicious quick weeknight dinner ready in about 20 minutes.
Seared Scallops with Grapefruit Brown Butter Sauce
Consisting of just five ingredients, this delectable, 20-minute entrée is ready to eat. Chrissy Carroll, RDN, shares her healthy scallop recipe, which provides nearly 30 percent of your daily vitamin C needs.
Fish with Lemon Mustard Caper Sauce
Classic flavors combine in this white fish recipe from Jill Weisenberger, RDN. High in protein and low in carbs, it’s perfect for busy weeknights. Pair it with your favorite veggies and whole grains for a balanced meal.
Green Goddess Crab Salad with Endive
Pretty enough for a party appetizer, this salad from chef Abbie Gellman, RDN, needs to be part of your festive spread. It’s also easy enough for a delicious evening meal. For more meal idea, don’t miss these delish vegan appetizer ideas.
Pistachio Panko Crusted Baked Salmon
Crunchy and delicious, this simple salmon will do wonders for your heart in this recipe from Sarah Pflugradt, RDN. Rich in healthy fats from the fish and the pistachios, this good-for-you dish is ready in about 30 minutes. (When you’re buying salmon, be sure to keep these important facts in mind.)
Skillet Tilapia Tacos
If you want dinner on the table in less than 15 minutes, this is the perfect recipe for you. All five main ingredients are always on hand, making it your perfect last-minute meal.
Spicy Pan Seared Fish with Tamarind Sauce
Tamarind is a fruit bursting with antioxidants and phytochemicals, making it the perfect compliment to this pan-seared cod recipe from Roxana Begum, RDN.
Tuna Pesto Pasta Salad
Think outside the mayo-laden, tuna-salad box, and enjoy this delicious option from Christy Wilson, RDN. It’s bursting with flavors thanks to the basil-based pesto, roasted red peppers, fresh tomato, and kalamata olives.
Moroccan Salmon Sliders
Abbie Gellman’s sliders are fun for kids because they’re kid-sized yet tasty enough for adults with the variety of flavors, including mint, ginger, soy sauce and Sriracha. Great party food, too!
Fish Tacos with Chipotle Crema
If you’re looking for a spicy meal featuring seafood, here’s your answer: Judy Barbe, RDN presents a colorful quick dinner that’s high in protein, fiber, and flavor.
Herbed Goat Cheese and Pistachio Salmon
Hard to believe this recipe takes only 15 minutes to make. Kara Golis, RDN, shares her three-ingredient meal, which also happens to be fancy enough for special occasions while delivering calcium and healthy fats.
Greek Salad with Tuna and Beans
Raid your pantry for canned goods—tuna, garbanzo beans, olives—then, raid your fridge for fresh produce—cucumber, romaine, tomato, onion. Combine it all to make this healthy salad from Judy Barbe, RDN.
Blackened Alaska Cod Tacos
The beauty of this recipe lies in the rub. Blackened seasoning rubbed into rich Alaskan cod compliments the crunchy purple cabbage and creamy salsa dressing, by Amanda Hernandez, RDN.
Salmon Potato Cakes
Kids are sure to love these salmon potato cakes by Diane Norwood, RDN. She recommends serving with lettuce salad on the side and topping the cakes with guacamole, tzatziki, or tartar sauce.
Speedy Broiled Fish with Vegetables
Having dinner on the table in about 15 minutes makes this recipe from Judith Scharman Draughon, RDN a true winner. Have fun with your spiralizer to create cute shapes out of squash, zucchini, and bell peppers—they’ll cook quicker when thinly cut.
Blackened Tilapia Fajitas
Marrying southeastern-inspired blackened seasoning with southwestern fajitas is the genius idea of Dara Gurau, RDN. Either grilled or baked, the tilapia is super yummy. Did you know that you shouldn’t order tilapia in restaurants? Here’s why.
Mussels Fra Diavolo
With only three ingredients and ready in a flash, this is a recipe you really need—it comes courtesy of Lauren Harris-Pincus, RDN. If mussels aren’t your thing, substitute shrimp, clams, or calamari rings.
Fish en Papillote
The beauty of baking fish wrapped in parchment is the perfectly cooked results. Not only that, you can tailor the veggies to each family member’s preferences. Emily Kyle, RDN shares her fool-proof recipe.
Wine-Poached Tuna
These tuna steaks poached in white wine and fresh herbs look like you spent all day preparing the meal. Truth is, Meme Inge, RDN, has mastered the elegant meal in under 20 minutes.
Salmon Waldorf Salad
The perfect summer meal from Jessica Levinson, RDN, with spinach, beets, fennel, and apples. Traditional dressing gets a lightened up makeover with gut-friendly yogurt. You’ll want to keep this recipe in your summer rotation.
Pesto Tilapia Sheet Pan
Tilapia stars as the protein in this sheet pan supper from Katie Pfeffer-Scanlan, RDN. Fennel may not typically be on your regular menu, so here’s your chance to introduce a new veggie!
Mediterranean Cod with Rotini and Ragu
This whitefish blends perfectly with the seasonings of jarred tomato marinara sauce in this quick meal from Karman Meyer, RDN. Spinach provides an extra boost of vitamin A and iron. Here are 11 convincing reasons to get more spinach in your diet.
Blood Orange Rosemary Salmon
This dinner is as easy as it is sophisticated. Lindsey Janeiro, RDN combines fresh rosemary and blood oranges for a flavor burst you’ll love. If you’re not happy with the way your fish dishes turn out, check out the ways you’re cooking fish wrong.
Sheet Pan Honey Ginger Shrimp and Vegetables
Sheet pan suppers are all the rage and with good reason: Everyone loves a simple clean-up on a busy night. Sarah Schlichter, RDN created a light and nutritious sheet pan supper featuring lean shrimp and a colorful array of veggies.
Black Sesame Seed Encrusted Salmon
Beautiful to look at, the black sesame seeds add flair and a healthy dose of vitamin E to this salmon dish from Tracee Yablon Brenner, RDN. Toss together a simple green veggie and whole-grain roll, and your meal is ready to enjoy.
Nicoise Pasta Salad
This classic French salad gets a healthy twist from Jessica Levinson, RDN. The yummy traditional ingredients of tuna, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and olives are featured.
Easy Dijon Baked Salmon
Chelsey Amer, RDN, shares her super simple and decadent recipe, which combines just three ingredients in the topping. Plus, it’s ready in 15 minutes! If you love fish, be sure to check out these vital seafood facts.
Shrimp Pesto Pasta with Asparagus and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Using a jar of ready-to-go pesto makes this meal super fast (though you get bonus points for making your own). Kara Lydon, RDN brings together beautiful (and healthy) colors with a delicious dinner meal you won’t feel overly stuffed from.
Freezer-to-Sheet-Pan Lemon Pepper Salmon with Green Beans
Yes, you read that right! This dinner from Diana Rice, RDN, is straight from the freezer to the sheet pan to your table. Lemon and garlic provide fresh flavor to the fish and the green beans.
Halibut en Papillote
Want to impress your guests? This recipe from Whitney English, RDN is the ticket. It’s high in protein and low in saturated fat; plus, the parchment pouch preserves vitamins and minerals.
Coconut Lime Flounder
Maybe flounder isn’t in your regular dinner rotation, but it should be. Flounder is delicate and packed with protein. Toby Amidor, RDN, seasons hers with tropical-inspired flavors—coconut cream, fresh lime, and fresh basil.
Originally Published: April 03, 2018
