Nothing excites the senses like delicious seafood dishes. Seafood is perhaps one of the healthiest meats you can eat, packed with tons of nutrition, and provides a lot of health benefits.
Seafood is easy to cook and most seafood cooks quickly. You can keep it simple and enjoy something easy like a shrimp cocktail. On the other hand, you can cook complex stews and fried seafood that will delight your friends and family. Pair your seafood dishes with delectable side dishes.
A seafood dish offers lots of protein but is low in saturated fats. They also contain essential nutrients such as Vitamin A and B and omega-3 fatty acids. These nutrients play a vital role in boosting your brain and eye health, plus they improve your immune system.
And eating seafood helps meet weight-loss goals, which is why so many people include seafood and tasty veggies in their diet plans.
Most seafood is light with a uniquely soft texture. Meats like fish, shrimp, and scallops retain flavor, allowing you to make a wide variety of meals.
This is why there are so many fantastic seafood ideas that bring out the unique flavor seafood brings to the table.
When it comes to seafood dinner ideas, the sky is truly the limit as you can find ways to cook just about any animal that swims.
It’s easy to get lost for hours as you browse recipes, which is why we’ve gathered 30 of the best seafood recipes you can make at home.
Blacken shrimp makes for a positively delicious seafood dinner. Blackening is actually a cooking method often used when preparing many Cajun meals. The process works by darkening food using a particular spice mix in a cast-iron skillet or hot pan.
The spice blend used to darken the food can vary depending on the recipe. However, the most commonly used spices include garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, dried oregano, and salt. These seasonings are usually used for either a poultry or fish recipe, but you can blacken nearly any meat dish.
Grilled shrimp is one of those seafood meals that really gets your mouth watering as you smell them cooking. The combination of lemon, garlic, and herbs, along with plump and juicy shrimp, will make your tastebuds think they’ve died and gone to heaven!
Plus, they are super easy to prepare and grill and take little to no time to cook.
The key is to ensure they are properly marinated and, of course, to grill them on a skewer to prevent them from falling through the grates (that would be a tragedy).
There’s no such thing as too much shrimp, especially when your feasting on this incredible recipe for broiled shrimp!
We love this dish because it’s balanced with rich flavors that also give your shrimp a little kick. It’s the ideal appetizer before your main course or a savory side dish.
Now, most folks use quick, high-heat methods like grilling and pan-searing to prepare shrimp. But, there’s something to be said about broiling that really seals in the delicious flavors and natural juices.
When it comes to hearty seafood dinner recipes, few fish, aside from grilled swordfish, can match the meaty texture of salmon. This fish really reminds people of eating a big juicy steak.
While salmon has a flaky texture, the pieces also have a thickness to them that really allows you to enjoy every meaty bite fully!
This 15-minute recipe has seasoned salmon with lemony capers and butter for a taste that’s second to none.
You can also throw in some seasoned veggies like asparagus for a meal worth celebrating!
Pan-seared scallops are incredible with pasta or make for a great topping on a seafood pizza. There are genuinely endless culinary possibilities when it comes to this dish.
Plus, it’s super simple and very quick to make, like many seafood recipe ideas – and by quick, I mean 15 minutes!
The wine sauce in this recipe is just divine, and the scallops are so plump and juicy!
Here’s a simple and delicious recipe for pan-fried cod. Cod has a beautifully buttery, mild flavor and really takes well to any seasoning you throw at it.
This recipe uses very few seasonings, such as flour, ground sweet paprika, butter, lemon juice, fresh thyme, and fresh marjoram.
The result is a flavorful but not overpowering white fish dish that’s perfect with steamed veggies.
One of the best seafood recipe ideas for pasta is shrimp pesto pasta. It’s simple to make, packed full of yummy flavor, and only takes 30 minutes to throw together!.
Also, this recipe shows you how to make savory homemade pesto from scratch. Don’t worry. It’s really easy to make and tastes way better than the stuff you find in stores.
One of our favorite healthy seafood recipes is broiled salmon. And this recipe shows you how to make this savory fish dish super fast!
The recipe only calls for a few ingredients, such as herbs, garlic, and olive oil. It’s a great dinner option that can be ready to serve in 20 minutes and comes out perfectly flavored, juicy, and delicious!
One of the most popular seafood recipes is seafood paella. This dish is truly a seafood lover’s dream!
Anyone who’s traveled to Spain knows how much they love their seafood, which really captures their cuisine’s spirit.
Seafood paella features saffron-infused rice with delicious seafood such as mussels and shrimp. Now, this recipe also calls for squid, but that’s totally optional.
Another savory blackened cajun dish that gives you a taste of New Orleans cuisine is blackened salmon. This recipe features flakey, perfectly seasoned salmon fillets in a delicious lemon butter sauce that’s to die for!
The citrus in the lemons really enhances the spices in this dish and brings out the juiciness of the baked fish. Plus, this dish looks so amazing when plated as the centerpiece of your dinner.
Cooked isn’t the only way to eat seafood, and this recipe for poke bowl makes for a wonderful seafood lunch.
Poke bowls are a traditional Hawaiian dish with very strong Japanese influences. This dish usually features diced fish in the form of salmon, tuna, or octopus, marinated in savory Asian seasonings.
Now, it’s very important to use sushi-grade salmon for this recipe, which you can usually find in specialty-grocery stores like Whole Food. Trust us. It makes a world of difference!
If you’re like me, you simply can’t get enough Pesto. And this pesto sheet pan salmon recipe also features savory thyme potatoes that will knock your socks off!
This savory and delicious meal is also easy to put together as everything cooks in one pan.
The recipe author’s secret to success is adding ingredients in stages. She allows the veggies to cook first to give them more of an extra-roasted flavor before adding the fish.
The combination of flavors just dances on your tongue as you just can’t get enough!
These are perfect over some rice with veggies like a stuffed mushroom. You can also serve them up as appetizers, but no need for cocktail sauce, because these superstar shrimp deserve the stage all to themselves!
Perhaps the most popular Asian take-out dish in the world is shrimp-fried rice. However, you don’t always want to jump in your car or pay those ridiculously high delivery fees to enjoy this dish.
That’s why we love this fantastic 30-minute recipe that’s the perfect way to use leftover rice.
This dish features perfectly seasoned rice, veggies, shrimp, and scrambled eggs in a harmonious jumble of incredible flavors.
It’s not hard to fall in love with this recipe, but it is hard not to go back for seconds and thirds!
Without question, one of my favorite tacos is fish tacos. And this recipe brings together savory panko-crusted fish, a spicy chipotle crema, zesty lime-cilantro slaw, and the toppings of your choice to create a taco masterpiece like nothing you’ve ever tasted!
Best of all, instead of frying your fish in beer batter, the panko crumbs make the dish lighter and healthier without sacrificing flavor.
Fish tacos are always a big hit at the dinner table!
These tender, plump, and juicy scallops are tossed with herb-seasoned spaghetti and topped off with tangy lemon zest for a pasta experience that takes no prisoners.
When it comes to deciding between white wine and dry vermouth, I’ve made this recipe with both and highly recommend going with the vermouth for a bolder flavor.
A great dish that really captures the spirit of spring is this recipe for lemon dill salmon. This recipe features juicy salmon with a bright and zesty flavor that works well on a bed of fluffy brown rice with veggies.
Or you can serve this dish with pasta or on top of cold salads. There’s really no wrong answer when it comes to how you can enjoy this incredible fish dish!
Another great take-out classic is shrimp and broccoli. This used to be one of my favorite dishes at my local Chinese restaurant until I discovered this fabulous recipe that combines seasoned, juicy shrimp and crisp broccoli in a savory sauce over fluffy white rice.
The secret is to have your shrimp ready to go ahead of time. That way, this meal cooks much faster. In fact, you can have this meal on your dinner table in about 25 minutes!
Salmon and swordfish aren’t the only fish with a hearty texture. This recipe for seared Ahi tuna steaks delivers some seriously meaty goodness.
Best of all, this recipe can be ready to eat in only six minutes!
Now, Ahi tuna is also known as bigeye or yellowfin tuna. And this recipe uses a savory toasted sesame and soy sauce marinade, making these juicy slices of tuna irresistible.
If you’re looking for a seafood meal with incredible South Asian flavors, then look no further than cream shrimp curry. This is the perfect go-to meal sure to impress any guest, and it’s terrific with warm homemade naan bread.
Best of all, this recipe doesn’t require years of experience to make this dish perfectly the first time out. And we absolutely loved the spices for this dish, including cardamom, garam masala, chili powder, and turmeric.
One of the most delicious ways to eat salmon is in a rich, savory, flavorful bourbon sauce. And this recipe for bourbon-glazed salmon strikes all the right notes with a sweet yet spicy balance that is simply breathtaking!
Not to mention, this dish comes together in a matter of minutes, and it’s a great way to introduce the kiddos to healthier meals without them even knowing it’s healthy!
While I enjoy lightly seasoned baked cod, sometimes I’m in the mood for something a bit more “robust.” And this recipe for baked salmon with magic seasoning is just the thing to really spice up your life!
However, this meal is also pretty simple, with very little prep work. And within minutes, you’ll find yourself biting into a boldly spiced cod with the perfect kick of flavor.
Serve this dish with some savory roasted veggies and rice or a nice low-calorie soup or salad.
Tilapia is a wonderfully light and flavorful fish. However, it does have a reputation for being tricky to cook. The meat is so tender and delicious that it’s ready to fall apart in an instant – which isn’t really a bad thing.
However, if you follow the instructions in this recipe, you’ll have the perfectly seasoned tilapia that arrives on your plate in one piece.
Also, the lemon-garlic sauce for this dish takes your tilapia to a whole new level.
Fish has a reputation for being tough meat to grill, mainly because it’s ready to fall apart the second you try to pick it up. However, salmon doesn’t really have this issue, especially since you cook it inside its tough skin.
Best of all, it’s nearly impossible to mess up grilling salmon, unlike many lighter types of fish. It’s very easy to tell when it’s done as the meat will have become flakey to touch.
Okay, I’ll admit. I wasn’t too sure about this meal the first time I had it. After all, fish stew doesn’t sound incredibly appetizing for most folks. I think it’s because we imagine a big boiling black cauldron with fish heads and other unidentifiable ingredients.
But that’s far from the case with this savory recipe that looks and smells nearly as delicious as it tastes!
Cassie brings decades of experience to the Kitchen Community. She is a noted chef and avid gardener. Her new book "Healthy Eating Through the Garden" will be released shortly. When not writing or speaking about food and gardens Cassie can be found puttering around farmer's markets and greenhouses looking for the next great idea.
