61+ Best Healthy Fish Recipes for Weight Loss
Baking a fillet of salmon is probably one of the easiest healthy fish recipes you can tackle, but it doesn't have to be the only way to enjoy simple, healthy seafood at home. In fact, with these delicious recipes, you can easily make lean fish for dinner on the regular.
From tuna or scallops to shrimp and even calamari, your favorite seafood dish likely requires minimal cooking time. Plus, these healthy fish recipes are low in calories, and high in nutrients, which means they can even help with your weight loss journey.
Here are a few of our favorite healthy fish recipes for weight loss. Plus, if you're in the mood for chicken, check out: 73 Healthy Chicken Recipes for Weight Loss
Spicy Tuna and Avocado Fish Tacos
Not only does the combination of silky rare tuna and creamy avocado fit a boatload of healthy fat into one dish, but the flavors are tough to beat, especially when crowned with a spicy slaw and the tang of a few pickled onions. Forget the fried version: This is your new fish taco recipe.
Get our recipe for Spicy Tuna and Avocado Fish Tacos.
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Southern-Style Cornmeal Catfish With Tomato Gravy
There's nothing wrong with comfort food. But, more often than not, the foods that we find the coziest are packed with the most unnecessary calories and fat. We don't think that the price for comfort foods should be that high. That's where the inspiration for this dish came from. In case you're curious, this is the #1 best fish to eat, according to a dietitian.
Get our recipe for Southern-Style Cornmeal Catfish With Tomato Gravy.
Blackened Fish Sandwich With Avocado and Cabbage
Our fish sandwich replaces processed patties with fresh tilapia fillets, opts for blackening instead of frying, and uses creamy avocado and a yogurt-based sauce instead of tartar sauce. If you're wondering if you should eat tilapia, we've got the answer.
Get our recipe for Blackened Fish Sandwich With Avocado and Cabbage.
Grilled Swordfish With Caponata
It's a take on seafood that's light, refreshing, and perfectly portioned for a healthy dinner any night of the week. Find which state can't get enough of grilled swordfish in The Most Popular Food to Grill in Every State.
Get our recipe for Grilled Swordfish With Caponata.
Pesto-Topped Grilled Swordfish Steak
This recipe slathers meaty swordfish steaks in pesto before grilling then tops them with quickly sautéed tomatoes. The burst of sweetness from the tomatoes joins forces with the garlicky punch of the pesto, making for a swordfish steak recipe that tastes every bit the creation of a restaurant chef. If you don't have time to make pesto, here's our list of the best and worst pesto sauces on the shelves.
Get our recipe for Pesto-Topped Grilled Swordfish Steak.
Fish Tacos With Tilapia and Avocado
While most fish tacos we grab are battered and fried (usually with a nice piece of cod), we found making fish tacos at home to be much easier than we anticipated. Because the fish we made for this recipe doesn't involve breading a fish fillet, you can save major calories and bulk up on some delicious toppings instead.
Get our recipe for Fish Tacos With Tilapia and Avocado.
Instant Pot Shrimp and Broccoli
Shrimp doesn't need a ton of time to cook, which is why this Instant Pot shrimp and broccoli recipe is the perfect recipe to whip up on a busy weeknight. Served on rice, or cauliflower rice to keep it low-carb, this recipe is one that you're going to want to make again and again.
Get our recipe for Instant Pot Shrimp and Broccoli.
Fish Taco Bowls
This recipe scales up easily to serve a crowd, and you can make most of the fixin's ahead to save time. The salmon is cooked with a bit of cumin and garlic to give it flavor and served over coconut milk-infused cauliflower rice. Here's how to choose a healthier coconut milk.
Get our recipe for Fish Taco Bowls.
Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp
Combine the tropical sweetness of coconut with the delicate flavors of shrimp in this impressive keto party snack. Making these in your air fryer will assure a homogenous, crispy crust that doesn't crumble and fall off. Not to mention, you're cutting the amount of fat by skipping the frying oil. Try our other healthier air fryer recipes, too.
Get our recipe for Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp.
Baked Fish and Chips
We combine all of the fish and chips experience in one bite, using crushed salt and vinegar potato chips to coat cod fillets, which are then baked until crispy and golden brown. The only thing it leaves out of the equation is the most regrettable part of fish and chips: all those excess calories from the deep fryer.
Get our recipe for Baked Fish and Chips.
Crispy Chipotle Shrimp Quesadilla
This quesadilla is plenty cheesy, but the abundance of spicy shrimp and caramelized vegetables teamed with the shattering crust of the tortilla means we can cut fat without sacrificing flavor in this recipe. It's one of the healthy fish recipes we always obsess over!
Get our recipe for Crispy Chipotle Shrimp Quesadilla.
Shrimp and Mango Summer Roll
Not to be confused with the deep-fried, fatty spring roll, the original summer roll is a prime example of how a few healthy, relatively boring ingredients can be carefully coerced into something much greater than the sum of their parts. The combination of the perfect lean protein; shrimp, with tangy-sweet mango, and a few crunchy strips of red pepper will make for seriously good eating!
Get our recipe for Shrimp and Mango Summer Roll.
Scallops with Chimichurri
In this meal, you get to pour your chimichurri on scallops (and just so you know, we think scallops are the most underrated of all seafood). They're incredibly lean, but with a sweet, meaty taste that makes them feel indulgent. Plus, they cook effortlessly in about 5 minutes. Given how easy it is, it's one of those healthy fish recipes you're going to want to make over and over again.
Get our recipe for Scallops with Chimichurri.
Spicy Grilled Calamari Salad
This salad has all the trappings of the much-adored appetizer—crunch from the peanuts, tomatoes, a bit of spice—but so much more. We don't want to promise that you'll never go back to the fried stuff after this, but it's a distinct possibility.
Get our recipe for Spicy Grilled Calamari Salad.
Shrimp Lo Mein
Restaurant wok-fried noodle and rice dishes tend to be heavy on starch and oil, with a few token vegetables thrown in for color. Well, we're here to make our own takeout-level version at home! We prefer our lo mein long on produce, short on oil, and rich with the flavors that make Asian cuisine one of the world's best.
Get our recipe for Shrimp Lo Mein.
Blackened Tilapia With Garlic-Lime Butter
Truth be told, the flavored butter here is the icing on the cake in this blackened tilapia recipe; if you have a great fresh piece of fish, just coat it with a bit of blackening spice, follow the cooking instructions, and maybe squeeze a lemon over the top.
Get our recipe for Blackened Tilapia With Garlic-Lime Butter.
Instant Pot Tilapia with Vegetables
Cooking during a busy week can be tough, especially if you're trying to get dinner on the table for two. Which is why the Instant Pot can come in quite handy! If you're looking for a simple low-carb meal that will take under 20 minutes to throw together, this Instant Pot tilapia recipe is exactly what you need.
Get our recipe for Instant Pot Tilapia with Vegetables.
Crispy Cod Recipe with Sweet Potato Fries
This cod recipe, made with sweet potato fries, is made by baking the fish and chips in the oven instead of dipping them into a deep fryer. We promise, after taking a bite into this crispy cod recipe, you won't even miss the deep-fried version. It's by far one of our favorite healthy fish recipes to make!
Get our recipe for Crispy Cod Recipe with Sweet Potato Fries.
Italian Tuna Melt
A toasty tuna melt may not seem like the type of meal to be on a list of healthy fish recipes, but we promise, it's healthy and delicious. Our version replaces the bulk of the mayo with a considerably healthier supporting cast that adds to the flavor without adding extra fat: pesto, lemon juice, olives, and onions. That means you can taste something other than fat when you're eating it and feel something other than fat when you're through.
Get our recipe for Italian Tuna Melt.
Keto Seared Ginger-Cumin Swordfish With Blueberry-Avocado Salsa
If you're new to cooking seafood though, swordfish specifically is a great meal to start with. It's one of the meatiest fish around, so it's typically treated like a steak, cooked on a grill or skewered on sticks. This seared swordfish recipe is simple and can be handled either way. Here, we suggest a grill pan for an indoor range, but you can just as easily do this on an outdoor grill, too.
Get our recipe for Keto Seared Ginger-Cumin Swordfish With Blueberry-Avocado Salsa.
Seared Ahi Tuna in a Ginger-Scallion Sauce
As much as we love ahi tuna for its profusion of lean protein and heart-strengthening, brain-boosting omega-3 fatty acids, what we love most about this particular fish is the fact that even a kitchen neophyte can cook it perfectly in less than 5 minutes.
Get our recipe for Seared Ahi Tuna in a Ginger-Scallion Sauce.
Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Salsa Verde
Confusingly enough, both Mexicans and Italians have their own salsa verde, and both are ridiculously good condiments that can be used in a staggering number of dishes. This, the Italian version, is based on parsley, anchovies, capers, and lemon juice, a bright herbal punch that pairs especially well with the smoke and char of a grill.
Get our recipe for Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Salsa Verde.
Southern-Style Shrimp and Grits
We spike sautéed shrimp with scallions, cayenne, and crispy hunks of kielbasa all over quick-cooking grits to keep the calories, amazingly enough, below 400. Compare this shrimp and grits recipe to one you'd order at a seafood restaurant, and you're definitely saving hundreds of calories and drastically lowering the sodium. Also, don't miss our list of the 50 best vintage Southern recipes.
Get our recipe for Southern-Style Shrimp and Grits.
Clam Chowder
In this healthy version of the well-loved and classic soup, we chose to employ milk instead of cream, which makes for a light, clean, low-calorie alternative that won't sit in your stomach all afternoon. But don't get us wrong—we're willing to skimp on cream, but there are some ingredients that make a given dish what it is, and should not be removed for any reason. And in our healthy clam chowder, there is one item we won't compromise on: Bacon. (Check out our list of the best bacon brands to buy!)
Get our recipe for Clam Chowder.
Asian-Inspired Tuna Burger With Wasabi Mayo
A firm, meaty fish like tuna is prime picking for the burger treatment, and we love making tuna burgers for a protein-packed meal. All it takes is a quick pulse in the food processor or even just a bit of fine chopping.
Get our recipe for Asian-Inspired Tuna Burger With Wasabi Mayo.
Shrimp Fra Diavolo
Restaurants feel the use of a lean protein like shrimp entitles them to the use of egregious quantities of butter, cream, and cheese, all but drowning out any chance of actually tasting the seafood in question. Instead, we turn to a Little Italy favorite: spicy Shrimp Fra Diavolo, made from little more than crushed tomatoes, white wine, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Indulgence with fewer calories sounds much tastier, doesn't it?
Get our recipe for Shrimp Fra Diavolo.
Miso-Glazed Scallops
Pureed fermented soybeans might not sound like good eats, but miso is one of the culinary world's greatest flavor enhancers. The credit goes to miso's huge dose of umami that it contributes to soups, dressings, and marinades. You'll find a variety of miso pastes in the refrigerator section of upscale grocers such as Whole Foods.
Get our recipe for Miso-Glazed Scallops.
French-Inspired Tuna Nicoise
Tucked within the leaves are vitamin-dense green beans, lycopene-loaded cherry tomatoes, and omega-3-packed tuna, providing a perfect balance of protein, fiber, and healthy fat in this tuna Nicoise recipe.
Get our recipe for French-Inspired Tuna Nicoise.
Oven-Baked Fish With Herbed Breadcrumbs
This oven-baked fish is still butter-laced, but with a breadcrumb topping that gives you the satisfying crunch and richness of deep-fried food without ruining the inherent flavor—or nutrition—of the fish itself, plus it cuts the calories by more than half.
Get our recipe for Oven-Baked Fish With Herbed Breadcrumbs.
Linguine with Clams
The inimitable combination of briny bivalve and slick noodle is one of our favorites in a classic linguine with clams dish, but the problem is, most versions are so short on clams, you need flippers and a scuba tank to find them. Our bowl of linguine with clams recipe is more clam than pasta, which also gives it a tastier and healthier ratio.
Get our recipe for Linguine with Clams.
Scrambled Eggs With Salmon, Asparagus, and Goat Cheese
This healthy scrambled eggs recipe has all the makings of hearty breakfast fare—butter, cheese, protein—but with healthy fats, fresh vegetables, and a light caloric toll. Serve it with a scoop of roasted potatoes and fresh fruit.
Get our recipe for Scrambled Eggs With Salmon, Asparagus, and Goat Cheese.
Oven-Roasted Shrimp Cocktail
In our version, we cut back on the salt by making a fiery homemade cocktail sauce and improve matters with the shrimp by skipping the pre-cooked store-bought kind (most of which are pretty disappointing tasting) in favor of quickly oven-roasting fresh crustaceans tossed in Old Bay seasoning.
Get our recipe for Oven-Roasted Shrimp Cocktail.
Tuna Veggie Melts
This particular tuna veggie melts recipe can help cut the calories of a regular tuna sandwich. Instead of using two slices of bread for the melt, save the calories from those carbohydrates and keep the sandwich open-faced.
Get our recipe for Tuna Veggie Melts.
Crab Cakes With Mango-Avocado Salsa
Forget splurging for a fried restaurant version when you can make this one right at home thanks to one of our easiest healthy fish recipes for weight loss!
Get our recipe for Crab Cakes With Mango-Avocado Salsa.
Honey-Mustard Glazed Salmon With Roasted Asparagus
Many Americans view fresh fish as restaurant fare, food best left to professionals to skillfully prepare. But when you leave the fish cooking to "professionals" at places like Outback, Friday's, and Applebee's, your hopes of a healthy dinner may be sunk. Why blow the cash and the heavy caloric toll on a meal you can prepare at home in less time than it takes to order out?
Get our recipe for Honey-Mustard Glazed Salmon With Roasted Asparagus.
Crispy Coconut Shrimp
When anything is entombed in a deep-fried coconut cocoon, all bets for a lean meal are off. In our coconut shrimp recipe, we free you (and the crustaceans) from the fry job, but not from the crunchy coconut coating that makes this dish a mainstay on so many American restaurant menus.
Get our recipe for Crispy Coconut Shrimp.
Jambalaya
No dish, though, is more famous than jambalaya, the rice-based hodgepodge of meat, seafood, and vegetables, not unlike the Spanish paella. By decreasing the rice ratio (or even swapping out with quinoa for a gluten-free alternative) and increasing the produce and protein, this jambalaya recipe cuts the calories and carbs dramatically.
Get our recipe for Jambalaya.
Sea Bass Packet
Why more people don't cook food in packets is one of the culinary world's great mysteries. Not only is it one of the healthiest, easiest ways to cook fish, chicken, and vegetables, but the abundance of flavorful steam trapped inside the packet means your food will still be delicious, even if you overcook it.
Get our recipe for Sea Bass Packet.
Chili-Glazed Salmon
This is the type of recipe that converts fish skeptics into bona fide believers, and all it takes is a glaze that you can whip up in a few minutes. The fattiness of salmon pairs perfectly with assertive spicy and sweet flavors, and this recipe has both. Round this meal out with roasted broccoli (it can roast in the same oven as the salmon) and a side of couscous.
Get our recipe for Chili-Glazed Salmon.
Crisp Cornmeal Catfish With Corn Salsa
Once food is battered and fried, doesn't it all start to taste the same? This catfish recipe mimics the satisfying crunch of a fried fillet and the corn salsa provides more flavor than you'd ever find in a coat of soybean oil. Plus, check out the benefits you'll get from including corn.
Get our recipe for Crisp Cornmeal Catfish With Corn Salsa.
Shrimp Taco with Pickled Onions
Are you looking to make a twist to your usual Taco Tuesday? Switch up the usual ground beef taco combinations and try making a different type of fish taco with this shrimp taco recipe instead! You can make this entire meal in less than 30 minutes, with the cook time only taking you about five or 10 minutes!
Get our recipe for Shrimp Taco with Pickled Onions.
Moroccan-Inspired Quinoa Pilaf and Salmon
This sweet and savory combination of spices could be rubbed on chicken or pork, but it takes especially well to the (healthy) fattiness of the salmon. The quinoa pilaf is a healthy, complex, and textured grain that gives this recipe a hearty, filling feel, too. It might become your new favorite salmon pairing!
Get our recipe for Moroccan-Inspired Quinoa Pilaf and Salmon.
Mussels in White Wine
Packed with protein, omega-3s, and a cache of energy-boosting B vitamins, shellfish make an ideal way to start a meal, or simply add a salad to the side, and you can call it a full meal for dinner. So next time you're in the mood for mussels, make your own at home with one of our favorite healthy fish recipes for weight loss.
Get our recipe for Mussels in White Wine.
Cioppino
This is a very fast, very delicious cioppino recipe, combining a full roster of nutritional superstars: tomatoes, garlic, wine, herbs, and lots of fresh seafood. Cioppino is great for a dinner party!
Get our recipe for Cioppino.
Shrimp and Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon
The word "spinach" creates a health halo for cooks and diners alike. People think that because the base of a salad is made with a superfood, the rest of the salad can be filled with whatever troubling toppings they like. That's how we end up with dozens of 1,000-calorie spinach salads at chain restaurants. This rendition of the shrimp and spinach salad with warm bacon smashes the halo to pieces to give you a seriously healthy salad.
Get our recipe for Shrimp and Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon.
Cranberry Mustard Mini Tuna Melts
Looking for some healthy fish recipes you can meal prep? This tuna melt recipe is one of a kind, simply by the way it is made. Similar to an open-faced tuna melt, these tuna melts have a bread base with a cheesy, tuna salad filling on top. Plus, assembling them is much easier than you think.
Get our recipe for Cranberry Mustard Mini Tuna Melts.
Shrimp Scampi With Linguine Pasta
Usually, this dish is served with pasta. But if you don't want it, this recipe is delicious on its own! You could always make this shrimp scampi recipe with some roasted vegetables. Also, that shrimp scampi sauce is so delectable, a fresh loaf of crusty bread would be perfect for dipping!
Get our recipe for Shrimp Scampi With Linguine Pasta.
Roasted Salmon with Lentils
This dish, a bistro classic, is a testament to its greatness. While the salmon roasts away in the oven, the lentils are simmered into tender submission. Separately, each makes for fine eating, but together they merge into something truly special.
Get our recipe for Roasted Salmon with Lentils.
French Bistro-Inspired Sole Meunière
Deadly simple but intensely satisfying, this French bistro classic ranks as one of the great dishes of the world—especially when made with the freshest fish possible. Sole Meunière is extremely tough to come by in most parts of America, and it's known to inflict damage to the wallet, so we recommend trying this with flounder, which is widely available at about half the price. The French might not approve, but it will be our little secret.
Get our recipe for French Bistro-Inspired Sole Meunière.
Spanish Garlic Shrimp
Shrimp already has a distinct flavor all on its own but by adding these few extra ingredients to it, each bite just gets kicked up a notch, creating a truly mouth-watering meal. You can serve it as an appetizer and everyone will beg you for the recipe at your next dinner party. Or you can even serve it with a scoop of couscous and some roasted asparagus, and you have a magical weeknight dinner that's filling and 100 percent good for you.
Get our recipe for Spanish Garlic Shrimp.
Seared Scallops With White Beans and Spinach
Think of this dish as an easy way to wow at your next dinner party. Plus, it's one of the easiest healthy fish recipes, meaning all of your guests will walk away feeling really good about the dinner they just ate!
Get our recipe for Seared Scallops With White Beans and Spinach.
Grilled Salmon with Ginger Soy Butter
This grilled salmon recipe uses soy butter and ginger to add a tangy taste and keep this superfood, super healthy and tasty too. Plus, you'll save almost 400 calories by being your own chef!
Get our recipe for Grilled Salmon with Ginger Soy Butter.
Smoked Salmon Sandwich
This is a New York classic, minus the bagel. All the great flavors that make this such a satisfying breakfast are still here—the richness of smoked salmon, the bite of onion and capers, the sweetness of tomato—but by ditching the oversize bagel in favor of whole-wheat toast, you save about 200 calories and trade a ton of refined carbs for a boost of fiber.
Get our recipe for Smoked Salmon Sandwich.
Grilled Mahi-Mahi With Red Pepper Sauce
As long as it's fresh, fish doesn't need much to make it delicious, and our simple, spicy African pepper sauce (called harissa) fits the bill for this grilled mahi-mahi dish. With just a few ingredients, it brings big flavor, plus heart-healthy fats and a monster dose of vitamin C, to any grilled protein it touches.
Get our recipe for Grilled Mahi-Mahi With Red Pepper Sauce.
Avocado-Crab Salad
We use cucumber and onion for a nice crunch, chiles for a hint of heat, and a bit of fish or soy sauce for a slick of savory salt. Adding an avocado half makes the perfect vessel for this salad, its rich, creamy texture boosting the sweetness of the crab.
Get our recipe for Avocado-Crab Salad.
Smoked Salmon and Boursin Cheese Frittata
This recipe is not only easy to make and ready in just a few minutes, but it will change up how you make eggs—and healthy fish recipes! With the creative addition of the salmon and Boursin cheese, it allows you to step outside a basic frittata dish.
Get our recipe for Smoked Salmon and Boursin Cheese Frittata.
Bean, Salmon, and Kale Salad
Looking for more healthy fish recipes you can meal prep? Try this Mason jar salad recipe, made with garbanzo beans, salmon, and grapefruit, along with a kale base. This pink and green salad is a nutritional powerhouse.
Get our recipe for Bean, Salmon, and Kale Salad.
Crock-Pot Jambalaya
There's nothing like a steaming, spicy bowl of crock-pot jambalaya to warm you up! While you can make a faster jambalaya recipe, using a slow cooker helps to savor all of the flavors of the jambalaya. Between the sausage, tomatoes, and spicy cajun seasoning, this crock-pot jambalaya recipe is bursting with flavor.
Get our recipe for Crock-Pot Jambalaya.
Keto Butter-Baked Salmon and Asparagus
Salmon and asparagus are always great together grilled, but this baked salmon recipe is even more appropriate for keto diet followers because it adds more delicious fat to the omega-3 fatty acids found naturally in salmon. The hint of lemon in the mayo-based topping is delicious on the asparagus, too.
Get our recipe for Keto Butter-Baked Salmon and Asparagus.
Teriyaki Scallops Wrapped in Bacon
This recipe only has a few ingredients, ones you might not think go well together. But the subtlety of the scallops is the perfect protein to pair with the complex bite of the teriyaki and let's be real, what doesn't taste great wrapped in bacon? A great appetizer for parties, or even a superb main event at dinner paired with a tangy salad.
Get our recipe for Teriyaki Scallops Wrapped in Bacon.
Thai Scallop Curry With Zucchini Noodles & Shiitake Mushrooms
This particular recipe will coax you out of your comfort zone. It's truly as simple as it is delicious, so you can get your curry fix in a hurry—this meal can be ready in less than 30 minutes!
Get our recipe for Thai Scallop Curry With Zucchini Noodles & Shiitake Mushrooms.
Air Fryer Lemon-Pepper Salmon Jerky
Having convenient, good-for-you snacks on hand is a healthy-eating must. One such snack is salmon jerky—a crispy, crunchy, dehydrated version of salmon meat that's high in fat and protein.
Get our recipe for Air Fryer Lemon-Pepper Salmon Jerky.
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50 Best Easy (and Fast) Dinner Recipes
