Whether you’re in the midst of a pantry challenge or want to stock up on fish and other seafood when it’s on sale, having a repertoire of go-to fish recipes is essential to making the most of great deals and a good catch.
Jump to:
We’re coming up on a season when fish becomes more affordable. Between Valentine’s Day, Lenten observations, and March’s frozen food month, grocery stores will soon be offering shrimp, salmon, and other fish for great prices, often under $5 a pound. When you can, stock up on sustainable, wild-caught fish and shellfish to stretch your dollar and enjoy a healthy protein.
What seafood is good to buy?
If you’re curious about which fish are the best to buy in terms of safety and sustainability, you can download a regional seafood guide from the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The market of ocean-friendly fish can vary depending on where you live.
I love it that my favorite, wild Alaskan salmon is on the best choice list for my region. It’s one of my favorites.
How should you store seafood?
You know how they say fish and houseguests need to go at the three day mark? Yeah, that’s true. Fish doesn’t stay good for very long.
Use fresh raw fish or shrimp within a day or two of purchasing. Cooked fish is good for 3 to 4 days, refrigerated. If you can’t use or cook it right away, be sure to freeze it, tightly wrapped in moisture- and vaporproof wrappings.
Use frozen seafood within six months. You have some wiggle room—frozen food is good forever when stored properly, but taste and texture can get funny if left too long.
Use home canned fish within a year; commercial is good for five. Nope, canned foods don’t last forever.
Consult the USDA food storage guidelines for more details.
Serving suggestions
There’s no reason to be intimidated by cooking fish. It’s quick and easy to prepare and goes with any number of flavor pairings.
Seasonings for seafood:
One of the beauties of cooking fish and shrimp is that they don’t need to be heavily seasoned.
- Season with some Cajun Spice Blend and grill.
- Coat in breadcrumbs and fry in butter.
- Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Homemade Seasoned Salt.
Be sure to serve lemon wedges with the fish for a little tart contrast.
Side dishes for fish and shrimp:
Seafood is delicious served with any kind of potato, rice, or noodle as well as any variety of vegetables and salads, including coleslaw.
Toppings for seafood:
Often fish and shrimp are served with any of the following toppings:
- lemon wedges or malt vinegar
- tartar sauce – try this Remoulade Tartar Sauce for a kick
- cocktail sauce
- Herb Butter for Fish or Chicken – a pat melts into an instant sauce
Looking for what to make with seafood? Scroll down for our favorite recipes:
Easy and Affordable Fish & Shrimp Recipes
Fish Taco Salad
Fish Tacos are a delicious dinner. Wanna know what to do with the leftovers? Make a Fish Taco Salad! This is a great lunch or a lighter dinner meal. And you probably won’t want to wait around for leftovers. Just make it, just ’cause.
Easy Fish & Shrimp Foil Packets
Take Hobo Dinners to a whole new level! These Easy Fish & Shrimp Foil Packets come together super easy for a quick and delicious supper.
Warm & Spicy Fish Rub Recipe
Enjoy the ease and out-of-this-world taste of home cooked fish when you use this simple warm and spicy fish rub for seasoning.
Herb Butter for Fish or Chicken
Want to make chicken and fish dinners quick and easy? Mix up a batch of herb butter to keep in the freezer. It creates an instant, delicious sauce.
Baked Salmon in Foil Makes for a Super Easy Dinner
Baked Salmon in Foil comes together in minutes, tastes delicious, and reheats well, making it a practically perfect way to add more fish to your diet.
Tuna Macaroni Salad
Enjoy this Tuna Macaroni Salad as a cool main dish this summer or as a substantial side dish at your next barbecue. It packs super well for lunch on the go.
Tuna Pita Pockets
Make brown-bagging it tasty and economical with these delicious Tuna Pita Pockets with Cucumber. Canned tuna never tasted so good.
Buffalo Tuna Melt Sandwich - Ultimate Mom Food
Looking for some ultimate mom food to make sure you eat well every day? Try this Buffalo Tuna Melt Sandwich — so delicious and packed with flavor!
The Great Tuna Salad Debate
When I was growing up, tuna salad sandwiches were some of my favorites. My mom mixed up a delicious concoction to serve on wheat, rye or pita breads, usually topped with alfalfa sprouts. I think you'll love this version of a classic.
These Easy Tuna Melt Sandwiches are the Best Comfort Food
This recipe for an Easy Tuna Melt Sandwich will be a lifesaver on busy evenings. It’s quick and easy. Enjoy fish without much hassle at all.
Pan Bagnat - Delicious & Budget-friendly
Enjoy the flavors of the Mediterranean and low cost ingredients in the classic Pan Bagnat. Simple to make, it’s a perfect tuna sandwich.
Nicoise Salad Wraps
Take an old French classic and tweak it with these Nicoise Salad Wraps. Filled with tuna, egg, and vegetables but serve in a wrap, the traditional salad feels new again.
Salade Nicoise Recipe
Salade Nicoise is one of the traditional French salads, composed rather than tossed, and featuring fresh vegetables, tiny salty black olives, and tuna.
Shrimp on the Barbie (15-minute grilled shrimp dinner!)
Ready for something awesome to come off the grill? This shrimp on the barbie is an easy and quick grilled shrimp recipe for summer.
Shrimp Stir Fry with Vegetables
Enjoy a quick and easy supper packed with protein and good-for-you veggies. This Shrimp Stir Fry with Vegetables is absolutely delicious!
Shrimp Bowls with Mango and Avocado
Enjoy a quick and delicious lunch or dinner with these Shrimp Bowls topped with Mango and Avocado. So easy and so yummy!
Shrimp Pasta with Sausage
Stir up a pot of comfort with this Shrimp Pasta with Sausage. It gets an added kick from a homemade Cajun seasoning mix and costs much, much less than the restaurant version.
Shrimp Pasta with Garlic Cream Sauce
Enjoy a special, elegant pasta dinner with this easy Shrimp with Garlic Cream Sauce. It comes together quickly and costs less than a restaurant meal for one.
Pesto Shrimp Linguine Salad
Pesto Shrimp Linguine Salad is super easy and quick to assemble. It’s packed with flavor thanks to pesto, sundried tomatoes, and black olives.
Grilled Shrimp Tacos
Grilled Shrimp Tacos are super easy to prepare and packed with flavor. Make a few freezer meal kits of spice and seafood, and you can enjoy these tacos at the drop of a hat.
Cilantro Lime Shrimp Pasta - Quick and Easy
Looking for a quick and easy pasta dish full of flavor? Look no further than this Cilantro Lime Shrimp Pasta that comes together in just 20 minutes.
This post was originally published January 26, 2012. It has been updated for content and clarity.
lisa s
Something I never really thought to do much until we vacay’ed in Croatia was to use fish in soup. We ate our weight in fish soup while there. And then ate more seafood on top of that.
We will use shrimp or chopped white fish uncooked and toss the cubes into a stock with whatever else we are feeling. When I use salmon, it is usually leftover cooked fish and I flake it into more of a chowder base with mixed veggies, sometimes with gnocchi, sometimes potatoes. This is also how I use the mini salad shrimp sometimes.
I also use the cubes of uncooked white fish in curry dishes in place of chicken. So good!
Jessica Fisher
Excellent suggestion! I like to do this with leftovers.
Stacy
That was a really long run-on sentence. 🙂
Stacy
Where do you see the best deals on fish and seafood? Also, do you know how long you can keep it frozen so that it will still be good? I wanted to make a Louisiana shrimp boil recipe last summer, but when I checked into buying shrimp it was ridiculously expensive. My favorite fish is wild salmon, and I buy small pieces at Trader Joe’s for the three of us to share, and I supplement with other things. It’s pretty pricey per pound, but it’s so good for you, so I buy less than a pound.
Jessica
@Stacy, I have bought it at Costco and Trader Joe’s. Ralphs (Kroger) often has good prices during Lent.
Stacy
@Jessica, I’ll look more carefully at Costco. I did some reading on farm-raised fish, and a lot of it is not good for you. When it came down to it, it seemed like wild salmon was usually pretty healthy in terms of mercury and bacteria.
Jessica
@Stacy, yes, I think you’re right. I only buy wild Alaskan salmon.
Steph
We just made salmon into a “fancy” tuna cassarole yesterday. Love fish!!
christy
We have a lot in our freezer so I am anxious to try some of this. I loved the idea from Tracy to bread with panko and fry. My kids love anything breaded with panko!
Sara
Some fish/seafood, like trout and scallops, you do want to buy farmed (not wild caught)- this according to the Montery Bay Aquarium’s pocket guides you’re referenced here. I’ve used their pocket guide for several years and love having it in my wallet to consult when I see seafood on sale! Thanks for the post!
Jessica
@Sara, thanks for pointing that out. I guess you can tell I only know my own favorites.
tracy
I made fish last night for dinner. I had two packages of sole that I fried in panko and the kids loved it. I was sure there would be left overs because my husband does not eat fish and there was a big casserole dish full, but nope the four kids ate every last fillet. I have salmon in the freezer so I think I will tackle that with one of your recipes.
Jessica
@tracy, love salmon!
teresa
all of these recipes for fish sound delicious. thanks!