20 Healthy & Delicious Seafood Recipes You’ll Love to Eat

It’s easy to fall into a chicken and turkey rut, especially when you’re dieting for weight loss and can’t “afford” the calories that come with some of the tastier types of meat.

Enter the unsung hero of animal protein: seafood.

It’s incredibly nutrient dense and generally low in calories, and it’s also a fantastic source of omega-3 fatty acids, which provide a whole host of health benefits.

Just a couple servings of seafood every week can make a difference, and thankfully, there’s a lot more to seafood than fish sticks, tuna salad, and fried filets.

These 20 healthy seafood recipes a proof. They’ll help you make the most of your favorite fish or shellfish.

Enjoy!

Spicy Sriracha Shrimp Rolls

Picture courtesy of Healthy Delicious

Not sure what to serve with shrimp? Prepare it with a spicy tomato sauce, and all you have to do is spoon it into a roll to have a filling meal.

First, cook some onions, and then add crushed tomatoes, vegetable stock, and Sriracha for the sauce. Simmer that for 20 minutes, and then add the shrimp to cook. Serve once they’re no longer pink, and sprinkle with fresh cilantro or parsley.

Serves 8

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. butter

1 small onion, finely diced

1 large can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes with basil

1/2 cup vegetable stock

¼ cup Sriracha

1 1/2 lbs. raw shrimp, tails removed

8 New England-style hot dog rolls, toasted

8 leaves lettuce

Fresh chopped cilantro (optional garnish)

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

Calories: 280

Protein: 25 grams

Carbs: 32 grams

Fat: 5 grams

 

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Linguine with Tuna, Walnuts, Lemons & Herbs

Picture courtesy of Food and Wine

The go-to meat to use in a quick pasta sauce is anything that’s ground, like beef or turkey. And while that’s convenient, it’s actually even easier to replace those proteins with a can of tuna because you won’t have to worry about cooking the meat to the right temperature.

Aside from boiling water for the pasta, the only work is to heat olive oil in a frying pan, cook garlic, and mix in the tuna. Season, and serve.

Serves 6

Ingredients

3/4 cup walnuts, chopped

1 lb. linguine

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 cans (6 oz. each) tuna packed in oil

2 tsp. grated lemon zest (about 2 lemons)

2 tsp. lemon juice

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs (such as parsley, chives, and thyme)

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

Calories: 527

Protein: 28 grams

Carbs: 46 grams

Fat: 27 grams

 

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Broiled Shrimp & Scallops

Picture courtesy of Portside Cuisine

Seafood might seem tricky to cook because it can get rubbery or dry out. But once you give this recipe a try, you’ll realize it’s possible to make a fool-proof dinner of shrimp and scallops.

It couldn’t be easier when you set your oven to broil. Melt butter in a large roasting pan, and stir in white wine and lemon juice. After you coat the seafood in the sauce, it only needs to go in the oven for a few minutes before dinner is served.

Serves 6

Ingredients

¼ cup butter, cut into pieces

1/3 cup dry white wine

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

3 cloves garlic, pressed

Pinch of crushed red pepper

1/2 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 lb. sea scallops (sliced in half if more than 1” thick)

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

5 oz. baby spinach leaves

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

Calories: 228

Protein: 28 grams

Carbs: 8 grams

Fat: 9 grams

 

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Spaghetti Squash Shrimp Scampi

Picture courtesy of Hungry Girl

Compared to whole-wheat noodles, spaghetti squash has a naturally sweet, buttery flavor. That makes it perfect for a shrimp scampi, even if you aren’t concerned about cutting carbs or going gluten-free.

Instead of boiling a pot of water on the stove, halve the spaghetti squash and roast it in the oven. The cooked squash will shred apart into strands like noodles. When it’s almost finished, sauté shrimp in white wine and lemon juice.

Plate them up together, and sprinkle on some Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 spaghetti squash (at least 4 lbs.)

1 cup chopped onion

1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic

2 Tbsp. dry white wine

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

8 oz. (about 16) raw large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

Calories: 308

Protein: 26 grams

Carbs: 31 grams

Fat: 9 grams

 

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Tuna-Stuffed Avocado

Picture courtesy of The Stay at Home Chef

Instead of going through the drive-thru at the nearest burger joint, swing by the grocery store on your lunch break. Making a quick meal at your desk from scratch might sound impossible, but the trick is to get a can of tuna.

Mix it with diced veggies like bell pepper and jalapeno – you can get the pre-cut kind at the store, or bring them prepared from home. Then the only seasoning you need is salt and pepper, plus a splash of lime juice.

Spoon the tuna mix into the middle of a halved avocado, and dig into a meal full of healthy fats that’ll keep away food cravings until dinner.

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 avocados, halved and pitted

3 cans (4.5 oz. each) tuna, drained

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 jalapeno, minced

1 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

Juice of 1 lime

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

Calories: 511

Protein: 31 grams

Carbs: 16 grams

Fat: 37 grams

 

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Hawaiian Tuna Burgers

Picture courtesy of Healthy Helper

If the idea of canned tuna is unappealing, rest assured there are ways to make the convenience food into an unrecognizable – and highly appetizing – dinner, and it doesn’t even take much work.

What you need are some ingredients to complement the fish, plus a preparation method that goes beyond flaking the tuna into a salad.

These burger patties have a mix of sweet and savory flavors with pineapple, ginger, and garlic. A bit of almond meal and an egg binds them together.

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 cans (5 oz. each) solid white albacore tuna

1 Tbsp. Bragg’s liquid aminos (or soy sauce)

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ tsp. ground ginger

¼ tsp. crushed red chili pepper

1 can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple, well drained

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, loosely packed

¼ cup almond flour

1 large egg (or 2 egg whites)

1 tsp. sesame oil

1/2 Tbsp. lime juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

Calories: 152

Protein: 22 grams

Carbs: 9 grams

Fat: 5 grams

 

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Tuna Risotto Pie

Picture courtesy of Chew Town

Tuna casserole sounds like something straight out of the 1950s – and not in a good way. Re-envision this classic weeknight dinner with this risotto pie.

You’ll need a spring-form pan if you want to present it in this mouth-watering way, but this is a no-fuss dinner.

The rice is first to be cooked with onion, garlic, and chicken stock. Then everything gets stirred together, transferred to the pan, and baked. This also freezes well, so you can take the leftovers to work for lunch later on.

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 cup basmati rice

1 3/4 cups chicken stock

3 cans (5 oz. each) tuna packed in oil, flaked

1/2 cup semi-dried tomatoes

8 oz. baby bocconcini (or mozzarella)

1/3 cup (about 1.75 oz.) Parmesan cheese, grated

2 large leaves kale, roughly chopped

3 large eggs

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

Calories: 496

Protein: 36 grams

Carbs: 33 grams

Fat: 23 grams

 

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Shrimp Salad with Grapefruit & Mint

Picture courtesy of New York Times / Mark Bittman

Every summer it doesn’t take long for me to get bored with picnic-style salads made with mayo. But that doesn’t mean avoiding shrimp salad altogether.

This one is packed with Southeastern Asian flavors and plenty of healthy, delicious ingredients like grapefruit, peanuts, and fresh herbs.

When you need an easy-to-follow recipe that’ll liven up your meal plan, look to Mark Bittman’s cookbooks like How to Cook Everything and Fish: The Complete Guide to Buying and Cooking.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 to 1 1/2 lbs. shrimp

Salt to taste

3 Tbsp. fish sauce (or soy sauce)

1 Tbsp. sugar

Juice of 2 limes

6 cups lettuce, washed and dried

2 grapefruit, peeled and sectioned, tough white pith removed, and each section cut in half

¼ cup chopped fresh mint

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Minced chilies or dried red pepper flakes (optional)

1/2 cup chopped dry-roasted peanuts (optional)

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

Calories: 251

Protein: 26 grams

Carbs: 15 grams

Fat: 10 grams

 

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Creamy Seafood Chowder

Picture courtesy of The Healthy Foodie

Even picky eaters who don’t usually chow down on seafood can get into a great chowder. However, that’s often because the rich soup is loaded with heavy cream and butter.

To err on the lighter side, this one actually uses mushrooms to create the rich flavor and cauliflower for the creaminess that you’d expect in a seafood chowder. And with a mix of shrimp, scallops, and baby clams, there’s plenty to love with only 3 grams of fat per serving.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 large head cauliflower, coarsely chopped

2 cups water

2 cups chicken stock

Liquid from scallops, shrimp, and clams

8 oz. mushrooms, sliced

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 orange bell pepper, finely chopped

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 lb. frozen cooked white shrimp, thawed

3/4 lb. frozen bay scallops, thawed

1 can (10 oz.) baby yellow clams, drained and liquid reserved

Few grinds of nutmeg

Few grinds of star anise

Zest and juice of 1 lime, for garnish

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

Calories: 256

Protein: 40 grams

Carbs: 21 grams

Fat: 3 grams

 

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Lemon Pepper Tilapia with Asparagus

Picture courtesy of Perchance to Cook

Although a fillet of fish is easy to pan-fry on the stovetop or bake in the oven, it’s even simpler to prepare when you use a slow cooker and a piece of aluminum foil.

Each portion of fish and asparagus is wrapped in foil with seasoning, lemon juice, and butter. Then fit them all in your slow cooker – stacking the foil packets is ok – and set it to high for a couple hours.

If you are cooking fish from frozen, add an hour.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 bundle asparagus

4 tilapia filets (about 5 oz. each)

1/2 cup lemon juice

Lemon pepper seasoning to taste

4 Tbsp. butter

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

Calories: 332

Protein: 40 grams

Carbs: 8 grams

Fat: 16 grams

 

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Spicy Chipotle Salmon

Picture courtesy of My Columbian Recipes

Fancy restaurant dishes like salmon seem like they should take a lot of effort to make at home, but when you start with quality ingredients, you don’t need much more to make a gourmet meal.

To add some smokiness to this broiled salmon, make a chipotle-honey glaze with orange juice and garlic. This fish entrée is so flavorful, you’ll only need a simple side dish like quinoa or mashed root veggies.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 small chipotle in adobo, seeds removed

2 Tbsp. pure honey

4 Tbsp. orange juice

2 cloves garlic, crushed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

4 salmon fillets (about 1 1/2 lb.), skin removed

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

Calories: 270

Protein: 33 grams

Carbs: 12 grams

Fat: 11 grams

 

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Corn & Crab Soup

Picture courtesy of Indochine Kitchen

Chinese egg drop soup is often served as vegetarian, but that doesn’t mean you can’t add protein. This style of corn chowder is made with crab, which adds depth of flavor and a subtle sweetness to this simple soup

The best part is this is an extremely easy, quick soup to make. Boil water, cook the crab, corn, and asparagus together for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat to add the egg. Then seasonings go in with flour and cornstarch to thicken, and it simmers for just a few minutes before it’s ready to serve.

Serves 4

Ingredients

5 ¼ cups water

2 cans (6 oz. each) lump crab meat

2/3 lb. asparagus, rinsed well and halved

1 can (15 oz.) whole kernel corn

1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

3 Tbsp. tapioca starch

1 Tbsp. sesame oil

2 large eggs, lightly whisked

1/2 tsp. ground white pepper

1/2 tsp. salt

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

Calories: 262

Protein: 20 grams

Carbs: 33 grams

Fat: 14 grams

 

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Mixed Seafood Risotto

Picture courtesy of Girli Chef

When you bring home a bunch of fresh-caught seafood, you’ll want to make a dish that highlights the natural flavor of the fish, shrimp, and mussels. You can bathe it in butter and coat it in seasonings when frozen, but fresh seafood can practically stand alone as a delicious entrée.

In this dish, a mix of seafood is cooked with a creamy risotto that’s ready in a little over a half hour.

Serves 8

Ingredients

8 cups fish broth (or clam juice)

3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

2 small onions, finely diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups Arborio rice

1/2 cup Pernod (or another anise liqueur)

1 lb. white fish

12 oz. uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined

8 oz. mussels

Sea salt and ground white pepper to taste

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh Italian parsley

Lemon wedges, to serve

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

Calories: 351

Protein: 27 grams

Carbs: 42 grams

Fat: 7 grams

 

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Tilapia in Vermouth & Tarragon Sauce

Picture courtesy of Challenge Dairy

One of the best things about eating white fish is how healthy it is – packed with protein, vitamins, and minerals like selenium. But nutrition isn’t the only benefit. Since white fish has a light flavor, it’s a great way to showcase other ingredients.

If you have a well-stocked bar, or just love martinis, reach for a bottle of vermouth next time you’re preparing a lean fish dinner. Since it’s infused with up to 20 kinds of botanicals like elderflower, mugwort, and mulberries, your fish entrée will wind up with a complex, gourmet flavor.

Serves 4

Ingredients

7 Tbsp. spreadable butter with canola oil, divided

¼ cup all-purpose flour

4 tilapia filets (about 1 1/2 lbs.)

6 Tbsp. dry vermouth

2 tsp. finely chopped fresh tarragon

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

Calories: 434

Protein: 45 grams

Carbs: 7 grams

Fat: 23 grams

 

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Caribbean Stewed Fish

Picture courtesy of African Bites

To make amazing fish, you can’t go wrong with a recipe that comes from coastal cultures like the Caribbean. This fish stew starts with an amazing marinade with fresh ginger, white pepper, and thyme. Then the stew has tomatoes, onion, more ginger, more thyme, and bell pepper.

For the real deal, you’ll want a super spicy Scotch bonnet pepper. But if you can’t find one in your grocery store or want to tone down the heat, substitute a couple big pinches of cayenne.

Serves 4

Ingredients

Marinated Fish:

3 lbs. white fish, cleaned, scaled, and cut into steaks (about 1 lb. fish fillets)

1/2 tsp. grated fresh ginger

1/2 tsp. white pepper

1 tsp. minced garlic

1/2 tsp. thyme

1/2 tsp. minced garlic

1/2 tsp. green seasoning (optional)

1/2 tsp. chicken bouillon powder (optional)

1 lemon

Salt to taste

Caribbean Fish Stew:

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. fresh grated ginger

1 tsp. thyme

1 bay leaf

1 Scotch bonnet pepper, pierced

3 medium tomatoes, diced

1 bell pepper, sliced

2 green onions, sliced

Pepper to taste

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

Calories: 247

Protein: 23 grams

Carbs: 36 grams

Fat: 16 grams

 

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Slow Cooker Sausage & Shrimp Gumbo

Picture courtesy of A Dash of Sanity

When a classic recipe requires a lot of ingredients, it can be intimidating. That’s when you should get out your Crock Pot so you don’t have to worry about the prep itself so much as rounding up the seafood, sausage, and other foods you need for a good gumbo.

Shrimp is a classic Cajun ingredient since it’s in abundance in the bayou, but so are other kinds of seafood like crawfish, crab, or catfish – all of which can be added to gumbo too.

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes

1 ¼ cup chicken broth

¼ cup all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

3/4 lb. smoked sausage, sliced

1 lb. shrimp

1 medium onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

2 ribs celery, chopped

2 tsp. dried oregano

2 tsp. dried thyme

1/8 tsp. ground red pepper

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

Calories: 380

Protein: 31 grams

Carbs: 12 grams

Fat: 23 grams

 

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Spelt Farotto with Tuna & Artichokes

Picture courtesy of The Kitchn

Tired of tuna salad? This one-dish wonder will help you use up your stockpile of canned tuna without growing weary of the stuff.

And although it sounds fancy, you can pick up all the ingredients you need at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, or a similar grocer.

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tsp. olive oil

1 1/2 cups spelt

3 cups chicken broth

8 oz. marinated artichoke hearts, chopped

1 can of tuna, packed in oil

Small bunch of flat parsley, chopped

3 oz. shaved Parmesan or pecorino

Salt and pepper to taste

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

Calories: 447

Protein: 32 grams

Carbs: 42 grams

Fat: 16 grams

 

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Grilled Mahi Mahi with Avocado Corn Salsa

Picture courtesy of Laughing Spatula

When you grill fish, you might be wondering what to serve it with besides a salad. Don’t worry about prepping a separate side over the coals. A corn salsa is easy, healthy, and can be made ahead of time.

Altogether, this fresh and flavorful dinner takes less than a half hour to cook and get everything on the table.

Serves 4

Ingredients

Grilled Fish:

4 mahi-mahi filets (about 5 oz. each)

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp. ground cumin

2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Salsa:

2 ears corn, shucked and kernels removed

1 poblano pepper, deseeded and chopped

1 ripe avocado, cubed

1/3 cup chopped purple onion

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. vinegar

1/2 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

Calories: 353

Protein: 29 grams

Carbs: 20 grams

Fat: 19 grams

 

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Crab & Spinach Stuffed Fish Fillets

Picture courtesy of Sumptuous Spoonfuls

What’s better than flaky, tender fish? Stuffing the filet with more seafood.

This recipe has added nutrition from spinach so you’ll feel good about eating it. But it also has crab meat for rich flavor, plus Old Bay seasoning and cracker crumbs for a touch of comfort.

This is perfect for special occasions or when serving dinner for guests, but after you make this recipe once, it’s easy to assemble on a weeknight when you have something to celebrate.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

¼ cup chopped celery

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 can (6 oz.) white crab meat

1 cup frozen spinach

1/2 cup cracker crumbs

1/2 tsp. Old Bay seasoning

1/4 cup light mayonnaise

4 white fish fillets (about 5 oz. each)

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

Calories: 405

Protein: 45 grams

Carbs: 11 grams

Fat: 20 grams

 

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Baked Crab Cakes

Picture courtesy of She Cooks, He Cleans

Crab cakes are hardly anything new, but they’re usually pan-fried in a pool of oil. Delicious as that is, it’s not the kind of thing you can eat on a regular basis – that is, unless you bake them instead.

These retain all the flavor you love but contain an unbelievable 3 grams of fat per crab cake, and they come out to less than 100 calories apiece.

Serves 6

Ingredients

16 oz. wild-caught jumbo lump crab meat

1 large egg, whisked

2 Tbsp. mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro

1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning

Squeeze of lime juice

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

Calories: 93

Protein: 16 grams

Carbs: 1 gram

Fat: 3 grams

 

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What did you think of these healthy seafood recipes? Have anything else to share? Let me know in the comments below!