10 Fun Fish Recipes For Summer Festivities

While fish recipes are good year round, there is something about chowing down on a fishy meal that just feels like summer. Perhaps the idea of fish reminds you of fishing poles cast into flowing waters on a hot summer day, or maybe it reminds you of a tropical heaven. There are all sorts of fun fish recipes out there, so try some of these to give your summer what it’s been missing!

1. Chili Fish

This is a pretty quick and easy fun fish dish to whip up, and it tastes great. You get to pick a thick fish fillet of whatever fish you prefer and create a thick sauce for fantastic flavor. The ingredients list includes bell peppers, onions, chili sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, ginger paste, green chilis, lime juice, chicken stock, and corn flour, making this fish recipe into a saucy dream.

To prepare, marinate the cubed fish filet in chili sauce, dark and light soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, salt, ginger paste, and lime juice. While this sets, fry chopped green chilis in oil, then add diced bell pepper and onion petals, stir frying for about a minute total. Pour in the fish and marinade and fry while stirring for several minutes, then add chicken stock and cook a few minutes more. Next, add corn flour and more chicken stock, cooking and stirring until sauce thickens. Remove from heat and top with fresh chopped green chilis and bell peppers. Serve over rice or noodles.

Get the full recipe at Sify Bawarchi 

2. Fish Veracruz

Originating in the coastal state of Veracruz, Mexico, this fish recipe is simple, but good. The star is a thick slice of whichever fish you choose, though the recipe does recommend a white meat fish like cod. The thick salsa-like sauce is a combination of onion, garlic, tomatoes, Serrano chilis, green olives, capers, Mexican oregano, marjoram, a bay leaf, and cilantro. The resulting fish steak coated with a thick flavorful juicy sauce will make you melt with sheer pleasure once you taste it.

To make this fish recipe, begin by sautéing diced onion and minced garlic, then add tomatoes, chili, olives, capers, oregano, marjoram and a bay leaf. Cook to thicken, evaporating the liquid and heightening the flavors, then set aside. For the fish, thoroughly dry both steak sides with paper towels, then salt and pepper both sides. Meanwhile, heat a skillet on the stove, add a splash of oil, and fry the fish until the edges brown and it no longer sticks, repeating on the other side. Once cooked, serve on a plate topped with the sauce, fresh cilantro, and lime slices.

Get the full recipe at No Recipes 

3. Fish in Crazy Water

Yes, you read that right. Crazy water. This Italian fish recipe gets its name from the crazy flavors in the sauce that forms when you cook the fish. The recipe recommends using tilapia or cod for this crazy good concoction. The “water” is made of oil, fresh thyme, tomato paste, diced fire-roasted tomatoes, white wine, and red pepper flakes. The finished product is placed on a bed of spaghetti or linguini, in Italian fashion, and sprinkled with lemon juice.

Begin by making the noodle base as usual, then set aside. In a Dutch oven or skillet, saute minced garlic and thyme in oil, then add tomato paste, diced tomatoes in juice, water, wine, and red pepper flakes. Stir and simmer until sauce thickens, then add the fish, spooning the mixture to cover the fish. Simmer for several minutes, then flip fish to cook evenly. When fish flakes apart, it is ready to serve on top of pasta with sauce and a little lemon juice squeezed on the fish. 

Get the full recipe at Cook Smarts 

4. Fish and Rice Mayonnaise

I know it sounds weird, but seriously consider giving this fish recipe a shot. This dish is best served cold, which makes it great for those hot summer days. The recipe recommends using pomfrets, which are flat bodied tropical fish, but striped bass or mahi-mahi can be substituted for this fish if you cannot  find it. The rice contains boiled shrimp and French dressing, and the fish is flavored with a curry made of onion, garlic, curry powder, ketchup, apricot jam, and mayonnaise. The layered chilled result reminds you of an open cooked sushi roll.

To make, poach fish in butter, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, then cool, drain, and set aside. Saute onion and garlic in oil, then add curry powder, ketchup, and water and simmer for some time. Then add apricot jam, boil for a minute, strain and cool, keeping the juice. Mix in mayonnaise and set aside. Next, boil rice, drain, and add peeled boiled shrimp, salt, pepper, and French dressing. In a serving dish, layer rice, then fish, then coat with curry sauce and garnish with olives and lemon slices.

Get the full recipe at Sify Bawarchi 

5. Mediterranean Fish Stew

Think fishy tomato soup with a spin. This fish recipe is really good and full of all sorts of great stuff. The fish in this recipe is cod, and there are also prawns in it, which are similar to shrimp. The stew is a blend of fennel, zucchini, ginger, onion, peeled whole tomatoes, fennel seeds, sea salt, coriander, cayenne pepper, and coconut milk. In other words, this recipe is savory fishy goodness.

For this fish recipe, begin by sautéing the fennel in oil, then add ginger and zucchini, saute more, and set aside. Puree the onion until smooth, then saute in coconut oil until browned. While the onions are sautéing, add tomatoes, fennel seeds, salt, coriander, and cayenne pepper to a food processor and chop. Once onions are cooked, add tomato mixture, cover, and cook for a few minutes. Then add coconut milk, seafood, and sauted vegies, simmering until seafood is cooked. Then serve and eat!

Get the full recipe at Country Grocer 

6. Gingery Fish Kabobs

What says summer more than cooking on the grill? Though the prep work for this fish recipe occurs indoors, the cooking happens outside on the grill. The recipe recommends salmon, tuna, or halibut, or a combination of any of these fish for the kabobs. Pineapple chunks and onion wedges accompany the fish on their skewers, and the marinade the fish soaks in is a mixture of pineapple juice, corn starch, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and ginger. Get that grill cleaned and get ready for a cookout extravaganza!

Begin this dish by dissolving corn starch in pineapple juice, then adding soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and ginger. Simmer until thickened, cool, add fish chunks and pineapple chunks, and refrigerate for a half hour. Then, skewer fish, pineapple, and onion and grill until fish is cooked to desired consistency. Serve with rice and warm marinade to drizzle over cooked kabobs. 

Get the full recipe at All Recipes 

7. Fish and Mish

Originating in Sudan, mish is a traditional Sudanese-style yogurt that is served with most meals. So this fish recipe is fish and yogurt, but better than it sounds and with more than just fish and yogurt in the mix. The recipe does not specify which fish to use, so use your favorite! It is flavored with onion, lemon, tomato paste, tomatoes, dried apricot sheets, coriander, paprika, garlic paste, and cumin. The red chili sauce that tops the fish consists of chili powder, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, and cumin. Lastly, the mish is a blend of labneh (a yogurt similar to Greek yogurt), black cumin seeds, sheep cheese, and fresh whole green chilis. How good do those flavor combinations sound?!

To make the red chili sauce, mix chili powder, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, pepper, and cumin together in a jar and set aside. For the mish, combine the labneh, sheep cheese, cumin seeds, and green chilis in a bowl and refrigerate several days before preparing this fish recipe so the flavors can combine. Lastly, for the fish, rehydrate a dried apricot sheet in some water and set aside. Caramelize onion in oil, then add tomatoes, rice, and tomato paste. Next, add the apricot sheet and water and season with salt, pepper, coriander, and paprika, then simmer until rice is half cooked. Cut fish into cubes, season with salt, pepper, garlic, and lemon; lay in baking dish close together; pour tomato rice mixture on top, and bake for just under an hour. Layer on plate fish, then chili sauce, then mish.

Get the full recipe at Food 52 

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8. Lime Fish Tacos

You seriously cannot have a fun fish recipes list without fish tacos. This fish recipe recommends using red snapper or orange roughy fish fillets. The fish is flavored with garlic butter and lime juice while it cooks. The finished tacos are topped with dollops of a combination of sour cream, mayonnaise, hot pepper sauce, and lime juice. Once your favorite taco toppings like lettuce and tomato are added, you will barely be able to wait to dig in to these yummy treats.

Begin making this fish recipe by skinning and cubing the fish and setting it aside. In a pan, saute garlic in butter and lime juice, then add fish cubes and cook until fish flakes. In a bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, hot pepper sauce, and lime juice. In tortillas, layer fish, then lettuce, tomato, and sour cream sauce. Add additional toppings if you choose.

Get the full recipe at Taste of Home 

9. Peruvian Fish Ceviche

This is a truly genius fish recipe that is also quite delicious. The acidic sauce of this dish actually cooks the fish, no heat required. The recipe suggests light fish like flounder. The sauce that cooks the fish, called leche de tigre sauce, is a combination of fresh lime juice, garlic, fresh cilantro, habanero chili, onion, and fish juice or clam juice. The ceviche, which is cooked in the sauce, consists flounder, onion, and habanero chili. The spicy saucy fish is typically served cold with cooked sweet potato cubes on the side.

To prepare the leche de tigre sauce, puree lime juice, garlic, cilantro, habanero pepper, onion, and ice cubes until smooth. Then, add fish juice or clam juice, stir well, place in a covered bowl, and refrigerate. Next, boil a sweet potato until soft, then cube or scoop with melon baller and set aside. Cube the fish, then add to the leche de tigre sauce along with diced habanero peppers and salt, stir well, and refrigerate a few minutes until fish turns white. Serve over lettuce or in a bowl, garnish with cilantro, and serve sweet potato cubes on the side.

Get the full recipe at Wiki How 

10. Greek Oven Baked Fish

If you are looking for a great fish recipe that requires minimal prep work and mostly time in the oven, this is that fish recipe. Purchase your favorite white fish fillets like snapper or cod for this one. The fish is flavored with onion, garlic, paprika, oregano, cinnamon, tomatoes, tomato paste, red or white wine (you pick!), basil, and honey. These are layered with the fish and baked, resulting in an easy meal that speaks to your taste buds.

For this fish recipe, start by halving and slicing two onions and cooking them in oil until they begin to change color. Add garlic, cook a few minutes more, then add paprika, oregano, cinnamon, salt, pepper, a can of tomatoes, tomato paste, wine, and honey. Simmer for a while, then add basil. Lay fish in a single layer in a baking dish, then pour sauce on top. Bake until fish is cooked, then serve with bread, rice, or a salad.

Get the full recipe at Scrummy Lane 

Which of these fun fish recipes are you going to try? Have you ever tried any of these fish recipes before? Let me know in the comments below!

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