Pescatarian Meals: 10 Pescatarian Recipes to Try at Home

A pescatarian diet is similar to a vegetarian food regimen in that it excludes all red meat and poultry; however, pescatarianism includes seafood and shellfish, distinguishing it from a vegan or strict vegetarian diet.

Pescatarian recipes are easy to work into your weekly meal plans. Many are quick, easy meals well-suited for beginners and perfect for weeknight dinners due to their minimal meal prep. Here are ten pescatarian recipes from a variety of cuisines, from Greek to Mexican, that you can try for appetizers, a pescatarian dinner, or a quick brunch:

1. 1. Baked halibut: One of the most popular white fish, halibut has a delicate, sweet flavor that pairs equally well with acidic tomato sauce or rich brown butter. Baked halibut cooks in under fifteen minutes and is an easy weeknight dinner.
2. 2. Crispy whole branzino: This fish, also called European sea bass, is sweet, meaty, and full of flavor. Chef Gordon Ramsay serves this recipe for crispy whole branzino with lettuce cups and a Thai dipping sauce.
3. 3. Easy oven-baked salmon en papillote with lemon and herbs: Salmon is often grilled or poached, but for an easy weeknight meal, try a salmon recipe that uses the oven. Oven-baked salmon means less cleanup, less active time at the stove or grill, and less fish smell in your home. For reliably moist salmon, try this recipe for baking your fillets en papillote (French for “in paper”), a technique that involves wrapping fish in a packet of parchment paper (or aluminum foil) on a sheet pan. You can use leftovers to make a salmon salad.
4. 4. Fish tacos: You can use almost any white fish for fish tacos, as long as its flesh is firm enough that it won’t fall apart during frying. These fish tacos pair well with homemade corn tortillas and black beans and are great with a variety of toppings. Try cilantro, scallions or chives, jalapeño peppers, radishes, cabbage slaw, fresh salsa, or slices of avocado.
5. 5. Grilled whole red snapper: Red snapper is delicious when baked, broiled, grilled, poached, or steamed. This grilled whole red snapper recipe is a healthy meal that only requires five ingredients; you can prepare it in thirty minutes.
6. 6. Mediterranean sea bass: This is an easy-to-cook fish that’s simple enough for a weeknight and luxurious enough for a special occasion. This Mediterranean sea bass recipe pairs well with a bowl of marinated kalamata olives, Mediterranean couscous salad, feta cheese marinated in olive oil and spices, or a big salad with Parmesan cheese, capers, tomatoes, peppers, red onion, lentils, chickpeas, zucchini, and quinoa.
7. 7. Pan-roasted monkfish tail: This elegant recipe from Chef Thomas Keller marries monkfish with beurre rouge, a red wine butter sauce. While white wine sauces or a squeeze of lemon juice with extra virgin olive oil and black pepper are more common with seafood, beurre rouge is a beautiful match for this pan-roasted monkfish tail recipe.
8. 8. Quick and easy pan-roasted swordfish: Once overfished, US-caught swordfish is now considered a sustainable seafood option. Thick, dense swordfish steaks are ideal for grilling and pan-roasting, but be careful not to overcook—their low fat content means swordfish easily turns dry. This quick and easy pan-roasted swordfish recipe is a simple, one-pan weeknight dinner option.
9. 9. Shrimp ceviche: Cooking fish ceviche-style uses an acidic marinade, typically citrus like lemon or lime, to “cook” the raw fish. While it’s common to see ceviches featuring white fish like snapper, halibut, sea bass, or tilapia—even scallops—this shrimp ceviche recipe is a textural powerhouse in its own right.
10. 10. Tuna sashimi with ponzu sauce and fennel apple salad: Sashimi can be a light and refreshing appetizer or lunch. This tuna sashimi and fennel apple salad recipe from Chef Wolfgang Puck sets the tone for dinner, with visual appeal and bright flavor.

Become a better chef with the MasterClass Annual Membership. Gain access to exclusive video lessons taught by the world’s best, including Wolfgang Puck, Gabriela Cámara, Chef Thomas Keller, Massimo Bottura, Dominique Ansel, Gordon Ramsay, Yotam Ottolenghi, Alice Waters, and more.