There is something about a good seafood dinner that makes an ordinary evening feel a little less ordinary. Maybe it is the smell of garlic and butter hitting a hot pan, or maybe it is the way seafood instantly brings to mind dockside restaurants, beach vacations, and long meals by the water.
Whatever the reason, these are the kinds of dishes I turn to when I want dinner to feel a little more like an escape. These 19 seafood recipes bring those coastal flavors home without requiring a trip to the shore.
Moqueca Brazilian Fish Stew With Coconut Milk
Fish cooks gently in coconut milk with herbs stirred throughout. The broth is rich enough that nobody leaves any behind. The bowl feels like something worth lingering over while the sun drops lower over the water.
Get the Recipe: Moqueca Brazilian Fish Stew With Coconut Milk
Baked Harissa Salmon
Harissa has a way of making itself known before dinner is ready. The salmon roasts with lemon and spices until the edges begin to darken. Someone usually asks what smells so good before they even walk into the kitchen.
Get the Recipe: Baked Harissa Salmon
Slow Cooker Key West Crab and Lobster Bisque
Waiting is the hardest part of this recipe. Crab and lobster slowly build flavor in the bisque while the slow cooker handles the work. By dinnertime, the whole kitchen smells like seafood worth sitting down for.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Key West Crab and Lobster Bisque
Nordic Fire-Grilled Salmon
Cooking salmon over a live fire changes more than the fish. The smoky crust and charred edges make it hard not to sneak a look before it's done. Someone usually asks if it's ready at least twice.
Get the Recipe: Nordic Fire-Grilled Salmon
Baked Creamy Salmon
The potatoes spend their time soaking up every bit of the creamy garlic sauce while the salmon roasts on top. Everything cooks in one pan, but it feels like more effort than it is. The smell coming from the oven is the kind that makes people wander into the kitchen asking what's for dinner.
Get the Recipe: Baked Creamy Salmon
Seafood Chowder
Homemade seafood stock gives this chowder depth from the very first spoonful. It is packed with seafood without feeling heavy. A bowl of it feels right after a day spent watching waves roll in.
Get the Recipe: Seafood Chowder
Moroccan Salmon with Peppers
Salmon simmers in a tomato sauce filled with peppers, garlic, and spices. The fish stays tender while the sauce does most of the work. Someone always ends up wiping the plate clean with a piece of bread.
Get the Recipe: Moroccan Salmon with Peppers
Peach Salmon Skewers With Peach Jalapeno Crema
I never think twice about pairing salmon with peaches once grilling season starts. The peaches pick up a little char beside the fish, and the peach jalapeno crema adds just enough heat to keep things balanced. I would happily eat these at a picnic table with the sound of water somewhere nearby.
Get the Recipe: Peach Salmon Skewers With Peach Jalapeno Crema
Classic White Fish In White Wine Sauce
White fish cooks gently in a buttery wine sauce that settles around the plate. It is simple in the way many fish dinners near the water are simple. A piece of bread usually ends up chasing the last bit of sauce.
Get the Recipe: Classic White Fish In White Wine Sauce
Grilled Mahi Mahi
The grill gives the fish a little smoke while charred lemons wait on the side. The fish stays light and flaky all the way through. It is easy to picture this arriving at a table with boats bobbing in the distance.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Mahi Mahi
Lemon Air Fryer Salmon
Crisp edges, flaky salmon, and plenty of lemon make this one hard to overthink. The air fryer keeps things quick without sacrificing texture. It has the same fresh feeling as dinner eaten outside on a warm evening.
Get the Recipe: Lemon Air Fryer Salmon
Colombian Whole Fried Mojarra Frita (Option with Tilapia)
The skin fries up crisp while the fish stays juicy underneath. A squeeze of lime over the top is all it really needs. This is the kind of meal that shows up all along the Colombian coast for good reason.
Get the Recipe: Colombian Whole Fried Mojarra Frita (Option with Tilapia)
Baked Oat-Crusted Cod Fillets
I like that the oat coating stays crisp without taking attention away from the cod itself. It bakes up golden while the fish stays flaky underneath. With a simple salad on the side, this is the kind of dinner I want on a warm evening when nobody is in a hurry.
Get the Recipe: Baked Oat-Crusted Cod Fillets
Moroccan Salmon Sheet Pan Dinner
Salmon roasts with cauliflower, olives, lemon, and spices until everything shares the same pan juices. Every forkful tastes a little different from the one before. It feels like the kind of dinner served after a long walk near the water when nobody wants anything complicated.
Get the Recipe: Moroccan Salmon Sheet Pan Dinner
Spicy Moroccan Fish Stew
Not every fish dinner needs a fillet sitting neatly in the middle of the plate. Here, fish simmers with chickpeas, tomatoes, and spices until everything settles into the same pot. It feels closer to the kind of cooking that happens near working boats than vacation postcards.
Get the Recipe: Spicy Moroccan Fish Stew
Lemon Salmon Orzo Skillet
One-pan dinners rarely leave much to complain about. Here, salmon cooks alongside orzo, and the pasta soaks up all the lemony juices. The pan tends to come back to the kitchen nearly empty.
Get the Recipe: Lemon Salmon Orzo Skillet
Pan-Fried Sockeye Salmon Recipe
A hot pan gives the salmon a crisp crust while keeping the inside tender. It comes together quickly but still gets people's attention when it hits the table. Lemon wedges disappear fast once dinner starts.
Get the Recipe: Pan-Fried Sockeye Salmon Recipe
Deep-fried Pickerel Fillets
The coating turns crisp and golden while the fish stays flaky inside. There is nothing fancy here, and that is part of the appeal. The platter tends to empty while people are still reaching for seconds.
Get the Recipe: Deep-fried Pickerel Fillets
Garlic Tomato Shrimp Scampi Without Wine
Shrimp pasta has a way of disappearing faster than expected. Tomatoes and garlic cook down into a sauce that clings to every ribbon of pappardelle. I usually catch someone sneaking a forkful before dinner is officially served.
Get the Recipe: Garlic Tomato Shrimp Scampi Without Wine
Clear off the table, put some music on, and go find out which one of these tastes exactly like summer by the water.
