The arrival of Lent signals a time when many people stop eating meat on Fridays and turn toward seafood. Whether you’re observing tradition in the lead up to Easter or just looking for more easy meals with lean, delicious protein, we’ve got a net full of recipes for Lent that showcase the best of the ocean’s bounty.
Shrimp Linguine Alla Vodka
Doctoring up a jar of store-bought pasta sauce gets you to a classic linguine allla vodka in half the time and with a fraction of the effort. This version is upgraded with plump shrimp, which cook directly in the garlic and red pepper-spiked sauce.
Get the recipe: Shrimp Linguine Alla Vodka
Seared Tuna with Lime Dipping Sauce
A simple ingredient list turns into a special weeknight dinner when you pair freshly seared tuna with steamed rice and a bright, lime-forward dipping sauce. Make sure to move your frozen tuna steaks to the fridge the night before so they’re fully thawed when it’s time to grill.
Get the recipe: Seared Tuna with Lime Dipping Sauce
Fish and Potato Cakes
These kid-friendly fish cakes are delicious on their own, served over salad greens, or piled onto hamburger buns. If you’ve got leftover mashed potatoes, these crisp, lightly breaded patties are a tasty way to use them up. If not, boxed instant mashed potatoes work just as well without tacking on much prep time.
Get the recipe: Fish and Potato Cakes
Baked Salmon with Spicy Lemon Butter
If you think baked salmon is boring, this fiery, five-ingredient recipe is a must-try. A simple lemon-butter sauce kicks up to the next level with tangy green onions and Louisiana-style hot sauce.
Get the recipe: Baked Salmon with Spicy Lemon Butter
Roasted Cod Tacos
Tacos are a tasty, endlessly customizable way to serve seafood to reluctant fish-eaters. Breading and roasting mild-flavored cod on a sheet pan achieves an ultra-crispy exterior with a tender center, and it’s as easy to clean up as it is to cook.
Get the recipe: Roasted Cod Tacos
Crispy Salmon with Asparagus and Potatoes
Salmon’s quick cooking time might lead you to think that easy sheet pan dinners are off the table, but the secret is letting the vegetables cook on their own for a while before you add the fish. The sharp tang of the Dijon mustard helps cut through the richness of the salmon, and gluten-free breadcrumbs make this dish friendly for everyone at your table.
Get the recipe: Crispy Salmon with Asparagus and Potatoes
Flounder Piccata
Flounder is an ideal canvas for strong, punchy flavors, like this riff on a piccata with lemons and capers. Don’t be tempted to skip dredging the filets in flour; that coating helps to develop a golden crust and thicken the sauce in the pan.
Get the recipe: Flounder Piccata
Baked Cod with Miso Butter
This umami-rich cod recipe showcases the delicious complexity of miso paste. Paired with quick-cooking, microwavable quinoa, this flavorful, five-ingredient meal is ready to satisfy in 17 minutes
Get the recipe: Baked Cod with Miso Butter
Scallops with Creamy Lemon Sauce
The flavors of high-end dining meet the convenience of weeknight cooking is this meal starring succulent scallops. A simple lemon-butter sauce and microwave-ready green beans help turn your kitchen into a seafood restaurant in 15 minutes.
Get the recipe: Scallops with Creamy Lemon Sauce
Stewed Cod with Tomatoes and Olives
This recipe uses a smart hack with asparagus to ensure the cod fillets are perfectly cooked every time. Bright Mediterranean flavors, like olives, oregano, and balsamic vinegar, round out this complete meal served over whole wheat spaghetti.
Get the recipe: Stewed Cod with Tomatoes and Olives
Mussels Marinara
Small but mighty mussels are an ideal choice for weeknight meals because they’re quick and easy to prepare, budget-friendly, and they play well with a variety of different flavors. This spin on an Italian classic, mussels marinara, takes a shortcut with store-bought sauce jazzed up with garlic, white wine, and fresh basil.
Get the recipe: Mussels Marinara
Tuna Poke Bowl
No need to book the tickets to Hawaii because quality frozen tuna steaks and a little marinating time are all you need for Instagram-worthy poke bowls at home. The fish “cooks” in a citrus-lime marinade before joining a rainbow of crunchy veggies layered over basmati rice.
Get the recipe: Tuna Poke Bowl
Seafood Ravioli Bisque
Store-bought soups offer a solid starting point for experimentation and adventure, and that’s exactly what we did with simple seafood bisque. Butter-seared shrimp and a package of lobster ravioli elevate this soup to main course-worthy in 25 minutes.
Get the recipe: Seafood Ravioli Bisque
Shrimp Scampi Casserole
We took the flavors of crowd-pleasing shrimp scampi and transformed them into an I-can’t-believe-it’s-that-easy casserole. The shrimp go directly from freezer to oven, ensuring they’re perfectly cooked along with rotini and peas in a creamy sauce.
Get the recipe: Shrimp Scampi Casserole
