If you’re looking for a new way to eat fish, that all the family will love, this Easy Fish Stew is perfect. Delicious and healthy with smokey lime flavours.
This Easy Fish Stew recipe is perfect for ticking the ‘quick’ box, as well as the ‘healthy’ and ‘delicious’. It’s made with creamy coconut milk and has some slightly sweet spices in there too, which will make it a big hit with the kids. The lime gives it a nice fresh zest and it is amazing served on a bed of rice.
Simplicity is the name of the game with this flavour-filled fish dish, and what’s great is you can use any frozen white fish if you like, which keeps costs down while keeping all of the flavour and nutrients.
I always recommend my easy and quick recipes as a midweek meal-win, but the flavours in this recipe do elevate it enough to serve up for guests or even a non-traditional Sunday lunch.
You’ll love this recipe because:
✅ Budget-friendly, zero-faff ingredients
✅ A new fish recipe to your meal plans
✅ Healthy and delicious
FAQs about this Easy Fish Stew Recipe
Is this a Brazilian-inspired Fish Stew?
Yes, it is a bit! This recipe is inspired by Moqueca, a traditional Brazilian seafood dish that is made with either fish or shrimp, flavoured with a base of paprika, tomatoes, peppers and coconut milk, and is usually garnished with coriander and served with rice.
It is my take on this style of dish, from eating at my favourite Brazilian restaurant in London. You can read more about Moqueca here: Olivia’s Cuisine.
How do you make this Fish Stew?
Start by frying off some of the vegetables with olive oil: garlic and onions. Then, add the peppers and flavourings: sweet smoked paprika and a touch of chilli, before putting in your cod, coconut milk and cherry tomatoes. Cook away and then squeeze over the lime and sprinkle spring onions to serve. You can also sprinkle with coriander if you’re that way inclined.
Can I use different kinds of seafood?
Yes, you can use any kind of firm white fish, and as I’ve said, this can also be frozen fish. If you want to add shellfish, you can. Just add at the end of the cooking time and be sure not to overcook it.
Is this dish spicy?
It has a little kick, so omit the chilli if you like, although I find that a small pinch gives just a touch of warmth without offending my children.
Do I need to use frozen fish for this?
I did use frozen white fish to make this (as it’s often cheaper than fresh). If you want to use fresh fish, you may need to just cook it for a few minutes less. I suggest adding the cherry tomatoes after 5 minutes, cooking for a further 5 minutes and as always, be sure it’s cooked through before serving.
Fancy more easy fish recipes?
- Salmon Tacos – Delicious Cajun-spiced
- Creamy Salmon Bake – Another all-in-one recipe
- Prawn Pasta – Super-quick 10 minute recipe
Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do.
I’d love to know how you got on and what you thought of it if you make this Easy Fish Stew recipe. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ by the recipe. Also, if you’d like to show me a photo by tagging me on Instagram (@tamingtwins) I LOVE to see your creations.
Easy Fish Stew {with Paprika and Lime}
Ingredients
- 1 tsp Olive oil
- 2 Cloves Garlic Peeled and crushed
- 1 Onion Sliced
- 3 Peppers I used a mixture of red and yellow - chopped into chunks
- 2 tsp Sweet smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp Dried chilli flakes
- 400 g Cod I use frozen. See notes below.
- 400 ml Reduced fat coconut milk
- 250 g Cherry tomatoes Halved
- Salt and pepper
- 2 Limes
- 2 Spring onions
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a pan and add the garlic and onion. Fry for 3 minutes or until soft.
- Add the peppers, paprika and chilli if using and cook for 3 minutes until softened.
- Gently add the cod pieces and pour over the coconut milk. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the cherry tomatoes and simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Squeeze over the lime and sprinkle the spring onions. Serve over a bed of rice.
Laura says
Delicious
Sadiyya Maryam says
This looks amazing and we love seafood in our house. And as it’s a one pan dinner even better! Thanks so much for sharing. Will definitely be trying this.
Tania says
Amazing! Just made this for supper tonight, and I want to make this again this week, it’s that yummy! I added green beans since I only had one pepper. So much broth at the final cook, and I removed a lot to reduce it and then returned to the pot. Don’t do this!!!! The broth is sooooo yummy, you’ll want to drink it from a cup! 😊
Thank you for such a quick and wonderfully tasty dish. Still snowing here in Algonquin Park in Ontario, Canada, so a warm and cozy meal it was!
Sarah Barnes says
Hi Tania, thanks so much for your message, so pleased you liked it!
Bonnie says
This was fabulous! We used basa fillets, a can of diced tomatoes (instead of the cherry tomatoes) and threw in a courgette as well and it turned out beautifully. Rich in flavour without being too heavy. Adding some lime juice at the end also adds a bit of acidity and zing. Thanks so much! We will be making this a staple for dinner.
Rosie says
Absolutely love this dish it tasted so good & so easy to make I love all the recipes on this page! Thank you.
As there is only two of us in my house when I cook these meals there’s a lot leftover can I freeze my leftovers of this dish? Thanks
Shelley says
Made this together with some rice and peas and we all loved it (I have 2 boys, aged 5 & 8). So quick and easy to make with the frozen fish that doesn’t even need defrosting. It’s definitely going in our weeknight rotation. Thank you Sarah!
Jo Best says
This is absolutely delicious. I will definitely make again. I added tiger prawns and it fed 4 adults. Another delicious recipe from you.