Easy Fish Stew {with Paprika and Lime}

Name: Easy Fish Stew {with Paprika and Lime}
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
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

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 smoky lime flavours, it’s ready in about 30 minutes, is all made in one pan and is so simple to make.

Easy fish stew with creamy coconut base in a big bowl, ready to serve.

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 or with crusty bread.

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 one pot 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.

Why you’ll love this Fish Stew recipe

⭐️ Budget-friendly, zero-faff ingredients

⭐️ A new fish recipe to your meal plans

⭐️ Healthy and delicious

Simple Moqueca-style fish stew recipe. A big bowl of it ready to serve.

About this Fish Stew recipe

This is a great option if you’re looking for ways to increase your fish offering to your kids who might be resistant to diving in (sorry, couldn’t resist!)

The fishy flavour is nice and delicate and the consistency of white fish is familiar.

Other family friendly fish recipes you could introduce include my Prawn Pasta, Easy Fish Pie, Italian Cod Traybake, Salmon Tacos or Homemade Fish Fingers.

Is this a Moqueca recipe?

This recipe takes a little inspiration from a dish called Moqueca, a traditional Brazilian seafood dish that is made with either fish or shrimp. It’s flavoured with a base of paprika, tomatoes, peppers and coconut milk, and is usually garnished with coriander and served with rice.

This 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.

Fish Stew Ingredients

Olive oil
Garlic – It’s OK to use fresh or a jar/tube/frozen as a quick cheat instead
Onion – Again, frozen is fine but fresh is too
Peppers – I used a mixture of red and yellow
Sweet smoked paprika
Dried chilli flakes
Cod – Or another white fish. I use frozen. See notes on this below
Coconut milk – I use reduced fat but you don’t have to
Cherry tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Limes
Spring onions

How to make 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.
Put your cod in, as well as the coconut milk and cherry tomatoes. Simmer until cooked.
Squeeze over the lime and sprinkle spring onions to serve.
You can also sprinkle with coriander if you’re that way inclined.

Substitutions

Fish – You can use any kind of firm white fish, and 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.
Vegetables – You can use up whatever veggies you prefer or need using up for this. Peas or green beans, for example, would be great.

Leftovers

In the fridge You can keep this recipe in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat it fully by before serving – make sure it’s piping hot.

In the freezer This recipe doesn’t feel particularly well as the fish might break apart when defrosting and reheating again. That said, you can freeze it, it just won’t be at its best.

Top tip for making Fish Stew

Using frozen fish

I 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.

Fish Stew FAQs

Is this a spicy dish?

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.

Can you recommend a good pan for making one pot meals?

I recently tasked myself with trying out a variety of one-pan pans in a quest to find out which ones were up to the important job of making an all-in-one meal. Read my pan review here. I hope it helps!

Is this a healthy dish?

Yes, it’s got so much goodness! It’s low in calories, high in protein and is rich in vitamins and nutrients.

Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below.

Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).