Fish Recipes for Dinner Tonight

By The editors of MidwestLiving.com
Updated September 03, 2020

Roasted salmon, tilapia tacos, halibut with beans and walleye chowder are among our fast and fresh ideas for fish dinners.

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Quick-Roasted Salmon with Lemon and Herbs

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A side of salmon is as celebratory as a traditional meaty roast-in way less time. Elegant and easy, this recipe cleverly uses the same flavored mayonnaise for brushing and serving as a condiment.

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Pecan-Crusted Tilapia

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The nutty coating of this weeknight-friendly tilapia crisps up deliciously in a skillet, and the whole meal thing is done in 25 minutes.

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Halibut with Garlicky Beans

Credit: Blaine Moats
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For deep garlic flavor without turning on the oven to roast, this recipe uses a technique called confit, which translates as simmering slowly in fat or oil. Result: evenly soft, mellow cloves and a bonus gift of flavorful olive oil you can elsewhere.

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Thai Curried Salmon and Snap Peas

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A brilliantly simple and delicious way to cook salmon, this 25-minute recipe is done in the time it takes to cook a pot of rice. Don't be tempted to skip the fresh basil; its flavor seals the flavor deal on this weeknight meal.

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Grilled Fish with Lime and Tarragon

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At Angry Trout Cafe in Grand Marais, Minnesota, this grilled fish is often served as a salad, atop a "whatever is colorful and seasonal" mix of lettuce, veggies and fruits. (For the full effect, make the restaurant's Maple-Mustard Dressing, too.) But the fish is equally tasty as a stand-alone main.

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Grilled Fish with Moroccan Vinaigrette

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This flaky white fish looks like a gourmet dish when served over a bed of couscous and dressed with mesclun (a mix of salad greens) and colorful radish slivers.

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Tilapia Tacos with Chipotle Cream

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Cumin and cinnamon spice up ordinary frozen tilapia fillets for a fragrant pan-fried fish taco filling. Just add margaritas for the full restaurant experience.

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Citrus Pesto Tuna

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The bright acidity of lemon and tangerine juices balances the rich flavor of pesto for a refreshing summery marinade.

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Dilled Shrimp and Orzo Bowl

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Dill, shrimp and a hint of vinegar shine in this light, veggie-filled dish.

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Caribbean White Fish with Mango-Orange Relish

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Lightly pan-fried white fish gets a refreshing lift from a sweet confetti of oranges and chopped mango. Pair with rice or couscous for an easy meal.

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Salmon-Potato Cakes

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Bring a new flavor to salmon with our quick-cooking fish-and-potato cakes. Serve the cakes on a bed of lettuce with honey-Dijon salad dressing on the side. Only 20 minutes from start to finish!

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Potato Chips Meet Fish

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Serve tilapia coated with potato chips, herbs and honey-mustard dressing.

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Seared Lake Trout with Summer Relish

Credit: Carson Downing
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Chef Adam Raupp of the Mission Table restaurant in Traverse City, Michigan, serves caught-that-morning lake trout with tangy corn relish and garlicky spinach vinaigrette. You can substitute rainbow trout, ocean trout, Arctic char, bluefish or striped bass in this recipe.

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Steamed Salmon with Lemon and Vegetables

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A bed of pretty squash and carrot ribbons seasoned with lemon and herbs gently steams salmon in the oven, yielding moist, flavorful fish-with a veggie side dish built right in!

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Oven-Fried Fish

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A coating of seasoned dry bread crumbs, cornmeal and lemon-pepper seasoning gives baked fish a satisfying crunch without the fat and calories of pan-frying.

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Garlicky Fish Tacos

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Our pan-fried tilapia is drizzled with garlic butter and lime juice. We garnished ours with fresh cilantro, fresh parsley and sliced pickled red onion. To quick pickle the onions, combine a sliced red onion with a generous pour of cider vinegar, a spoonful of brown sugar, toasted cumin seeds and a bit of salt. Let sit at room temperature for an hour before serving.

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Cajun-Rubbed Salmon

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Fish made easy! Start with a quick sear-one of cast iron's best tricks-to seal in moisture; finish by baking in the oven. A simple pickle relish tops the spice-rubbed fish with tang.

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Mango-Barbecue Fish Tacos

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Fresh fruit and bottled barbecue sauce lend sassy sweetness to low-cal, vitamin-rich grilled fish tacos.

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Old Bay Burger

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This tasty burger from Northern Waters Restaurant in Duluth, Minnesota, is essentially a tender fish cake on a bun. The key is grinding or chopping the fish enough to hold together--but not so finely that it becomes mealy. 

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Glorious Glazed Salmon

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Sweet tamari sauce brushed on the salmon caramelizes into a delicious glaze.

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Crispy Almond Fish

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Make a quick, crunchy coating for baked fish with chopped almonds, fresh thyme and bread crumbs.

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Dilly Smoked Salmon Pizza

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This simple smoked salmon pizza was inspired by one served at The Stone Barn in Nelson, Wisconsin. We love the ease of using purchased crust, but you can sub your favorite homemade dough.

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Grilled Salmon with Pistachio-Basil Butter

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Top grilled salmon with fresh basil, pistachios, lime juice, garlic and butter. Store leftover pistachio-basil butter in your refrigerator for up to a week; toss with hot pasta or spread on toasted French bread.

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Lake Chowder

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Angry Trout Cafe in Grand Marais, Minnesota, makes this buttery, dill-flecked chowder with lake trout, a mild-flavored and relatively oily fish. The recipe tastes just as good with salmon or whitefish.

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Citrus Salmon with Broccoli

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Cook tender salmon fillets in your skillet with a simple lemon juice-sugar combination and a sprinkling of fresh dill. Broccoli or green beans round out this quick and easy dinner.

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Honey-Bourbon Salmon

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Although this recipe takes very little hands-on cooking time, be sure to allow an hour to marinate the salmon so it absorbs all the flavors of the sweet-and-salty marinade.

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Parmesan-Crusted Fish

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Sprinkle panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs) and Parmesan cheese on fish fillets for a super-easy flavor coating. While the fish is baking, cook julienned carrots in a skillet and serve with butter and ginger.

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Mediterranean Salmon & Noodle Bowl

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Top fettuccine with skillet-cooked salmon, fresh baby spinach, roasted sweet peppers and reduced-calorie dressing for a speedy meal.

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North Woods Fish Tacos

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We trolled the lakes for this south-of-the-Canadian-border specialty. To give extra zip to the marinated whitefish, spoon on sweet-tart Midwest cherry salsa. Roll the chunks of fish in a tortilla along with the burgundy salsa, and finish it off with tangy sour cream.

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Great Lakes Salmon Chowder

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Asparagus slices add color, and the dill and lemon zest add fresh flavor to salmon that's packed with protein and heart-healthy.

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North Shore Fish Cakes

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Every self-respecting North Shore cook makes a version of this traditional Scandinavian main dish. A touch of nutmeg flavors the moist-on-the-inside and crisp-on-the-outside patties.

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Sweet and Sassy Walleye Chowder in Bread Bowls

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Linda Rohr of Darien, Connecticut, came up with a Midwest version of East Coast chowder using lake-fresh walleye, corn and sweet potato chunks in a golden bread bowl. 

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Tilapia with Almond Butter

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Serve skillet-cooked tilapia on a bed of snow pea pods, drizzled with butter and sprinkled with sliced almonds. It's ready in just 20 minutes.

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Fish Tostadas with Chili-Lime Cream

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Top crunchy tostadas with broiled tilapia fillets, veggies and a zesty chili-lime cream for a dinner that's ready in 20 minutes.

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Lemon and Dill Walleye Sandwiches with Tartar Sauce

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These sandwiches showcase fish grilled on a bed of lemon slices and served on toasted bread.

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By The editors of MidwestLiving.com