Frozen salmon, cod, halibut and crustaceans like shrimp make weeknight dinners a snap. Whether you bake, pan-fry or simmer, these seafood recipes go from freezer to table in no time flat.
To ensure the best results, cook frozen seafood from a sealed package or a container with a clear, protective covering. Check for excess surface ice crystals, which indicate improper freezing and impact texture, flavour and quality. For more frozen seafood recipes, check this out.
Garlic-Herb Baked Salmon
Salmon is fast and easy to make and makes for a super healthy and elegant meal. This garlic-herbed salmon is quick enough for a weeknight dinner but fancy enough to serve to company!
To make this baked salmon:
- Start by lining a baking sheet with foil.
- Brush the foil with olive oil, lay out your salmon fillets, and skin side down.
- Combine the olive oil, lemon zest, herbs (thyme, rosemary, dill, and ground coriander are ideal, but use whatever you have on hand), garlic, and salt in a bowl, then spoon over the fish, coating each piece.
Cover and refrigerate it until ready to bake, up to 2 days ahead. To speed up dinner even more, cook a pan of veggies, like roasted asparagus, green beans, or potatoes, alongside the salmon for a one-pan meal with almost no dishes to wash!
Pan-fried cod Sticks with Tartar Sauce
Whether you’re serving them as a fun snack or an easy weeknight dinner, these kid-approved cod sticks will become a family favourite. They’re oven or air-fried to shatteringly crispy and flavorful perfection, but they’re also free of the preservatives in store-bought fish sticks. For more frozen seafood recipes, check this out.
The recipe starts with a pound of frozen cod, thawed according to the directions on the package. Next, you’ll need breading (we recommend a mixture of panko breadcrumbs and crushed potato chips), salt, cayenne, celery salt, paprika, garlic powder, olive oil and eggs.
To prepare the breading, you’ll need a dredging station consisting of a shallow bowl of flour, a second bowl with whisked eggs and a third bowl containing the panko mix. Working one piece of cod at a time, dredge it in the flour, dip it in the egg, and coat it with the panko mixture. Place the cod on a baking sheet and spray it with cooking spray.
Shrimp Scampi
This seafood dish benefits from cooking the shrimp and onions in a buttery, garlicky sauce before tossing it with pasta. It’s a fast, simple weeknight dinner that seafood lovers of all stripes can enjoy.
For a deeper flavour in the sauce, this version of shrimp scampi calls for a dry white wine (pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc works well) instead of broth. The alcohol cooks off during the simmering process, so it’s safe for kids and those who avoid boozy drinks.
Toss with fettuccine or linguine and serve garnished with a sprinkling of fresh parsley. This recipe can be doubled or tripled easily for larger crowds. Leftovers should be carefully stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eaten within a day or two. For more frozen seafood recipes, check this out.
Seafood Paella
A paella dinner is an excellent option for summer parties. This clam, mussel and shrimp rice dish can be cooked in one large pan and is flavorful. It also reheats very well for leftovers. Toss a few salad greens and some crusty bread for a complete meal.
Before adding the shellfish, the clams and mussels are soaked in salty water to remove any grit and to ensure they open when cooked. Discard any that don’t close.
This paella features saffron, white wine, and smoked paprika. The saffron provides the golden colour and aromatic quality that defines paella. If you can’t find saffron, substitute it with turmeric and a pinch of smoked paprika.
The sofrito is made using a seafood broth called fumet, which is made from shrimp, crab, lobster, or fish heads and trimmings that are sauteed with onions, garlic, and tomatoes and simmered for several hours before being strained. The flavour is rich and full of seafood juiciness.