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Feb 28, 2025

Recipes That Start With Frozen Fish

Mary Claire Lagroue is the Commerce Editor at Food & Wine. A former associate editor at Allrecipes, she joined Dotdash Meredith in 2019. She has written about food since 2017, covering everything from

Mary Claire Lagroue is the Commerce Editor at Food & Wine. A former associate editor at Allrecipes, she joined Dotdash Meredith in 2019. She has written about food since 2017, covering everything from product reviews to recipes to restaurants. Her work can be found in Cooking Light, Southern Living, and more.

Shop for frozen fish now, and Future You will really appreciate the convenience of having fish on hand, ready to cook when you are. Frozen fish maintains the delicate flavor of a fresh fillet — just transfer it from the freezer to the fridge the night before you plan to prepare it (or even the morning of) so that it can thaw, and pat it dry with a paper towel before you cook it. Not convinced? We've reeled in our best recipes that call for frozen fish, plus top-rated fish dishes our reviewers have cooked with frozen fillets.

Frozen cod, a can of diced tomatoes, celery, and dried herbs are all you need to make this comforting, convenient dinner. Reviewers recommend adding other veggies like zucchini, chopped onion, or whatever you have on hand.

"I used frozen halibut and cooked it according to the package instructions," says reviewer csoltow. "I placed all of the seasoning in a bowl and whisked it together. I then coated the fish with the seasoning, placed it in a greased baking dish, and poured the remaining seasoning over it. I served the fish with steamed broccoli and roasted garlic couscous. My two year old and husband gobbled it up. Quick and delicious!"

Frozen white fish (which could mean cod, pollock, whiting, hake, and others) has a mild flavor, which makes it the perfect choice for this curry-spiced dish. "This recipe was really a hit with my family. Easy simple, weeknight meal; however, the flavors made it not ordinary," Racheal Raymond says.

"This is a great recipe for a night when you're feeling lazy — only a few ingredients, nothing to chop, easy cleanup, and very yummy! My husband announced the fish was 'excellent,' and he's not usually one to rave about food," writes recipe submitter ahnjy, who uses frozen flounder fillets.

"Frozen salmon fillets are so economical, but I often forget to defrost them! This recipe calls for adding frozen salmon fillets directly to your Instant Pot for a perfectly cooked fillet in mere minutes. I finish the salmon under the broiler for just two minutes with a honey-mustard glaze on top," Diana Moutsopoulos says. "Delicious!"

"Discovered this recipe while I was a consultant to one of the long-time landmark New Orleans restaurants 20 years ago. It's still my all-time favorite catfish recipe and I have closely guarded the recipe till now." — WILL321

"I used a frozen salmon fillet that I'd put in the fridge the night before. Absolutely delicious. And my first time making salmon, too! I'm making it a second time this week," reviewer jessimocha says. "Pat it dry with paper towels before you cook!"

"I spread salsa across the fish and sprinkled them heavily with cheese. I also used spicy corn chips, which added to the flavor. My fish-hating daughter loved it," Phoebe Jellifffe-Scott says. "One note: If you use frozen fish, make sure to press out the excess water."

"I was looking for a simple whole food recipe for frozen fish fillets and while I did add lots of chopped herbs (chives, oregano, thyme) and used a small amount of onion powder instead of onion, this recipe was exactly what I was looking for." — mccharlotte

Believe it or not, ceviche tastes fresh even with frozen fish! "I used frozen (thawed) mahi-mahi — it was excellent," Roger says. "I will definitely make again."

"The pretzels add a great crunchy coating that sticks to the fish when frying. The flavor is excellent and these fillets serve well alone or as a fish sandwich," Wendy says of this recipe for frozen cod.

Forgot to thaw that frozen cod? You're in luck. "This recipe uses frozen fish; defrosting is not necessary. Make sure to use butter. There's too much water in margarine," says recipe submitter DHERDEBU. Reviewers say this buttery dish tastes like lobster!

"If you want to prepare salmon without thawing and have it stay warm and moist without overcooking, then this is your recipe," Carol Castellucci Miller says.

Home cook LAURASC started with frozen salmon fillets, baking them on 450 degrees for 20 minutes before broiling them for three minutes. "This was really good. Even my youngest, who hates fish, was able to eat it. I'll certainly make it again," she says.

"This healthy cod recipe marries a lot of freezer and pantry staples into a delicious one-pan meal that's Mediterranean diet-friendly," says Diana Moutsopoulos. "Keep frozen cod, frozen peppers, and a jar of whole plum tomatoes on hand to make this anytime."

"Such an awesome texture. Crisp on the outside, flaky and not dry inside. I used frozen, thawed, and thoroughly dried cod," says reviewer Carrie Carrie. "Any seasoning would work with this recipe. Loved it!"