5 Easiest Fish to Cook and Where to Buy Them

What are the easiest fish to cook from JustShop?

1. Salmon
2. Mackerel
3. Cod (Gindara)
4. Sea Bass
5. Halibut

There are many reasons why fish should be in your diet — they’re delicious, lean on calories and fat, and packed with protein and omega-3 fatty acids. However, cooking fish can be intimidating. They’re notoriously delicate, and always just seem to stick to the bottom of your pan.

But what if we told you there were some types of fish that are easier to cook — even for beginners? Here are five of the easiest fish to cook! These fish and their versatile recipes can become your newest weeknight dinner recipe staples.

Salmon

At JustShop, we offer Norwegian Salmon, which is perhaps the most popular fish out there — and it’s no surprise! They’re extremely easy to cook and feature a tender, mild taste. This means that it’s pretty adaptable to pretty much any cuisine. But, we find that it tastes best in Asian cuisine, as it complements all the strong flavors that are commonplace in it, like ginger, soy sauce, miso, and teriyaki sauce.

But, you don’t have to stick with that. Salmon recipes are varied and involve several cooking methods, such as baking, grilling, and poaching. If you’re a complete novice in the kitchen (or just hate complicated recipes and washing dishes in general), then try this one-pan recipe! It features a rich and buttery take on baked salmon, topped with tart lemon, paired with roasted potatoes and asparagus.

Mackerel

Another great and easy fish to cook from JustShop is our Shime Saba Mackerel. This fish is soft, flaky, and a bit more on the oily, rich side — which means that it’s packed with vitamins and omega-3. When cooked, it tends to turn a bit sweet (similar to tuna). The darker parts of mackerel meat have a stronger taste, which you can easily slice off if you want to preserve its milder flavors.

Like salmon, mackerel is pretty versatile. It can be baked or roasted in the oven, pan-seared, or even battered and fried. We recommend picking a pack or two up from our store and trying this no-fuss recipe: a Japanese-style Mackerel rice bowl. This recipe is packed with Asian-style flavors of garlic, lemon, and teriyaki sauce.

Cod (Gindara)

If you’re looking for a light white meat fish that you can cook up in a flash, then our Alaskan Black Cod — a.k.a. Gindara — is the fish for you. They’re a bit firmer and on the sweeter side than the Pacific cod, but they’re still mild meat that can fit in seamlessly into basically every style and cuisine. You can have them baked, broiled, fried, and even in seafood stews and chowders.

The recipes that this fish is known for are the marinated Japanese Miso Cod, and the grilled Teriyaki Cod, which are both easy meals to try making at home. But, If you want a recipe that you can probably finish in less than 20 minutes, then try this stovetop lemon brown butter Cod recipe. All you need is the fish, a pan, and fresh parsley to garnish.

Sea Bass

There are many types of sea bass for sale, but one of the best varieties that we carry here at JustShop is the Chilean sea bass. This one is a fatty fish with mild flavors, and a firm, meaty texture. Because it’s fatty, it’s hard for even beginners to overcook!

This bass variety is sturdy, versatile, and full of flavor. You can cook yours up on the grill, or fry it up on the stove. But for a beginner-friendly recipe, most people like simply grilling this protein and garnishing it with herb oil to make a quick and simple meal.

If you want a little bit more flavor on yours, then we have a great recipe to prepare your Chilean sea bass on the grill. In it, the fish is lightly seasoned then grilled, while being basted with a flavorful garlic butter sauce as it cooks. This method allows all the flavors to seep in and prevents the fish from drying out — try it yourself at home!

Halibut

Our Halibut fish is the last on our list but is just as easy to prepare and make into a meal as the rest. It’s a meaty fish like Sea Bass, a bit thicker and firmer than Cod, and tastes similar to Tilapia with its slightly sweet white meat.

While it is a thick, meaty fish, it has a gentle flavor. So, it naturally goes well with strong and bold flavors, such as pesto, lemon, and basil. It’s normally baked, but you can enjoy this fish either pan-fried or poached as well. When cooked just right, it becomes a succulent and slightly flaky fish.

If you’re preparing this on a busy weeknight, try this recipe for pan-seared Halibut. In less than 30 minutes and using only four ingredients, you can whip up a full, restaurant-worthy meal!

Key Takeaway

Cooking fish can be intimidating, especially to a novice. They easily overcook or stick to your pan, which can be difficult to salvage. But, with five of the easiest fish to cook from JustShop, you can cook any seafood recipe you desire with ease!