Low-Calorie Seafood Recipes

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Last Tuesday I had a piece of frozen cod thawing in my sink and honestly, I wasn’t expecting much from it. Seafood used to be the thing I avoided when I was trying to eat lighter. I figured it would end up dry, or I’d drown it in butter to make it taste like anything at all. Turns out I just didn’t know what I was doing yet.

Twelve years of testing recipes (and eight years of keeping 45 pounds off) taught me that fish and shellfish are some of the easiest proteins to build a low-calorie plate around. They cook fast, they take on flavor easily, and a lot of the classic prep methods, baking, grilling, a quick sear, don’t need much oil to turn out good.

When These Recipes Come In Handy

These are the meals I lean on during a normal work week, when I want something that fills me up without sitting heavy. They’re also good if you’re tracking calories and want a protein source that gives you a lot of food for not a lot of numbers. If you’re building toward a full week of meals, this pairs well with our 7-day low-calorie meal plan and the general approach in our beginner’s guide to calorie-controlled cooking.

Storing Leftovers

Cooked fish keeps in the fridge for two to three days in a sealed container. Shrimp and scallops are best eaten within two days, they get a little rubbery past that. If you’re meal prepping, I’d reheat gently, low oven or a covered pan on the stove, rather than blasting it in the microwave. Fish dries out fast under high heat.

The Recipes

Lemon Garlic Baked Cod

Prep: 5 min | Cook: 15 min | Serves: 2 | ~220 calories per serving

Cod is about as forgiving as fish gets. This one’s my go-to on a weeknight when I don’t want to think too hard.

Ingredients: 2 cod fillets, 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 cloves garlic (minced), 1 lemon, salt, pepper, fresh parsley

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Pat the cod dry and place in a baking dish.
2. Mix olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper, then rub over the fillets.
3. Squeeze half the lemon over the top, slice the other half and lay the pieces on the fish.
4. Bake 12 to 15 minutes until it flakes easily. Top with parsley.

Sheet Pan Shrimp and Veggies

Prep: 10 min | Cook: 12 min | Serves: 2 | ~260 calories per serving

One pan, minimal cleanup, and it looks fancier than it actually is.

Ingredients: 1 lb shrimp (peeled), 2 cups broccoli florets, 1 red bell pepper (sliced), 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp smoked paprika, salt, pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss shrimp and veggies with oil and seasonings on a sheet pan.
2. Spread everything in a single layer, don’t crowd the pan or it’ll steam instead of roast.
3. Roast 10 to 12 minutes, until shrimp are pink and opaque.

Tuna Salad Lettuce Wraps

Prep: 8 min | Cook: 0 min | Serves: 2 | ~190 calories per serving

No cooking required, which makes this the one I make when it’s too hot to touch the stove.

Ingredients: 2 cans tuna (in water, drained), 2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, celery (diced), butter lettuce leaves

1. Mix tuna, yogurt, mustard, and celery in a bowl.
2. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Spoon into lettuce leaves and wrap like a taco.

I use Greek yogurt instead of mayo here. Not gonna pretend it’s identical, but it’s close enough that I don’t miss it, and it keeps the calories and the protein count in a much better place.

Blackened Tilapia with Mango Salsa

Prep: 10 min | Cook: 8 min | Serves: 2 | ~240 calories per serving

Ingredients: 2 tilapia fillets, 1 tbsp blackening seasoning, 1 tsp olive oil, 1 mango (diced), ¼ red onion (diced), juice of 1 lime, cilantro

1. Coat tilapia in blackening seasoning.
2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high, cook fillets 3 to 4 minutes per side.
3. Combine mango, onion, lime juice, and cilantro for the salsa.
4. Top the fish with salsa and serve.

Garlic Butter Scallops

Prep: 5 min | Cook: 6 min | Serves: 2 | ~210 calories per serving

Scallops feel like a splurge but they’re actually pretty light, as long as you go easy on the butter.

Ingredients: 1 lb sea scallops, 1 tsp olive oil, 1 tbsp butter, 2 cloves garlic (minced), lemon juice, parsley

1. Pat scallops very dry, this matters for getting a good sear.
2. Heat oil in a hot skillet, sear scallops 2 minutes per side.
3. Lower heat, add butter and garlic, spoon over scallops for 30 seconds.
4. Finish with lemon juice and parsley.

Salmon and Asparagus Foil Packets

Prep: 8 min | Cook: 15 min | Serves: 2 | ~310 calories per serving

Salmon runs a bit higher in calories than white fish, but it’s worth it for the omega-3s, and this is one of those recipes that works great for meal prep containers if you’re portioning out lunches for the week.

Ingredients: 2 salmon fillets, 1 bunch asparagus, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 lemon (sliced), salt, pepper, dill

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Lay out two sheets of foil.
2. Place salmon and asparagus on each, drizzle with oil, season, and top with lemon slices and dill.
3. Fold foil into sealed packets.
4. Bake 15 minutes, then open carefully, steam will escape.

A Few Practical Notes

If you’re new to cooking fish, don’t walk away from the pan or the oven. Seafood goes from perfectly cooked to overdone in about two minutes, and there’s no saving it once that happens. A meat thermometer helps if you’re unsure, most fish is done around 145°F.

For anyone counting macros closely, these recipes also work well alongside our low-calorie high-protein recipes if you want to build out a full week of meals with similar nutrition targets. And if seafood isn’t your only weeknight staple, our low-calorie dinner recipes roundup has more variety to pull from.

This article is part of our comprehensive guide on Low-Calorie Weight Loss Recipes for Beginners. For the full guide, check that out for the basics on calorie control and building meals that actually keep you full.