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With mild white fish and a bright and tangy veracruz sauce, this easy recipe for Fish Veracruz takes a few shortcuts to get dinner on the table in less than 15 minutes!
Looking for more quick and easy skillet dinner recipes? Don't miss my recipes for Shrimp Stir-Fry, Shrimp Tacos, Chicken and Green Beans Skillet, and Honey Lemon Chicken Skillet.
In This Post
Kristen's Key Takeaways
- Fish + Veracruz Sauce is Perfection! With tomatoes, garlic, onions, olives, and capers, Veracruz sauce is bold, tangy, and bright! It is acidic and briny and works to to infuse the fish with incredible flavor. No fishy taste here!
- Take a Short-Cut. Veracruz Sauce is a tangy, bright tomato sauce that is made with tomatoes, onions, garlic and flavored with olives, capers and oregano that originated in Mexico. Starting with your favorite red salsa, and folding in olives, capers, and a few spices, you can enjoy the same classic flavors in record time!
- Use Any White Fish You Like. While the cooking time may vary slightly depending on the thickness of your fish fillets, the sauce pairs beautifully with any white flesh fish you have on hand.
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
Notes on Ingredients
You will find the full list of ingredients, along with quantities in the recipe card. Below is a quick glance at what you need and tips to help you make the right selection.
- White Fish Fillets: Select mild white fish fillets like cod, halibut, sole, flounder, tilapia, or haddock.
- Salsa: Use your favorite red salsa with mild or medium heat. Store-bought or homemade salsa work equally well.
- Spanish Olives + Capers: Both add briny, salty notes to the Veracruz sauce.
- Fresh Limes: Use both the zest and juice of the lime, for acidity, balance, and flavor.
- Cilantro: Omit if desired.
How to Make Fish Veracruz
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the ingredient quantities and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- While the oil is heating, season the fish fillets evenly with salt on each side.
- Add the fish to the heated skillet and saute until the fish fillets release from the pan easily and are golden on one side.
- Gently flip the fish over and add the salsa, oregano, olives, capers, and zest from the lime to the skillet. Simmer for about 6 minutes or until the fish is cooked through. You will know the fish is done when it flakes easily and is white through the center.
- Finish the dish with the juice of the fresh lime and cilantro and serve immediately.
Serving Suggestions
- With Rice: serve the fish with the rich Veracruz sauce over a bed of Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice or Instant Pot Brown Rice to soak up the delicious sauce.
- As a Low-Carb Meal: Serve with a side salad, like Copycat Panera Greek Salad (without croutons), or a veggie side dish, like Sauteed Spinach.
- As a Taco: Truth be told, my kids prefer fish veracruz flaked up and served in corn or flour tortillas, topped with chopped cabbage--it works well!
More Easy Recipes for Fish
- Easy Fish Tacos
- Salmon Bites
- Chili Lime Pan-Seared Tilapia
- Easy Baked Salmon
- Easy Baked Cod Recipe
- Blackened Mahi Mahi
- Homemade Fish Sticks
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Fish Veracruz
Mild white fish is cooked and flavored in an incredibly easy Veracruz sauce that comes together quickly for a one-pan meal made in less than 15 minutes.
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 4 (6 ounces each) mild white fish fillets, such as tilapia, mahi mahi, cod, or halibut
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup salsa, see recipe note
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ cup sliced Spanish olives
- 2 teaspoons capers
- 1 large fresh lime, juice and zest
- ½ cup minced cilantro
Instructions
- In a non-stick skillet, heat ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat.
- While the oil is heating, sprinkle ½ teaspoon kosher salt evenly over 4 (6 ounces each) mild white fish fillets and place them into the hot skillet. Saute for 3-4 minutes, or until the fish easily release from the bottom of the skillet.
- After flipping the fish, add 1 cup salsa, ¼ cup sliced Spanish olives, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, 2 teaspoons capers, and zest of 1 large fresh lime to the skillet. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 6-7 minutes or until fish is cooked through.
- Squeeze the juice of 1 large fresh lime over the fish and stir in ½ cup minced cilantro. Taste to see if additional salt is needed, and adjust accordingly. Serve immediately.
Notes
Salsa: Fresh salsa is best for a more authentic taste, but a good quality jarred salsa will work. I used a traditional medium heat salsa. You can use any heat level you would like but I would stick to a traditional flavor.
How to Quickly Defrost Fish: Because the fish is pan-seared, it needs to be defrosted before cooking. To defrost frozen fish, leave in refrigerator overnight. If you forgot to get it out of the freezer the night before, submerge a sealed package containing fish fillet in a large bowl of cold water for 20-30 minutes. If it is still not defrosted by then, dump water for fresh cold water and give another 15 minutes.
Leftovers: Fish is always best served immediately after preparation. However, if you happen to have any leftovers, you can store them in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Gently reheat in a dry skillet over medium-low heat.
Nutrition
Calories: 47kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 1gFat: 3gSodium: 1172mgPotassium: 195mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 480IUVitamin C: 1.8mgCalcium: 24mgIron: 0.3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I made this tonight for dinner and we LOVED it! It was quick to make and the flavor was amazing. We had it with rice which was a perfect side for the fish and sauce. I’m trying to eat fish more often as it’s so healthy. I will definitely be making this often!
Absolutely LOVE hearing this, JoAnn! Thank you so much for sharing your review.
Ok, this recipe has my intrigued. My husband and I are NOT fish eaters, but we know we need to incorporate it into our meals because it is SO healthy! Definitely putting this on my list of things to make - just as soon as I am brave enough to actually try it!
Jenni--I SO SO hear ya! I typically hate fish and can only stomach even a biteful if I am rewarded with chocolate--LOL! Because Tilapia is so mild and salsa is so flavorful--this did it for me. Is it my favorite meal ever, nope. But it is one way I certainly enjoy fish!