5 Best Side Dishes to Serve with Fish

What meal is complete without a side? A great side dish complements the flavors of the main entrée while boosting the nutritional value of your meal. If you’re used to making entrees with heavier meats like beef, pork or even chicken, you might feel at a loss when you think about preparing a side with fish.

Part of what sets seafood apart from other meats is that it is lighter. It pairs best with sides that are filling without being heavy. It always goes well with citrus flavors.

There are 5 types of side dishes in particular that go well with seafood: 

1. Grilled or Steamed Vegetables

Flakier fish like fluke, tilapia and flounder cook best on the grill or in the oven when they are wrapped in foil. Pairing these fish with grilled or steam vegetables is a great idea. You can toss vegetables like bell peppers, carrots and zucchini with a little oil and a light seasoning mix. Then skewer them and place them on the grill or, skip the skewers, wrap them in their own foil packet and place them on the grill or oven rack for a healthy and delicious side.

2. Potatoes

Potatoes always make a great side dish no matter how you prepare them—roasted, fried, or mashed. Regardless of how you make them, they taste excellent with white fish like cod or tilapia. Lemon mashed potatoes and rosemary roasted potatoes are two of our favorite potato side dishes with white fish. 

3. Pasta

Pasta pairs well with every kind of seafood from shellfish like lobsters and shrimp to finfish like tilapia and salmon. Lobster mac ‘n cheese is a classic New England side dish. Angel hair pasta tossed with a light creamy or lemony sauce is equally delicious with any fish you like.

4. Salad

When you’re looking for a light and simple side dish full of fiber, you can’t go wrong with a salad. The sweetness of fish like salmon goes well with the bitterness of big leafy vegetables like kale or romaine. Blackened tilapia and other seasoned fish go well with corn and bean salads. Jessica Gavin’s Salmon Greek Salad with Lemon Basil Dressing is a go-to side dish.

5. Quinoa

Quinoa is a hearty superfood that’s full of essential nutrients like vitamin B, magnesium, iron phosphorus, fiber and potassium. It’s the perfect side dish if you want to pack a bigger nutritional punch into your meal. Since tilapia has less nutritional value than other types of seafood, it is perfect to pair with quinoa. We love Skinny Taste’s Mediterranean Quinoa Salad recipe with Wholesome Dish’s Spinach and Feta Stuffed Tilapia.

Now that you know the best types of side dishes to pair with fish, you don’t have to be nervous making another seafood meal. Whether you are planning to grill tuna steaks or bake flounder you can find a healthy side dish that will taste great with it. Check out our Pinterest for more ideas! Stop by our seafood counter to pick your next fish for dinner!