If you are on, or ever have done, the Whole30, you might be familiar with this feeling: You’re midway through the program, staring down your 15th chicken dinner in as many days, and are convinced that if you eat it, you may actually start growing feathers.
But remember, poultry isn’t the only protein you can enjoy on the plan! If you’re out of ways to cook chicken—or simply need a break from the bird—shift your attention from land to sea. From salmon to shrimp, these Whole30-friendly fish recipes provide plenty of variety and flavor.
1. Salmon With Lemon and Herb Cauliflower Rice
If you’re on the Whole30, it’s practically guaranteed that cauliflower rice will be a regular on your table. Here, it’s buttery from the ghee and vibrant from the fresh herbs, making for a light but satisfying bed for the baked salmon.
2. Salmon Kale Superfood Salad
The Whole30 is big on incorporating fruit into meals instead of eating it alone. This salad is a great example of how to do it right. With blueberries tossed into the mix of kale, salmon, avocado, and pistachios, this produce-packed bowl introduces just the right mix of sweet to the savory elements.
3. Crispy Salmon Cakes
Contrary to popular belief, going on the Whole30 doesn’t have to send your grocery bill skyrocketing. Make little tweaks based on cost but not nutrition to stay on track, like swapping out fresh salmon for the more affordable canned kind and then turning it into these delicious pan-cooked patties.
4. Grilled Salmon With Mango Salsa
A fresh, sweet and slightly spicy mango salsa both complements and cuts the kick from the chili and garlic-rubbed salmon in this colorful dish. Made in less than 30 minutes, the meal is as simple as its flavors are complex.
5. Braised Salmon in a Mushroom Cream Sauce
Before you balk at “cream sauce,” let us assure you that this recipe is dairy-free and very much Whole30-friendly. The rich sauce comes together thanks to coconut milk and ghee—just make sure your broth is compliant!
6. Lemon-Garlic Salmon Foil Packs
While sweet potatoes will always be the preferred spud, there’s a place at the Whole30 table for the white kind too. Here, the starchy veggie joins salmon and zucchini in a foil pack where, marinated in an herby ghee-based marinade, it gets buttery, tender, and crisp all at once.
7. Easy Paleo Pecan-Crusted Salmon
It’s a triple dose of good fats when you dust a piece of omega 3-rich salmon with a mix of heart-healthy nuts and coconut oil. Simply seasoned with herbs de Provence and requiring only 10 minutes of prep, it’s a lot easier to make than it looks too.
8. Paleo Zucchini Pasta With Spicy Shrimp Marinara
Zucchini pasta will inevitably make an appearance on your Whole30 menu. But instead of tossing it with chicken, throw some shrimp into the mix. The homemade paprika and chili-dusted tomato sauce is not only super easy but also much more compliant with the plan than most jarred marinaras.
9. Spicy Shrimp and Kale With Creamy Rutabaga
Who’d have thunk you could upgrade shrimp and grits to a a level that’s both fancier and Whole30-approved? This pretty plate uses a rich rutabaga mash in place of the grains and tosses the fish in an herb-packed kale marinade for both appearance and extra nutrition.
10. Garlic Shrimp Asparagus Skillet
At 20 minutes from start to finish, this stir-fry is speedy, but a few bold ingredients mean that only time is getting slashed here, not flavor. Shrimp, mushrooms, and asparagus all cook quickly, while plenty of garlic, parsley, and red chili pepper add both a spicy kick and an herby freshness.
11. Buffalo Shrimp Spaghetti Squash With Paleo Ranch Dressing
Buffalo sauce, spaghetti, and ranch dressing all sound like absolute no-no’s on the Whole30, but don’t let the name of this dish throw you off. Every part of it has carefully been made compliant, whether it’s swapping out butter with ghee, squash instead of pasta, or coconut milk instead of sour cream.
12. Sheet Pan Chili Lime Shrimp Fajitas
A good glug of olive oil, plenty of fresh lime juice, and just ten minutes in the oven make sure that the shrimp is cooked just enough, while the veggies stay nice and crisp. Easy to prep, quick to clean up, and making enough for leftovers, this sheet pan meal wins in so many ways.
13. Chimichurri Shrimp With Saffron Cauliflower Rice
Eating out while you’re on the Whole30 is tricky, to put it mildly. So if you’ve got date night coming up or are just feeling fancy, put this generously spiced, fragrant, and secretly simple meal on the menu—it’s homemade but restaurant-quality.
14. Easy Curry Shrimp
With coconut milk and curry powder, plus optional garnishes like pico de gallo and scallions, this shrimp curry is a curious mix of Mexican, Indian and even Southeast Asian influences. The fusion is unique and complex, but it requires surprisingly simple ingredients like ginger, garlic, and onions.
15. Epic Whole30 Poke Bowl
Cauliflower rice provides a simple, grain-free base for the rainbow of toppings in this Hawaiian-inspired bowl. Piled high with ingredients both nutritious and filling, from salmon and tuna to avocado and mango, the bowl really is nothing short of epic.
16. Mexican Tuna Steak, Sweet Red Peppers, and Avocado Salsa
Not really feeling a big hunk of red meat for dinner? Use pan-seared tuna instead. Accompanied by a refreshing duo of red peppers and guacamole, there’s plenty of healthy fat here, but it’s still a lighter way to enjoy steak.
17. Fiesta Tuna Salad
It’s out with the mayo and in with the avocado in this unconventional tuna salad. With ingredients like cumin, cilantro, and fresh lime juice in the mix, it’s basically a high-protein guacamole that you can feel totally justified eating a whole bowlful of for lunch.
18. Tandoori Tuna and Cauliflower Rice Bake
The Whole30 can be a great time to experiment with new ingredients and flavors. You may have never thought to pair tuna with tandoori spices, but the combination is unexpectedly awesome, especially when cauliflower rice and a creamy sauce are also in the mix.
19. California Tuna Burgers
Don’t deny yourself a burger for an entire month while on the Whole30—just make one that sticks to the plan! This recipe makes it easy, with just four main ingredients (be sure that mayo is compliant!), lots of fun topping options, and a lettuce bun.
20. Chili Lime Tuna Napa Cabbage Wraps
You’ll need to make sure your tuna, nut butter, and red curry paste are all compliant, but these wraps make the double-checking worth it. With chunky tuna, lots of sliced veggies, and a creamy cashew sauce, they’re filling enough to be a main meal and hefty enough to require sturdier leaves of cabbage instead of lettuce.
21. Skillet Tilapia With Tomatoes
No matter how busy you are or how lazy you’re feeling, this recipe makes sticking to the Whole30 possible. Even with just two main ingredients, it’s bursting with flavor, thanks to the cherry tomatoes that, when blistered, almost form a sauce for the fish.
22. Fish Taco Balls With Pico De Gallo Slaw
When you can’t use tortillas, serve your fish tacos in meatball form instead. Almond flour and egg whites hold these cumin-spiced babies together; serve them on top of a zesty and spicy pico de gallo slaw for a totally Whole30-approved Mexican-inspired meal.
23. Whole30 Creamy Clam Chowder
This recipe is enough to challenge anyone who thinks the Whole30 is too restrictive. After all, when your seafood is swimming in a velvety coconut milk soup along with bits of bacon and large chunks of potato, you’ll be well-fed and happy as a… well, clam.
24. Bruschetta Tilapia With Balsamic Glaze
Spoon your garlicky, basil-spiked chopped tomato mixture onto baked, flaky tilapia for a lower-carb, Whole30-friendly version of bruschetta. While the recipe calls for pre-flavored fish, no worries if you can’t find that; plain fillets will do fine too!
25. 30-Minute Paleo Fish Veracruz
You don’t have to tinker much with traditional fish Veracruz to make it Whole30-worthy. The easy but richly spiced recipe is clean as is—the only twist this one adds is finishing the dish in the oven for exceptionally flaky fish.
26. Swordfish Steak With Creamy Lemon Basil Sauce
With all its natural good-for-you oils and rich vitamin D content, a serving of swordfish will put you well on your way to hitting your health targets for the week. Dress it up with an avocado-based basil sauce and serve it on a green salad for a dish that’s impressive both from an appearance and nutrition standpoint.
27. Blackened Tilapia With Cucumber Avocado Salsa
Blackening anything in the kitchen may seem alarming, but all it refers to here is the char on the tilapia after it’s rubbed in chili, cumin, and garlic, then pan-seared. The spicy fish is the perfect complement to the cooling and color-filled salsa tumbled on top.
