30+ Fast and Easy Sides to Serve with Fish

updated Mar 11, 2022

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Sautéed mushroom and onions on a turquoise plate with a spoon on the plate. — Credit: Laura Rege
Sautéed Mushrooms and Onions

Fish is one of those proteins that’s perfect for weeknights: It’s delicious, cooks quickly (even when it’s straight from the freezer), and is super satisfying. My biggest struggle is figuring out what to serve alongside it. In theory, picking side dishes for fish should be easy — especially mild-mannered white fish, as it can partner with almost anything. What makes this task so tricky is the timing, though, because most fish recipes take no more than 20 minutes, with some recipes clocking in around half that amount of time.

If you have the same struggle, here are over 30 fast and easy side dishes for fish that are guaranteed to pair well with anything from trout to salmon to shrimp dinners.

A Few of Our Favorite Fish Recipes to Try

Comforting Rice and Grains

Here’s a strategy for cooking rice or grains when serving with fish: Start the dish early (use a rice cooker with a timer and make it the morning of), use an Instant Pot, or look for cold salads that you can prep ahead. This way when the fish is done cooking you aren’t waiting on your side dish to finish. Here are some faster and easier rice dishes.

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Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

An easy, make-ahead recipe for quinoa salad filled with fresh vegetables, herbs, and cheese that's perfect for a packable lunch.

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Cilantro-Lime Rice

This cilantro-lime rice is zesty and fresh, and the perfect addition to almost all of your weeknight meals.

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Barley with Shiitake Mushrooms and Sage

A serious upgrade from a pot of steamed rice, barley is extra hearty when paired with mushrooms and sage.

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Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole

Broccoli and long grain and wild rice enrobed in delicious cheese sauce and covered in crispy breadcrumbs. Yes, please!

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Easy Buttery Garlic Rice

This easy rice is extra flavorful, thanks to the addition of browned, garlic-infused butter and crispy garlic chips.

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Portuguese-Style Mint Rice

Have an abundance of mint on your hands? Make this bright and fresh mint rice.

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One-Pot Rich Lemon Rice

This side dish is part risotto, part carbonara. Rich and creamy thanks to eggs and Parmesan, its burst of brightness comes from a squeeze of lemon.

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Slow Cooker Elote Rice

This elote rice is loaded with all of the delicious flavors of Mexico.

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Lemon Quinoa with Currants, Dill, and Zucchini

Cooking the quinoa with currants adds a sweet note that is balanced out with lemon juice and zest, herby fresh dill, and grated zucchini.

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Mushroom Rice Pilaf

This creamy mushroom and herb-flecked skillet makes the perfect side to anything you're cooking for dinner, or better yet top it with a yolky poached or fried egg to make it the star of your plate.

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Mexican Restaurant-Style Cauliflower Rice

Just like the savory rice from your favorite Mexican restaurant, this version is made with cauliflower rice and comes together in minutes.

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One-Pot Farro with Carrots and Chickpeas

This quick and easy farro with veggies and beans can play both a wholesome vegan main dish or a satisfying side.

Refreshing Salads and Slaws

This category is my personal favorite. The combination of a rich, fatty fish like salmon and a punchy slaw just makes dinner so exciting!

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Quinoa & Carrot Salad with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette

Paula Disbrowe's answer to a better grain salads is fresh vegetables and smoked grains.

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Cabbage and Apple Slaw with Honey-Lime Dressing

Tossed cabbage and apple make for a zesty and refreshing side slaw.

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Simple Arugula Salad

This quick, easy, and unfussy arugula salad is tossed in a lemon vinaigrette and finished with shaved Parmesan.

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Raw and Roasted Radicchio Salad with Sweet Potato, Manchego, and Crunchy Seeds

This topping-heavy salad is designed so that there's no digging around for the good parts; it's all good parts. Roasted sweet potato keeps the raddcchio's bitterness in check, and toasted sunflower seeds add crunch.

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Sesame Ginger Slaw

If you're looking for a twist on slaw that's also total crowd-pleaser, there is no better choice than this sesame ginger version.

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Broccoli and Kale Caesar Salad

This hearty broccoli and kale salad is topped with golden croutons and a velvety Caesar dressing made with roasted garlic and cashews.

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This colorful green garden salad is inspired by the produce-packed Jersey salad at Delancey in Seattle.

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Quick and Easy Roasted Vegetable Salad

A warm, entree-friendly salad that's filled with roasted sweet potatoes, mushrooms, and shallots and tossed in a tangy balsamic mustard vinaigrette.

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Salt and Pepper Smashed Cucumber Salad

This the easiest cucumber salad, made with just salt, pepper, and a homemade vinaigrette.

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Tangy Carrot Slaw

This French-inspired carrot slaw is guaranteed to become a household favorite.

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Tangy Cabbage and Jalapeño Slaw

Thanks to the crunchy textures and bold tangy and spicy flavors, no one will ever be the wiser that you pulled this together in just five minutes.

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This easy slaw relies on a bag of shredded cruciferous vegetables plus almonds, dried cherries, and a tangy honey-mustard dressing.

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Crunchy Peanut Slaw

Thanks to a few handfuls of roasted peanuts, this refreshing, light slaw is extra fragrant.

Brilliant Vegetable Sides

Raw, grilled, or otherwise quickly cooked vegetables are ideal for serving with fish and getting the timing just right. Don’t sleep on hearty vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower as a side for fish either.

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Roasted Potatoes and Carrots

A homemade BBQ spice mix adds big flavor to this sheet-pan side dish.

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Sautéed Mushrooms and Onions

Combine sautéed mushrooms and onions with the slight acidity of lemon juice and white wine for a dish that bursts with umami.

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Oven-Caramelized Cabbage Wedges

Cabbage wedges are tossed with olive oil and seasoned simply with salt, then roasted in a hot oven until darkly-caramelized and tender, with extra-crispy edges.

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Easy Broccoli Rabe

This step-by-step recipe for easy sautéed broccoli rabe involves quickly blanching the greens to reduce bitterness.

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Cacio e Pepe Broccoli

The beloved pasta meets roasted broccoli florets in this place, feel-good side dish.

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15-Minute Parmesan-Thyme Mushrooms

Just 15 minutes and a handful of ingredients are all you need to bring these hearty Parmesan mushrooms to the table.

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Balsamic Glazed Veggie Kebabs

These mixed vegetable kebabs are brushed with a balsamic and garlic glaze. Try making them on the grill or in the oven.

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The Best Fried Cabbage

Cabbage, bacon, and a couple of spices join forces for a quick and easy, smoky-sweet side dish that will forever change the way you think about cabbage.

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Easy Skillet Kale with Lemon & Garlic

This quick recipe for sautéed kale flavored with lots of lemon and garlic is one you'll end up turning to frequently.

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Parmesan Roasted Zucchini

This stuffed zucchini is great served either warm right out of the oven or at room temperature.

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Honey-Garlic Butter Roasted Carrots

Roasted carrots are anything but boring when they're tossed in a honey-garlic brown butter sauce.

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Lemon-Pepper Asparagus

This simple twist on roasted asparagus makes it a whole lot more interesting, though it's just as easy to prepare.

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Quick Stovetop Spinach

All you need is spinach, a pan, and a pair of tongs for the fastest way to cook spinach.

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