A simple Brazilian Fish Stew called Moqueca made with your choice of fish and simmered in coconut milk with onion, tomatoes, chilies and lime. Easy, fast and full of flavor! Serve this with rice! Video.
Looking for more? Check out 50+ Best Fish Recipes! and 50+ Easy Dinner Ideas!
This simple recipe for Brazilian Fish Stew is easy to make and takes about 35 minutes, perfect for busy weeknights! Brazilians call this dish Moqueca (pronounced “mo-KEY-ca”) and it can vary a bit from region to region.
This version hails from Salvador, a bustling city on the coast of Brazil, just north of Rio de Janeiro, that offers up delicious seafood prepared using African influences and techniques. This part of Brazil is known for pairing fish with spicy chilies, lime, and cooling coconut milk, a lovely combination.
What I love about this Brazillian Fish Stew is how simple it is, and how quick it is to make! Quick enough for weeknights and special enough for Sunday supper….either way, I think you will like this recipe for Moqueca. Serve it with rice or a simple green salad, or both!
We have several other popular fish stews on the blog all super delicious; Portuguese Fish Stew (Caldeirada), Sea Bass with Cannellini Bean Stew and Peruvian Seafood Stew with Cilantro Broth
How to make Moqueca! | 45-second video
What is Moqueca?
Moqueca is a Brazillian Fish stew with coconut milk, tomatoes and peppers. It’s traditionally served over rice with lime and cilantro.
Ingredients in Moqueca:
- White fish- Halibut, Black Cod, Sea Bass , Cod, escolar, etc. (thicker cuts are best)
- Dende – Brazillian Red Palm oil ( or coconut oil)
- Onion
- Carrots
- red bell pepper
- garlic
- chili peppers
- tomato paste
- spices
- fish or chicken stock
- Tomatoes
- coconut milk ( liquid and solids)
- Lime
The best firm fish for soups or stews:
You generally want to use firm white fish for most stews and soups, because they will hold their shape and not disintegrate in the liquid. Here are 10 the best fish (and seafood) to use in soups and stews.
- sea bass
- halibut
- black cod
- haddock
- escolar
- ono
- red snapper
- salmon
- scallops
- shrimp
Where to find the best fish!
If looking for a good source of wild-caught, sustainably-raised fish or seafood with no antibiotics, I highly recommend Seatopia!
How to make Moqueca
It starts with seasoning the fish. Use black cod, halibut, sea bass, black cod, escolar or any firm white fish ( or shrimp) you like.
Even shrimp or shellfish (clams or mussels) would work well here.
In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and salt, and sauté 2-3 minutes.
Turn heat down to medium, add carrot, bell pepper, garlic and jalapeno pepper and cook 4-5 more minutes.
Add tomato paste, spices and stock.
Mix and bring to a simmer and add tomatoes.
Cover and simmer gently on medium-low for 5 minutes or until carrots are tender.
Add the coconut milk and taste and add more salt if necessary.
Nestle the fish in the flavorful coconut stew, pouring the remaining marinade over the fish and into the stew, and either continue cooking stovetop, spooning the flavorful liquid over the fish for about 3-5 minutes ( until the desired doneness) or for thicker cuts, place in a 350F oven, for 8-10 minutes.
Once done, the Moqueca will have thickened beautifully.
Sprinkle with fresh cilantro or Italian parsley and serve with a wedge of lime.
We enjoyed this with a simple green salad, dressed with lemon, olive oil and salt and rice.
Crusty bread makes a nice vehicle for left-over pan juices. Trust me, you won’t want to waste this! So much flavor!
Please let me know what you think of this Moqueca Recipe in the comments below!
You may also like:
- Balinese Fish and Potato Curry (Kari Ikan)
- Sinigang (Filipino Sour Soup)
- Sea Bass with Cannellini Bean Stew
- Portuguese Fish Stew (Caldeirada)
- Peruvian Seafood Stew with Cilantro Broth
- Simple Salmon Chowder
- Simple Authentic Cioppino Recipe
Happy week friends!
xoxo
Brazilian Fish Stew – Moqueca
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Braise
- Cuisine: South American
Description
Brazilian Fish Stew (Moqueca) with coconut milk, lime and jalapeño – a flavorful seafood stew that the whole family will love.
Ingredients
Fish:
- 1 – 1 1/2 pounds firm white fish- Halibut, Black Cod, Sea Bass ( thicker cuts are best)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- one lime- zest and juice
Stew/ Sauce:
- 2–3 tablespoons coconut or olive oil (or use Dende – Brazillian Red Palm oil for the best flavor!)
- 1 onion- finely diced ( red, white or yellow)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup carrot, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 4 garlic cloves- rough chopped
- 1/2 jalapeno, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin (or whole seed)
- 1 cup fish or chicken stock
- 1 1/2 cups tomatoes, diced ( preferably fresh)
- 1 14 ounce can coconut milk ( liquid and solids)
- more salt to taste
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, scallions or Italian parsley
- squeeze of lime
Serve over cilantro rice, basmati rice, black rice or everyday quinoa.
Instructions
- Rinse and pat dry the fish and cut into 2 inch peices. Place in a bowl. Add salt, zest from half the lime and 1 tablespoon lime juice. Massage lightly to coat all pieces well. Set aside.
- In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion and salt, and sauté 2-3 minutes. Turn heat down to medium, add carrot, bell pepper, garlic and jalapeno and cook 4-5 more minutes. Add tomato paste, spices and stock. Mix and bring to a simmer and add tomatoes. Cover and simmer gently on medium low for 5 mintues or until carrots are tender.
- Add the coconut milk and taste and add more salt if necessary.
- Nestle the fish in the stew and simmer gently until it’s cooked through, about 4-6 minutes. Spoon the flavorful coconut broth over the fish and cook until desired doneness or longer for thicker pieces. ( You can also finish this in a 350F oven).
- Taste and adjust salt and squeeze with lime.
- To serve, serve over rice, sprinkle with cilantro or scallions and a squeeze of lime.
- Drizzle with a little olive oil if you like.
Notes
Serve with rice or crusty bread to mop up all the juices.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 ounces
- Calories: 290
- Sugar: 4.2 g
- Sodium: 429.9 mg
- Fat: 17.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 9.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 11.4 g
- Fiber: 2.3 g
- Protein: 23.5 g
- Cholesterol: 50.1 mg
Just made this recipe for my family for the first time and everyone loved it. Delicious and easy to make.
So so good! I had leftover sauce so added a few sliced cooked potatoes and chicken broth for a delicious soup for lunch the next day. I used sable fish (black cod) for dinner the night before and it was fantastic. Will be making it again as an easy company-worthy main course for friends next week!
Yay! So happy you liked it!
All the chopping made prep quite lengthy…but this was SO delicious. I will definitely make it again!
Very tasty recipe. I used just over a pound of halibut, half pound of large shrimp, and a dozen or so little neck clams. The salty clam juice made this extra tasty! Also added sriracha to my bowl to make I bit spicy. All in all very good dish and easy to make. I’m not sure I will use the entire can of coconut milk again though – very rich. Will make this again for sure.
A perfectly FABULOUS dish! I’m planning on making it again for a friends’ “feast” at our home! Thank you!
Thanks Janet!
Made this last night using Chilean Sea Bass and Sea Scallops. 5 stars , one of the best seafood dishes I’ve ever eaten
This Brazilian stew is fab..made it as stated and served with cilantro lime rice..
Because there is only two of us , next time I would pan sear the halibut, finish off the fish by itself in a hot oven, and serve it on top of the stew…this way I could reuse the base and create a completely different dish the next day, adding chickpeas, chopped olives, avocado, chicken to name a few to the base and it would be another fab new dish.
Love it Kim- great idea!
Made this yesterday with cod and it was absolutely delicious! An instant hit, definitely going to crack this one out for guests next time. Thanks!
Thanks Madiana!
Absolutely delicious!!! Immediately became one of my favourite recipes. Thank you!
So happy you liked this Olga!
Fast and tasty. We ended up with lots of sauce leftover, so next time may increase amount of fish. Or use as we did this time, added tofu to it for lunch! I used swai for the fish and it came out perfectly.
Hi Sylvia,
I absolutely adore you and your approach to cooking and have told so many people about how simple, versatile, healthy and delicious your recipes are!
I was planning on making the Moqueca for guests this weekend and just wondering if you recommend any particular kind of paprika to use. I know you use smoked paprika quite often (which I love- thanks for the introduction!) but didn’t know if that would over power the fish and if I should just stick to regular paprika.
Hi Patty- thanks so much! Just use regular paprika, not smoked!
I made it with cod and forbidden rice. We loved it and it was so fast to get on the table on a Wednesday night after work. Next time maybe some mussels and shrimp.
Glad you enjoyed it!
EVen without the Dende Oil this is really a lovely recipe! Thank you!
Great to hear, thanks for the comment Mert!
Made it tonight using Mahi Mahi. It was delicious. I served it with red quinoa. Will definitely make it again.
I made this tonight I used Mahi Mahi and it was absolutely delicious. I served it with red quinoa. Will definitely make it again.
O my.. made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious! I couldn’t believe how easy it was to make compared to the outcome. This is definitely a keeper in my book. Thank you so much!
I plan on making this tomorrow night for dinner. At what point do you add the red palm oil? I’ve seen videos where everything is sauteed in olive oil and towards the end the palm oil is added. BTW, I was able to find the palm oil at a local African shop here in Orlando 🙂
Fran- you can do it either way. Stir it in at the end, or use it to saute the onion etc.
Our meal was fantastic. My family love, loved this stew. I prepared this recipe exactly as written. Side note-Every single ‘Sylvia’ recipe I have prepared has been very well tested and worked without tweak. I’ve made so many that when my family asks what’s for dinner and the response is, a ‘feastingathome’ recipe, they start purring like kittens.
Oh my goodness, how sweet. Thanks so much, really appreciate this Beth! Glad you are enjoying!
So easy to make and the result is so good. Thank you for sharing!
Delicious and EASY! Thanks for another tasty fish recipe.
This has nothing to do with the authentic Brazilian Moqueca. The true Moqueca from Bahia uses DENDE palm oil, which gives it the rich orange color and unique flavor. It must also be served over rice with a light fresh chili sauce. Your other recipes are lovely.
Hi Kamila – yes, you are right, Dende makes this dish really shine, but so hard to find here unless you order it online.
Fabulous! This is a great company dish- easy, delicious, and a bit unusual. You can do much of the prep ahead of time and just cook the fish at the last minute before serving. It really warrants a splurge on some high quality fish ( and be sure not to overcook it!). I splurged a bit on halibut filet and it was well worth it!
Enjoy.
Yes, it’s a good one for making ahead! Glad you enjoyed!
I spend as little time as possible in the kitchen. But when I saw this recipe I decide to give it a try. Not only was it really easy to make but it was delicious. My husband always cooks but he will have to step aside as iI will be making this again when we next have guest over for dinner.
This was so good! We all loved it. Perfect for summer–so light and fresh.
Hi! I don’t use much coconut milk in my cooking. Did you use canned milk or refrigerated? Sweetened or unsweetened? It looks really delicious! Thanks!
canned!
sweet or unsweet??????
What do you mean?
unsweetened.