A simple Brazilian Fish Stew called Moqueca made with your choice of firm white fish simmered in coconut milk with onion, tomatoes, chilies, and lime. Easy, fast, and full of flavor! Serve with rice. Video.
This simple Moqueca recipe (pronounced “mo-KEY-ca”) is easy to make, takes about 35 minutes, and is perfect for busy weeknights and elevated enough for entertaining.
I love making Moqueca when I have guests over because it’s one of those recipes that’s truly simple to make but feels very elevated. You can make part of it ahead of time and finish it up quickly right before serving.
This recipe is a family favorite it's so versatile. It appears at request, every year at our Christmas eve dinner party, as a base for mussels. We make it throughout the year, with cod, or salmon, or shrimp and sometimes a combination. It is well loved.
Why you’ll love this Moqueca recipe!
Quick and easy! What I love about this Brazilian Fish Stew is how fast it is to prepare, and it’s made with simple, familiar ingredients. Ready in 35 minutes, it’s quick enough for weeknights, yet special enough for Sunday supper.
Bold, Brazilian flavor. Made with your choice of white fish, aromatic veggies, jalapeño for heat, savory tomatoes, cooling coconut, and fresh lime, this stew is layered in satisfying flavors!
Makes delicious leftovers. The flavor of the stew gets even better the next day. Leftovers keep for a few days, or you can freeze it! If making this ahead, leave out the fish and nestle it in when reheating.
What is Moqueca?
Moqueca is a Brazilian fish stew with coconut milk, tomatoes, and peppers. The dish is traditionally served over rice with lime and cilantro.
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.
Ingredients in Moqueca
- White fish: Use halibut, black cod, sea bass, cod, or escolar. Thicker cuts are best. Even shrimp or shellfish (clams or mussels) would work here.
- Lime: You’ll need both lime zest and lime juice to season the fish and the broth.
- Oil: My preference is Dende, a Brazilian red palm oil, for the best flavor. But coconut oil or olive oil works well too!
- Vegetables: Onion (red, white, or yellow), carrot, red bell pepper, garlic cloves, and jalapeño are sautéed for savory, aromatic flavor and subtle heat.
- Tomato paste and diced tomatoes: Freshly diced tomatoes are preferred for their juicy texture and fresh flavor.
- Spices: Paprika and ground cumin (or whole cumin seeds) add depth and warmth.
- Stock: Use fish or seafood stock, or chicken stock.
- Coconut milk: Use both the liquid and the solids.
- Fresh herbs: Finish with chopped cilantro, scallions, or Italian parsley.
The best fish for Moqueca
Use firm white fish that will hold their shape and not disintegrate in the liquid. Here are the best fish (and seafood) to use in this recipe and soups and stews in general!
- Halibut
- Pacitid Wild Cold or Haddock
- Sea Bass
- Black Cod
- Escolar
- Red snapper
- Scallops or Shrimp
Where to find the best fish
If you’re looking for a good source of wild-caught, sustainably-raised fish or seafood with no antibiotics, I highly recommend Seatopia!
How to make Moqueca
1. Season the fish. Rinse the fish and pat it dry thoroughly. Cut into 2-inch pieces and place in a bowl. Add salt, zest from half a lime, and 1 tablespoon lime juice. Massage the seasoning lightly into the fish to evenly coat all pieces.
2. Sauté vegetables. In a large sauté pan, clay pot, Dutch oven, or other large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and salt, and sauté 2-3 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium, add carrot, bell pepper, garlic, and jalapeño, and cook 4-5 more minutes.
3. Simmer. Add tomato paste, spices, and stock, and mix. Bring to a simmer, then add tomatoes. Cover and simmer on medium-low for 5 minutes, or until carrots are tender. Add coconut milk, taste, and add more salt if needed.
4. Add fish. Nestle the fish in the flavorful coconut stew, pouring the remaining marinade over the fish and into the stew, and either continue cooking on the stovetop, spooning the flavorful liquid over the fish for about 4-6 minutes (or until desired doneness), or for thicker cuts, place in a 350F oven for 8-10 minutes.
Once done, the Moqueca will have thickened beautifully.
5. Season and serve. Taste and adjust, adding salt and lime as needed. Serve over rice, sprinkle with fresh cilantro, scallions, or Italian parsley, and garnish with a wedge of lime.
Chef’s Tips
- Use firm, thick-cut fish. Choose sturdy fillets, like halibut, cod, or sea bass, and cut them into large chunks so they hold their shape and stay tender.
- Pat the fish very dry. Removing excess moisture helps the seasoning adhere better and prevents watering down the broth.
- Use full-fat coconut milk. For the best texture and flavor, don’t substitute light coconut milk. It won’t give the same silky, luxurious broth.
- Don’t overcook the fish. Gently nestle it into the simmering stew and cook just until opaque and flaky. Overcooking will make it tough and dry.
- Spoon the flavorful broth over the fish as it cooks. This keeps the fish moist and infuses it with all the flavors of the stew.
- Use dendê oil if you can find it. It adds authentic color and a distinctive depth that really defines traditional Moqueca.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Moqueca over cilantro lime rice, basmati rice, black rice, or everyday quinoa. We enjoyed this with a simple green salad, dressed with lemon, olive oil, and salt.
Crusty bread makes a nice vehicle for leftover pan juices. Trust me, you won’t want to waste this! So much flavor!
Storage
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the stew for up to 3 months. If planning to make ahead, prepare the stew without the fish. When reheating, nestle the fish in to cook just before serving.
Please let me know what you think of this Moqueca Recipe in the comments below!
More Seafood Recipes You Might Like
- Tuna Tostadas
- Simple Authentic Cioppino Recipe
- Broiled Miso Salmon
- Mediterranean Baked Cod
- Peruvian Minestrone Soup
- Jambalaya
- 100+ Low-Carb Recipes
- 100+ Cozy Soup Recipes
Happy week, friends! xoxo Sylvia
Watch How to make Moqueca
⭐️ After you try this Moqueca recipe, let us know how it turns out in the comments below. Your review will help other readers, too! Sign up here to join our community and receive our latest recipes and weekly newsletter! xoxo Sylvia
Moqueca Recipe (Brazilian Fish Stew)
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: 30 minute Dinner, easy dinner, entertaining, fish, healthy dinner, Main
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American, South American
- Diet: Gluten-Free, Keto, Low-Carb
Description
Brazilian Fish Stew (Moqueca) with coconut milk, lime and jalapeño – a flavorful seafood stew that the whole family will love.
Ingredients
- 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
- 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
Instructions
- Prep the fish. 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.
- Saute. 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.
- Simmer. 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. 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).
- Season. Taste and adjust salt and squeeze with lime.
- 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.
If making this ahead, I recommend making the stew ahead (without fish), refrigerating it for up to 3 days, reheating it, and then nestling it in the fish to cook right before serving.
Leftovers will keep up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator or can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 ounces fish plus ¼ of the stew
- 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.