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
Excellent! Use smoked paprika if you have it. Plus easy clean up is a bonus.
Great Nate!
This has become a family favorite. It is so simple to make. I like to add cauliflower to the recipe. It even tastes great as a left over. Thank you for sharing all your delicious recipes.
So happy you are enjoying this Mary Ann!
We’ve made this many times. A real winner.
Appreciate this!
Absolutely delish!!! I just found your site looking for a fish recipe, will def. be trying some more of your suggestions!
Thanks Reeze!
I never post comments, but this is an outstanding recipe. I have made it three times and I have decided to do it for a dinner party. Thank you so much!
Thanks so much Jennifer, glad you enjoyed and appreciate the comment!
Turned out great!! Thanks!
Great to hear!
This recipe was absolutely amazing! Highly recommended. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Here are a additions that I made.
– 1 t chicken bouillon powder
– 1 t red pepper flakes
– 1 t garlic powder
Love it JJ, thanks!
Hey! I’m a brazilian woman and we dont make moqueca like this, we dont use carrots, only onions tomatos (fresh, not paste)pepper fish coconut milk (and azeite de dendê of course) and fresh coriander on top
Thanks for the feed back Bruna!
Absolutely dfectper elicious! Made it once, and can’t wait to make it again. So easy and quick but also sooo tasty. Thank you so much for sharing. Just one question – in your list of fish best for this recipe I didn’t see Monkfish. Is this no good? I thought it’s meaty fish that should be perfect for this recipe. What are your thoughts? Thanks again.
Glad you enjoyed this kate! Yes, monk fish would work great here. I can’t find it where I live so often forget about it.
Thank you so much Sylvia, and what a timely reply – I am actually cooking the stew right now and have some beautiful monkfish – your the confirmation was just what I needed. Thank you very much again!
Let us know how it turns out!
Fabulous! Tasty! I usually play with the ingredients a bit….more of this, less of that. Personal preference. I served it with cilantro/lime rice to soak up all the sauce.
Perfect! Totally make it your own!
Hi I want to make this but don’t have any ground cumin only seeds. What can I substitute or can I leave it out?
You could toast the seeds and grind or crush?
So simple and so tasty! I omitted coconut milk and used a bit of heavy whipping cream instead because my family are not fans of coconut milk. Otherwise follow the recipe as written. Everyone loved it and asked that it stay on regular rotation.
Perfect Izabla! Gald this worked for you!
Made this tonight with fresh halibut and it was crazy good. Such a versatile base soup that would be great with any seafood, all veggie with beans and greens, or even chicken. This is going to become a household staple!
Thanks kate- appreciate this!
Great to hear Kate!
I only have smoked paprika. Would that work?
That should be fine!
Best recipe ever, I use it whenever I want to show off to dinner guests
Awesome Kira!
This was outstanding! Would not change anything. Housemate is recovering from covid and I’m newly ill and feeling very sorry for myself. Absolutely glorious flavours, just the right amount of heat and tang and flavour packed enough to tempt my palate. Housemate made it with Rig and added green beans and spinach for extra vegetables. Served it with coconut rice leftover from yesterday’s satay.
Sounds great! Thanks Niki, sending healing thoughts 🥰.
Thank you. Still feeling very sorry for myself but a couple of days in bed has me feeling almost human.
I hear you Niki, it is so hard to be sick. Glad your feeling better!
This was fantastic! My husband and I are both still raving about it. Thank you for sharing, we will definitely be making this again.
Hi Laura, I’m so happy you liked this!
I made this Moqueca yesterday and it was sooooo good!!
Great to hear Ingrid! Thanks for rating!
I made this recipe three times for family and friends and they loved it. I would add is a bit of sugar to balance the acid and salt of the tomatoes and spices at step 3! I used a little chili powder to add some kick to it!
Perfect Ed! Love that you balanced with sugar- a great tip. 🙂
Delicious! It almost seemed too simple to taste so good but we loved it. Used shrimp and haddock.
Oh good! Great to hear!
This was amazing – I made it with prawns instead of fish and used light coconut milk. I ended up only using half a can because it had enough coconut flavour for me at that level. Probably helped by using coconut oil at the start too. Really wonderful flavour – will certainly be making it again – my husband loved it. Thanks for sharing this.
Glad you enjoyed this Charlie!
Wonderful dish! I make this regularly now
So great to hear Kristy!
This is the kind of dish you make to impress your friends! It’s so rich and flavorful, full of veggies and imparts a zest for life while eating it! 😁🤘🏼Looking forward to making it with seasonal veggies as they become available at farmer’s markets 🤤 Love your work, Sylvia! 🤝🏼
Glad you enjoyed this Robyn!
Love this recipe in the UK
Thanks so much Julie!
So easy and tasty, using staples I already had in the house. Marinating the fish in lime first gave it a special flavor. My husband asked me to put this recipe on regular rotation.
Great to hear Zina!
I am a decent home cook but this was not nice….I had to drain sauce off and it generally didn’t taste good. First time in 12 years hubby said he didn’t want to eat my food.
Shoot Fiona- I’m sorry to hear that. It’s a pretty basic ingredient list, the only thing I can think of is…could it be your fish was “off”?