March is National Frozen Foods Month
Celebrate National Frozen Foods Month with these 10 Seafood Recipes that Freeze Remarkably Well.
Frozen meals are a multibillion dollar industry. They tick so many boxes for busy folks who want the convenience of popping something in the microwave, airfryer, or frying pan after a long day at work. Some commercial products are quite good — others not so much — and it’s hard to know the difference before purchasing and preparing them. As a bonafide foodie, and someone who cooks for a living, I much prefer making my own freezer meals or at least using my freezer for leftovers.
Seafood is very delicate and generally does not re-freeze well, but here are 10 seafood recipes that you can make in batches to freeze and either reheat or fully cook later, taking meal prep to a whole new level.
Breaded and (not yet) Fried
Falafel-Crusted Fish Fingers
Crab cakes, fish sticks, and fish nuggets are great candidates for freezing because they are coated with breadcrumbs, panko, or falafel mix which protects the fish from drying out. Coat the fish with whatever breading you like, then arrange them — uncooked — on a parchment or waxed paper–lined baking sheet and freeze them until solid. Once frozen, transfer them to a sealed container and freeze for up to 1 month. No need to thaw before deep-frying, pan-frying, or air-frying.
Burgers, Meatballs, and Patties
Halibut meatballs
While we don’t recommend re-freezing our fish in its raw state, with burgers, meatballs, and fish cakes, binders like mayonnaise, panko, and mashed beans add moisture and help maintain texture. Freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet before transferring to a sealed container and freeze for up to 1 month. No need to thaw before pan-searing, grilling, or air-frying.
Dumplings, Wontons, and Pastries
Seafood Wontons in Chili Oil
Savory fillings like smoked salmon or salmon burger freeze particularly well when enclosed in puff pastry or wonton wrappers. Wontons and dumplings are a labor of love and require a bit of time when assembling. But once they’re frozen they take just a few minutes to boil, making them faster, easier, and tastier than takeout after a busy day.
Puff pastry bakes particularly well when frozen, making these Mini Puffs ideal for freezing. For both dumplings and pastries, freeze them in a single layer on a parchment or waxed paper–lined baking sheet before transferring them to a sealed container for up to 1 month.
Grace Parisi
Culinary Director Grace Parisi is a cook, writer and cookbook author. Formerly the Senior Test Kitchen Editor at Food & Wine Magazine and Executive Food Director at TimeInc Books, her work has appeared in Cooking Light, Health, O Magazine, Epicurious, Fitness, Today, Serious Eats, Martha Stewart, and many more. She’s the author of more than 6 books, among them The Portlandia Cookbook and Get Saucy, which was nominated for a James Beard award for Best Single Subject Cookbook.
