Good beginner fish for a non-fish eater

ChangingAmanda
ChangingAmanda Posts: 486 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've never been a fish eater but I would like to expand past chicken and beef. What is a good "beginner" fish for someone that's never been a fish eater before. I'm looking for something versatile and easy to prepare, and if possible, doesn't leave my apartment smelling like fish for days. I have access to several major chain grocery stores, a Wal-Mart, a Whole Foods and a Fresh Market.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!
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Replies

  • youareorange
    youareorange Posts: 74 Member
    Salmon is my favourite fish. It's easy to prepare - I just steam it as is and eat it. Of course you can do way more but this is my preferred method, it's easy and fast. I love the taste of salmon on its own and I don't even use condiments or spices. Steaming it is really healthy and keeps its moisture.

    You can also buy several fillets of frozen salmon and steam them as well.
  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,025 Member
    Goldfish. Cheap, plentiful, and easy to swallow whole.
  • rachface1234
    rachface1234 Posts: 227 Member
    Salmon is delicious, I love to coat it with 2 tbsp. soy sauce, 2 tsp honey, 2 tsp fresh ginger, 1 tbsp. orange juice and scallions. Wrap in tin foil, put in a cold oven. Turn oven to 400, in about 15 minutes, it will be delicious!

    Or, if salmon is too fishy for you, tilapia is the cheapest/easiest to come by: I like taking a baking dish, spray with olive oil, fill bottom with two cups of fresh spinach, top with tilapia, pour 1/2 can of diced tomatoes on top, and add 1 tbsp. parm, bake at 375 for about 15 min, so yum!
  • ChangingAmanda
    ChangingAmanda Posts: 486 Member
    Goldfish. Cheap, plentiful, and easy to swallow whole.

    Ya know, I thought about that, but the last time I had goldfish in the house, the cat got to them first... :wink:
  • michele2377
    michele2377 Posts: 50 Member
    Tilapia is a very mild white fish. Easy to season to your tastes. Salmon is too fishy for me, I've never really been fond of it.
  • Mlkmaid
    Mlkmaid Posts: 356 Member
    Shark! My kids love it. Tastes like chicken. The milder fish are shark, halibut, tilapia, flounder. The good thing about shark is it's really firm so you can throw it on the BBQ grill.
  • julwills
    julwills Posts: 286 Member
    Tilapia, flounder, cod and halibut are good white fish. They're not too strong of a flavor. To me, salmon is too strong and I've had to adjust to eating it but now I like it. I don't love it, but I'll eat it cooked certain ways!
  • kuntry_navy
    kuntry_navy Posts: 677 Member
    tuna, not canned tuna though.one of those stores will(guaranteed) have a seafood section, see if they have tuna steaks. the texture isn't slimy, not too fishy, and the taste is amazing. i cook mine in a skillet with a little olive oil and add a little dill to it while it's cooking.
  • baptiste565
    baptiste565 Posts: 590 Member
    whiting is good when fried
  • dennik15
    dennik15 Posts: 97 Member
    I love salmon, but it's a little on the fishy side for a newbie fish eater. If you're looking for something mild, try haddock or cod. Both are good broiled or grilled with any kind of seafood seasoning on them. I also like to make little foil packets to bake. You can put in a filet of any kind of fish you choose, a squeeze of fresh lemon, a teeny bit of butter (teaspoon or so maybe), and some fresh torn basil leaves. This is YUM! I won't eat tilapia or swai, but that's just my personal weird food thing. If you are close to a lake or river, small mouth bass and walleye are my absolute favorite fish to catch and eat :love:
  • KristyTonn
    KristyTonn Posts: 46 Member
    Haddock! Cod and Talapia are pretty good as well. And I can't stand anything that smells fishy.
  • jtangcs
    jtangcs Posts: 37 Member
    Halibut's probably a good fish to start off with, although it can be a bit tough if overcooked. If you don't want any serious fishy smell at home when you cook fish (regardless of fish), make sure it's fresh. I'd suggest buying it somewhere reputable, or a fish market if you could. Fresh fish should smell clean and like the sea, and not fishy. You'll find frozen fish tend to be have a fishier smell compared to fresh fish.

    Good luck!
  • candacefausset
    candacefausset Posts: 297 Member
    Salmon is my favorite ever. But tilapia is a good one to start out with that doesn't have an overly fishy taste to it. I saute a little garlic in butter and had a bit of fresh cracked pepper , wrap each filet with foil and a bit of the sauteed garlic mix and lemon juice and bake it. So yummy! My toddler even loves it!
  • Kohadre
    Kohadre Posts: 316
    Goldfish. Cheap, plentiful, and easy to swallow whole.

    Sad thing is I actually know people who have done this.
  • Jennas125
    Jennas125 Posts: 16
    Haddock or Cod it has no fishy smell or taste and I use homemade cocktail sauce with it to get me use to the taste. ( Ketchup and horseradish to the desired flavor) I absolutely love it and i buy it breaded and then bake it in the oven. Schwan's has a good one that I love and even my kids will eat it sometimes.
  • jsd_135
    jsd_135 Posts: 291 Member
    Halibut's probably a good fish to start off with, although it can be a bit tough if overcooked. If you don't want any serious fishy smell at home when you cook fish (regardless of fish), make sure it's fresh. I'd suggest buying it somewhere reputable, or a fish market if you could. Fresh fish should smell clean and like the sea, and not fishy. You'll find frozen fish tend to be have a fishier smell compared to fresh fish.

    Good luck!

    Halibut is awesome but super expensive now. Around here (Wisconsin), it's about $25/pound.

    Mahi mahi is a pretty mild white fish and easy to cook. Cost is about $13/pound. Works well in fish tacos and on its own.
  • puella202
    puella202 Posts: 4 Member
    Hey! I have been slowly getting into eating more fish, I used to be a big red meat eater, and also chicken. For me, tilapia is great because it does not taste fishy.

    Another thing I love is swordfish. It is thicker so when you are eating it, it gives you the texture sensation of eating beef. It has become my favorite fish, you can buy it frozen at BJ's.

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  • nsagley
    nsagley Posts: 84 Member
    I like swai filets. They have a buttery, non-fishy taste and are really easy to cook. I just throw em in a skillet either with olive oil or cooking spray put a little seasoning on em ( I like Cavendar's or fajita seasoning) and cook em til their flaky.
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
    I've never been a fish eater but I would like to expand past chicken and beef. What is a good "beginner" fish for someone that's never been a fish eater before. I'm looking for something versatile and easy to prepare, and if possible, doesn't leave my apartment smelling like fish for days. I have access to several major chain grocery stores, a Wal-Mart, a Whole Foods and a Fresh Market.

    Any help would be appreciated.

    Thanks!

    Pro tip - if it smells "fishy" it's actually not fresh. Fresh fish actually doesn't smell all that fishy and shouldn't make your house smell like that at all, must less for days at a time.

    That said, here's some I haven't seen mentioned:

    Trout
    Bluegill
    Crappy (aka "Papermouth")

    Trout is actually a pretty awesome fish for non-fish-lovers. It doesn't taste fishy at all, and when cooked right, it melts in your mouth. My mom used to bread and fry some fillets every week. Even I, the person who pretty much never eats fish, have to admit they're pretty good like that.

    The only downside is that you'll probably have to fish these ones yourself, or find a fisherman friend (they're freshwater fish, pretty common to rivers and lakes, though, especially if in North America).
  • b7bbs
    b7bbs Posts: 158 Member
    Tilapia is a very mild white fish. Easy to season to your tastes. Salmon is too fishy for me, I've never really been fond of it.

    I agree that tilapia is a great fish to start with. It's very mild and just tastes like what ever you season it with. Salmon is delicious, but not a fish to start with. It can be fishy, sometimes even too fishy for me. I like all kinds of fish and seafood. Even red snapper may be a good choice too, but Tilapia is a good way to start.
  • wiltl
    wiltl Posts: 188 Member
    Cod, Halibut or Tilapia - these are generally what is used if you think of Fish and Chips. These are good when pan-fried or done in the foil packet method with a bit of garlic, salt, pepper and lemon.

    My dad generally hates fish, but will do okay with these and also seemed to like blackened salmon. I guess it covered up the fishy flavor. Blackened catfish is amazing, too but not sure if its a beginner level fish.
  • _noob_
    _noob_ Posts: 3,306 Member
    Tilapia would be my start commercially. Small black bass, crappie, bluegill, yellow perch, or walleye/sauger if you catch your own.
  • bearkisses
    bearkisses Posts: 1,252 Member
    tilapia is pretty simple. just bake with some italian salad dressing as a maranade.
  • JulesAlloggio
    JulesAlloggio Posts: 480 Member
    I enjoy Tuna..mix it with cilantro (to flush out the mercury)

    or I love eating Swai Its a type of catfish that is sooooo delicious!
  • Hatchling84
    Hatchling84 Posts: 24 Member
    Tilapia
  • NutellaAddict
    NutellaAddict Posts: 1,258 Member
    Same here I have never eaten fish before....What do you put on it?
  • toaster6
    toaster6 Posts: 703 Member
    White, firm fleshed fish tend to have milder flavors. I tried Dover Sole last night and I think it has an even milder flavor than Tilapia.
  • thrld
    thrld Posts: 610 Member
    whitefish tends to be less 'fishy' in taste. -- so flounder, tilapia etc.

    The easiest receipe for fish is to put it in a baking dish, smear 1 tsp of light mayo across the top, sprinkle with breadcrumbs to coat top and then bake.

    Fish tacos are yummy - and you can change them up by switching out your salsa (mango salsa fish tacos, extra yummy)
  • jbirdjr70
    jbirdjr70 Posts: 19
    definately cold water cod....but my favorite right now is grilled salmon.....because of flavor and price. If I didn't have a budget it would be mahi mahi and sea bass!!!
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
    tilapia. It's tasteless when cooked. I mean mild in flavor. You can get it to take on the flavor of almost any sauce or veg cooked with it.


    My biggest recommendation - learn to cook fish properly - it will taste soooooo much better if it isn't overcooked. You want it to be just slightly translucent - not dry and flakey.

    I'm particularly fond of trout, if we're talking cooked fish. If it's raw, it's all fair game.

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