While roast turkey and cranberry sauce are usually the star of the show, seafood makes a great traditional Thanksgiving dinner too. Whether you want a few seafood dishes or an entire pescatarian holiday meal, here are the top 75 best seafood recipes for thanksgiving and Christmas! From traditional to creative, fancy to comforting, one of these seafood recipes is sure to fit in perfectly.
Thanksgiving and Christmas are the time of year for quality time with family, friends and extended family and indulging in delicious food. If you and your family are seafood lovers, then this list is for you!
Jump to:
- Traditional Holiday Seafood Recipes Around North America
- Appetizers
- Seafood Salads
- Seafood Stuffing + Dressing
- Centrepiece Main Courses
- Seafood Soup + Stew
- Risotto
- Pasta
- Smoked Seafood
- How To Build A Holiday Seafood Menu
- More Seafood Recipes
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Traditional Holiday Seafood Recipes Around North America
In the Southern and Gulf Coast states, you'll find gumbo filled with shrimp, crab meat, and Oysters Rockefeller. And in the Pacific Northwest, grilled salmon is popular and Dungeness crab takes center stage in dishes like crab cakes or crab-stuffed mushrooms.
In New England, it's common to find dishes like clam chowder and lobster rolls on the Thanksgiving table. Lobster stuffed with breadcrumbs and baked until golden brown and clambakes are more East Coast favorites.
These regional specialties showcase the diverse flavors and culinary traditions of North America. Adding your own traditional thanksgiving dishes to your menu brings an extra element of excitement and interest to any Thanksgiving celebration.
Appetizers
These are the best seafood appetizers for your holiday feast. From traditional crab cakes made with delicious lump crab meat and a pinch of cayenne pepper to a fancy chilled seafood platter. Then there's three delicious versions of the classic shrimp co*cktail, raw, baked and steamed oysters, and raw dishes like salmon crudo or ceviche. This collection of appetizers has all the family holiday favourites!
Chilled Seafood Platter
A chilled seafood platter full of fresh seafood, including steamed mussels and clams, shucked oysters and king crab legs is a delicious seafood starter. A seafood platter is an elegant option and you can make it even more showy by serving on as a seafood tower on a 3 tiered platter. This one can be easily prepared ahead of time and kept refrigerated until guests arrive. GF, DF
Crab Cakes With Lemon Aioli
Delicious, award-winning crab cakes, theses are full of tender, tasty lump crab meat with a nice crispy outside. An easy lemon aioli with a touch of hot pepper sauce makes a simple, zesty and perfect compliment to these.Always a hit during the holidays.
Classic Crab Cakes
Crispy Corn And Crab Fritters With Spicy Mayo
The flavor of crab cakes without the fuss of shaping them! Lots of sweet crab meat and an ultra-light batter make these crab and corn fritters light and crispy and addicting.
Crab + Corn Fritters
Coctel De Camaron (Mexican Shrimp co*cktail)
Tangy shrimp co*cktail is fresh and crunchy, sweet, savoury and picante. Serve with traditional saltine crackers, tortilla chips, or in cucumber cups. Or to make it a plated dish, top tostadas for tostadas de camaron!
Mexican Shrimp co*cktail
Easy and Classic Shrimp co*cktail
Classic juicy shrimp served in co*cktail glasses with piquant homemade co*cktail sauce - a timeless appetizer that can be made up to 24 hours in advance. DF
Salmon Crudo
Delicious raw salmon recipe with flavors of herbs, lemon and orange, topped with pickled shallots. A fast and impressive appetizer for a large or small group. GF,DF
Salmon Crudo
Easy and Healthy Peruvian Cod Ceviche With Lime And Jalapeño
Fresh, fast and low calorie, this is a fantastic traditional ceviche recipe that you can whip up in no time. An appetizer that's great for a crowd and easy to make ahead. GF, DF
Peruvian Ceviche
Oysters Mornay (Baked Oysters With Cheese)
Briny, sweet oysters broiled with creamy French Mornay sauce. An easy, cheesy, and delicious recipe that takes just 30 minutes or less and only uses 9 simple ingredients!
Oysters Mornay
Fresh Oyster Mignonette with Champagne and Blood Orange
This Champagne mignonette with blood orange is the perfect taste to accompany raw oysters. It’s sweet, fresh and tart.
Miso Baked Oysters (Oysters Motoyaki)
Miso, lemon and oysters are the stars of this Japanese riff on Oysters Rockefeller. Quick and easy, these oysters are tangy and bubbling with cheese. Broil them in their shells or use a ramekin.
Miso Baked Oysters
Crispy Pan Fried Oysters With Lemon Caper Aioli
These are the crispiest fried oysters ever! Simple and tasty, serve them up with tartar sauce, seafood sauce or aioli.
Crispy Fried Oysters
Oysters Bienville
Oysters Bienville is a classic New Orleans appetizer that’s easy to make at home using seafood in the shell or a pit of shucked oysters.
Broiled Scallops In Shell
A luxurious, affordable seafood appetizer ready in 30 minutes or less, these broiled scallops are the perfect way to start any dinner or party.
Broiled Scallops
Cajun Shrimp co*cktail
This Cajun shrimp co*cktail is delicious like the original, with a zesty twist. Plump and juicy shrimp are coated with Cajun spices and roasted, then dunked into a tangy homemade Cajun co*cktail sauce.
Gluten-free Shrimp Appetizer Recipe
Delicious sweet prawns on a bed of avocado mango salsa & crispy tortilla chips. This colourful shrimp appetizer recipe is perfect for thanksgiving or Christmas day. GF, DF
Grilled calamari with lemon and cilantro
Grilled calamari with lemon and cilantro is one of those uncomplicated Mediterranean dishes. A simple and humble appetizer which comes together in under 10 minutes.
Sautéed + Spiced Baby Octopus
This baby octopus recipe is so delicious and easy to make! This tender octopus will impress your guests with flavors of paprika, garlic, herbs and lime juice. A Spanish style seafood appetizer.
Simple Imitation Crab Dip with Mayo (Crab Rangoon Dip)
This simple imitation crab rangoon dip with mayo will make you a winner at every gathering & the secret ingredient makes it a crowd-pleaser!
15 Minute Clams Oreganata
Littleneck clams steamed on the stovetop in the tastiest garlicky lemony white wine sauce with oregano, then topped with toasted bread crumbs. An elegant seafood starter.
How to Cook Crab Legs (5 Ways)
Learn to cook succulent crab legs at home with this easy-to-follow guide with 5 various methods to choose from. Enjoy melt in your mouth crab legs anytime!
Shrimp Oreganata
Succulent shrimp baked with crispy, lemony breadcrumbs. Simple and tasty.
Shrimp Scampi Recipe Without Wine
This shrimp scampi recipe without wine is an easy yet decadent dish of succulent shrimp in a lively, broth-based scampi sauce. A family-friendly version of scampi!
Parmesan Scallops In The Half Shell
Parmesan scallops are one of the most delicious appetizers, perfect for any occasion and they look gorgeous served in their shell. Great for a co*cktail party or sit down dinner.
Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
Make these bacon wrapped shrimp with only three ingredients! They’re a perfect appetizer or snack to serve with drinks before the big holiday meal.
Vietnamese Shrimp Toast (Bánh Mì Nướng Tôm)
Vietnamese shrimp toast is a popular appetizer that consists of lightly baked slices of French baguette bread topped with a savory blend of minced shrimp, garlic, and spices. Easy to prep ahead.
Stuffed Shrimp with Crab
Stuffed shrimp is an excellent appetizer for holidays & special occasions. These baked crab stuffed shrimp are easy to make & feed a crowd.
Shrimp and Crab Dip Supreme
Easy shrimp and crab dip recipe comes together quickly, makes a large quantity to feed a crowd, and won’t drain your budget. Perfect for a Thanksgiving seafood buffet.
Seafood Pizza
Enjoy the holidays with this luxurious seafood pizza packed with shrimp and scallops! Perfect for dinner and a movie or an appetizer.
Seafood Salads
Salads are a great option for seafood and shellfish sides. Go light with the Italian marinated seafood or the Thai style prawn salad. For a creamy Southern-style side, whip up the easy special seafood salad recipe.
Italian Seafood Salad Recipe
This Italian seafood salad recipe is filled with seven different types of seafood for the best addition to your Italian Christmas eve dinner! Briny olives, garlic and fresh herbs combine with tender, freshly cooked seafood for a tasty salad that is perfect for the feast of seven fishes. A light and healthy seafood recipe.
Thai Prawn Salad With Mango
Thai prawn salad will be on your table in under 30 minutes. Bright and vibrant with fresh herbs and a Thai style dressing that can be made ahead. This salad pairs well with seafood curry, miso baked salmon and other whole roasted fish.
Prawn + Mango Salad
Easy Seafood Salad Recipe for a Special Side Dish
Are you looking for a special side dish to go along with a celebratory meal? This recipe has been a tradition in our family for years. It always brings to mind memories of gatherings from the past and…
Seafood Stuffing + Dressing
What would thanksgiving or Christmas dinner be without stuffing or dressing?! My personal favorite, I think this tasty dish is even better with savory seafood in it. Go with a traditional oyster stuffing or try the Ultimate seafood dressing below. For a South American specialty, you've gotta try the shrimp stuffed pumpkin!
The ULTIMATE Seafood Dressing (Stuffing)
This Seafood Dressing is amazing. Rich tender cornbread mixes with fresh shrimp, lump crab meat, fresh herbs, spices and a seafood stock to create the ultimate decadent stuffing side.
Brazilian shrimp stuffed pumpkin (Camarão na Moranga)
Brazilian stuffed pumpkin recipe (Camarão na Moraga) is a delicious unique seafood stuffing recipe that can be the main course or a side dish. Sweet, tender shrimp along with tomatoes, garlic, herbs and more create a stuffed filling for a cream cheese laced whole baked pumpkin. Surprisingly simple to make, this dish has WOW factor!
Centrepiece Main Courses
Pick a delicious seafood main dish for your holiday feast. From richly flavoured, roasted whole fish to Salmon Wellington, luxurious scallop recipes to all the cream sauced favourites, these seafood recipes make a wonderful thanksgiving meal. These are almost all easy recipes too!
Salmon Wellington
Salmon Wellington is a restaurant-quality dish that’s easy to make at home. This salmon Wellington recipe looks impressive but will be on your dinner table in just 30 minutes!
Individual Salmon en Croute
Just like the full size salmon Welly above, these Individual Salmon en Croute (or Salmon Wellingtons) is a classic French dish made with salmon, spinach, and cream cheese wrapped in puff pastry. Each guest gets their own mini Salmon Wellington!
Mixed Seafood Kabobs
With shrimp, scallops and halibut (or other firm fish), these mixed seafood kabobs are a healthy dish that is decadence on a skewer. No pre-marinade needed.
Smoked Salmon Pasta Rosettes (rolls)
These divine Italian baked smoked salmon pasta rosettes make a great dish to impress guests. Serve as a starter or main course.
Steamed Sea Bream Chinese style
Sea bream is a Mediterranean sea fish, also called ‘crucian carp’. This impressive-looking yet simple recipe is steamed in Asian flavors of soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil and scallions and uses just 7 ingredients!
Whole Roasted Branzino with Tomato and Olive Salad
Whole Roasted Branzino with Tomato and Olive salad is a tender, flakey and impressive dish. Only you will know how easy it was to make.
Cajun Seafood Boil in a Bag
If you’re looking for an inspired seafood dinner that is easy to make and incredibly flavorful, this Cajun seafood boil in a bag recipe is the perfect recipe. Big bold flavors meld together in this Cajun classic.
Baked Whole Salmon Fillet
Juicy, tender and soft baked whole salmon fillet recipe is a quick dinner meal. Let’s learn how to bake a whole salmon fillet in the oven.
Baked Salmon Fillet With Dukkah
A baked salmon fillet with dukkah crumb, served with a fennel salad. A deliciously stunning centerpiece, perfect for every special occasion.
Chestnut and Pepper Crusted Salmon Fillet
A delicious chestnut and pepper crusted salmon fillet recipe. Sockeye salmon beautifully complemented by a roast chestnut and herb topping that’s fresh tasting, wonderfully healthy and delicious.
Salmon Oscar
This classic Salmon Oscar pairs salmon with lump crab, asparagus and a rich Béarnaise sauce for a simple, yet out of this world meal!
4-Ingredient Pomegranate Glazed Salmon
The easiest 4-ingredient pomegranate glazed salmon you will ever make. Bright and festive, this is a sweet and savory salmon recipe the whole family will love. Garnish it up with some fresh green herbs to make it extra special for the holiday table.
Salmon and Fresh Vegetables with a Creamy White Wine Sauce
This salmon and fresh vegetables with creamy white wine sauce is perfect for spring and summer dining. Learn how to cook salmon for dinner with this easy salmon recipe. This cream sauce for salmon is tasty making this a salmon and vegetable dinner recipe you make on repeat.
Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi-Mahi
Macadamia nut crusted Mahi-Mahi with sweet chili lime butter sauce is a quick and easy seafood main course that is nutritious and delicious.
Swimming Scallops Vongole Style
Delicious, cream-free aromatic broth steams these sustainable, oceanwise scallops into sweet deliciousness. GF and Dairy Free
Scallops Vongole
Scallop Casserole Seafood Recipe
This scallop casserole is delicious as either an entree or a side dish. Scallops are healthy and full of protein. Learn how to make this delicious dish.
Stuffed Calamari with Tomatoes and White Wine
In this recipe, whole squid bodies are stuffed with a mixture of squid and shrimp, breadcrumbs, and pecorino cheese. Use the tentacles to make crispy calamari for the first course! Absolutely delicious!
Shrimp and Crab Stuffed Cod
Shrimp and crab stuffed cod is filled with rice, simple seasonings, and topped off with a pat of butter before going into the oven. A simple but decadent holiday seafood recipe with seafood stuffing.
Pan-seared Scallops With Beurre Blanc
Pan-seared scallops are an easy and delicious dish perfect for entertaining or a weeknight meal. Serve with saffron beurre blanc.
Butter Poached Lobster
Butter poached lobster is tender lobster tails poached in buttery sauce full of garlic and fresh herbs and enjoyed with pasta. A show stopper meal for Thanksgiving or Christmas!
Easy Broiled Lobster Tails
Sometimes simple is best! Broiled lobster tails and drawn butter is perfect for a fancy and festive Thanksgiving dinner. Easy and elegant!
Seafood Soup + Stew
Serve up one of these fish dishes this holiday season. Luxurious seafood stews, soups and curries are a particularly welcome thanksgiving feast when it's cold and stormy outdoors. These are a great way to take your taste buds on a trip. Travel to Italy, New England, New Orleans, Brazil, Nova Scotia, India, Thailand or France with one of these ultra flavorful fish soups or stews!
Hearty, rustic bread or rice make great side dishes for these thanksgiving recipes.
Easy Cioppino Recipe - An Italian Seafood Stew
An easy and delicious seafood stew flavoured with orange, fennel and tomato fits I perfect for a chilly Thanksgiving evening. With juicy crab, moist cod and plump shellfish, this is a luxurious meal that anyone can make. Cioppino only takes 45 minutes and comes in at well under 400 calories per bowl (not including the aioli). DF, GF
Easy Cioppino
Oyster Stew
A delicious, easy and luxurious dish, traditional on Christmas Eve.Done in under 30 minutes with less than 10 ingredients, this is the perfect soup for a chilly day.
Oyster Stew
Bouillabaisse
Get ready to impress your guests with this mouth-watering bouillabaisse recipe. With perfectly cooked fish and seafood and aromatic flavours, this traditional French recipe is an elegant Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
Classic Creamy Lobster Bisque
Lobster Bisque is a classic, rich and creamy soup that’s perfect for special occasions or when you want to serve something fancy. A fitting starter or soup course to any holiday feast.
Creamy Clam Chowder In A Bread Bowl - Easy Recipe
Creamy clam chowder in a bread bowl is rich and delicious with lots of sweet tender clams and potatoes. Full of real ingredients with no fillers, this clam chowder is the real deal. With just 15 minutes of prep and 20 minutes of simmering, it's ready in no time!
Creamy Clam Chowder In A Bread Bowl
Seafood Gumbo Recipe
This vintage Seafood Gumbo Recipe is chock-full of tender shrimp, oysters and crabmeat swimming in a spiced broth that began with a deep medium flavorful roux. Big bold flavors and lots of seafood make this classic a holiday favorite.
Zuppa Di Pesce - Italian Seafood Soup
The most delicious Italian seafood soup built on layers and layers of beautiful flavours. The perfect dish for the feast of the 7 fishes at Christmas or treat your friends and family at Thanksgiving.
Nova Scotia Seafood Chowder
Nova Scotia seafood chowder is a rich, creamy, soup loaded with seafood, plus smoky bacon and fresh dill added for extra flavor. Similar to a New England chowder, this is pure comfort. Perfect as a Thanksgiving starter or main course.
Scallop Curry
Scallop curry is creamy, fragrant, sweet and savory and a little bit spicy. With less than 10 ingredients and 30 minutes, this dinner is easy to make any night of the week. Coconut milk and spicy Thai red curry paste pair up to take your taste buds to Thailand.
Scallop Curry
Indian Salmon Curry
The Indian salmon curry has a long history, dating back to the Great Mughal Empire, and is one of the staple dishes of Indian cuisine. The origin story of Indian
Moqueca (Brazilian Seafood Stew)
This Moqueca Baiana recipe is an delicious Brazilian seafood stew that’s easy to make, and is perfect for special occasions and company.
Seafood Bisque
This seafood bisque is rich, creamy, deliciously seasoned and loaded with shrimp and scallops. A restaurant-quality soup made right at home!
Risotto
Salmon or scallop risotto is extra fresh and delicious with a sprinkling of fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon. These elegant recipes pair well with appetizers like oysters on the half shell, grilled or bacon wrapped shrimp or some oyster stew. Thanksgiving side dishes like green beans, roasted veggies, crispy salad or the Italian seafood salad above.
Lemon Scallop Risotto
Creamy risotto, sweet scallops and bright lemon join forces to create this quick and easy Italian style scallop risotto.
Scallop Risotto
Easy Salmon Risotto
Gorgeous Scottish salmon risotto with fresh peas and tenderstem broccoli is fresh, elegant and vibrant. Simple to make and absolutely delicious!
Pasta
Pasta is always in great taste during the holidays. With classic Italian flavors of olive oil, garlic, fresh herbs, cream or tomato sauce paired with delicate seafood, these are some of my favorite things. Pasta goes well with sides of grilled seafood, crisp green salad, baguette or rustic breads, and soup or shrimp co*cktail as a starter.
Easy Seafood Alfredo...From Scratch!
A rich and luxurious seafood pasta alfredo made with wholesome, real ingredients. This is an easy and fast recipe using precooked marinated seafood but fresh raw seafood can be cooked in at the end instead of precooked if you like.
Easy Seafood Alfredo
Lobster Pasta Recipe
Lobster is the ultimate indulgence and this lobster pasta is a light, tasty meal you can make in minutes. A perfect Christmas or thanksgiving dinner when you don't want to spend all your time cooking!
Linguine Frutti di Mare
Linguine frutti di mare is a light and delicious seafood pasta dish. Made with a variety of fresh seafoods, this is a classic Italian recipe that's perfect for seafood lovers!
Scallop and Bacon Pasta
With just 6 ingredients and only 30 minutes you’ll be eating this fragrant, silky scallop and bacon pasta in no time! Scallop and bacon pasta is made like carbonara but with a west coast twist featuring West Coast Wild Scallops.
Scallops Carbonara
Lobster Ravioli
Lobster Ravioli with a Lemon Butter Sauce uses a baked ravioli technique you can prep ahead for dinner parties, holidays, and romantic nights.
Pasta Alla Salmone
Luxurious, silky and sweet salmon enveloped in simple creamy sauce and tossed with fettuccini makes an elegant statement at your holiday table.
Pasta Alla Salmone
Baked fish ravioli from Liguria.
If you are a fish and seafood lover, this homemade baked fish ravioli from Liguria in Northern Italy is an absolute must-try! The striking black and white of fish and mussels makes this a show stopper.
Seafood pasta with shrimp and scallops (and garlic)!
Seafood pasta with shrimp and scallops and lots of garlic is seriously one of the fastest and most delicious meals you can make with pasta!
Simple Seafood Lasagna
This Simple Seafood Lasagna is easy to make and would make the perfect addition to any gathering or for the holidays.
Easy Crab Pasta Sauce with Spaghetti and Lump Crabmeat
Easy Crab Pasta Sauce with Spaghetti and Crabmeat is the perfect balance of decadence and simplicity and only takes 30 minutes from start to finish!
Seafood Stuffed Shells
These seafood stuffed shells feature a mixture of shrimp, crab, and scallops for an elegant dish that’s perfect for a special occasion meal.
Smoked Seafood
Want to break out your smoker over the holidays? Try these delicious smoked seafood recipes for something extra ordinary! These make great conversation pieces during the day and tasty snacks to enjoy before your Thanksgiving day or Christmas dinner.
Smoking Trout The Right Way {Old Family Recipe}
Smoking trout: this is how you properly brine and smoke a whole trout. Works for fillets too. An old family recipe for smoked whole trout.
Garlic & Herb Smoked Shrimp
These Garlic & Herb Smoked Shrimp are so easy to prepare, full of flavor, and smoked to perfection on the pellet smoker.
How To Build A Holiday Seafood Menu
Choose A Main Course
Start by deciding on the main seafood dish you want to serve, such as a whole roasted fish, a luxurious shellfish soup or pasta, Southern seafood boil or Spanish seafood paella. Then, think about the accompanying sides. Pair up coordinating side dishes. If your main dish is creamy, add a grilled or marinated seafood side and vice versa. If your seafood main course is light or tomato based, choose a rich or creamy seafood side dish.
Choose Appetizers
Ideally, seafood appetizers will follow the theme of the dinner but since they are served separately, you can break this rule if you like. Shrimp co*cktails are classics but get creative with a piquant Mexican version. Raw or grilled oysters feel festive while not too filling. Crab rangoon or seafood dips are great on buffets and tend to be crowd-pleasers.
Add Some Vegetables
It's a good idea to include some vegetarian dishes for those who may not eat seafood. Salads are a great veggie side that is refreshing, a good counterpoint to rich, creamy seafood recipes. Go with a simple green salad, a richer roasted veggie and blue cheese salad (great served with the Italian seafood pasta dishes)or tasty apple kale slaw (pairs well with rich sauces).
Include Some Traditional Holiday Recipes
Traditional dishes fit right into a seafood menu too. Stuffing or dressing is one of my favorite things, maybe even the best part. Go with a seafood or oyster dressing baked up in a casserole or stuffed into your turkey. Or bake up a classic stuffing to serve with your baked salmon.
Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes pair up well with roasted and baked fillets. Garlic butter roasted potatoes, nut studded rice pilaf and sautéed green beans are other delicious an traditional sides that pair well with these seafood thanksgiving recipes.
Finish With Dessert
And of course, don't forget the desserts. Traditional pumpkin pie or New Orleans bread pudding with bourbon sauce are a popular choice. Apple or key lime pie with light meringue or a simple, rich chocolate tart (below) are also a great option to finish off your holiday table.
I hope these recipes have inspired you to host a fabulous holiday meal with your favorite seafood recipes. And most importantly, enjoy your Christmas or thanksgiving weekend with those you love the most.
More Seafood Recipes
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See more Seafood →
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Cheers and happy cooking, Friends! Sabrina
