Pan-Fried Fish with Watermelon Salsa

Name: Pan-Fried Fish with Watermelon Salsa
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2 serving(s)
Ingredients: Fish:; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley; 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tablespoons minced fresh mint leaves; 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice; 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest; fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste; 2 white fish (tilapia, bass, cod, haddock, etc.) fillets; Watermelon Salsa:; 2 cups diced watermelon; 1 cup diced plum tomatoes; ¼ onion, minced; ½ to 1 jalapeño pepper, deseeded and minced; 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro; salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste; 2 teaspoons olive oil, or as needed

Paola van der Hulst Website

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Mexican pico de gallo gets a refresh with the addition of watermelon in this zippy recipe. The sweet-savory watermelon salsa is served with pan-fried white fish that's been marinated in fresh herbs and olive oil for super flavorful filets. The refreshing dish is ready in under 30 minutes, making it ideal for weeknight meals. Plus, it's good for you—the fish is Whole 30-approved, gluten and dairy free, and high in omega-3 fatty acids. Watermelon is a great source of multiple vitamins and minerals, especially heart-healthy lycopene. Tasty and healthy—what's not to love?

Print recipe

Servings: 2

Ready in: 25min PT25M

Ingredients

Fish:
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint leaves
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 white fish (tilapia, bass, cod, haddock, etc.) fillets
Watermelon Salsa:
2 cups diced watermelon
1 cup diced plum tomatoes
¼ onion, minced
½ to 1 jalapeño pepper, deseeded and minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 teaspoons olive oil, or as needed

Directions

Mix garlic, parsley, olive oil, mint, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt and pepper together in a bowl; rub gently onto the fish fillets. Set fillets aside to come to room temperature while you make the salsa.
Stir watermelon, tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, and cilantro together in a bowl; season with salt and pepper.
Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Cook fish in hot oil until the flesh flakes easily with a fork, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Plate the fillets and top with watermelon to serve.

Mealthy tip:

The watermelon salsa can be adapted to use whatever melon or fruit is best in season. Try it with mango, citrus, or even berries! It's also delicious with peaches in the summer. For stronger flavor, try this fish preparation with salmon, scallops or shrimp.

Tagged:

Dinner Weeknight Fusion Quick And Easy Lunch Date Night Mediterranean Mexican Fish Watermelon Seafood Finfish Whitefish Gluten-free Dairy-free Low-carb Whole 30

Reviews

4.5out of 5 Stars

(5 Reviews)

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What others are saying

Erica Schaefer says:

I adapted this recipe and did a mango salsa instead of watermelon, and paired it with cod. We did the fish on the grill with superb results. I definitely would make this again.

Queen Foodie says:

Really wanted to love this and I almost did. 4 out of 5 is still good 👌🏽 I just would have added fresh lime juice to the salsa 🍉

Caro Hodgin says:

I really, really loved this watermelon salsa. Like the other reviewers said, just remember to keep an eye on your fish and cook it according to how thick it is - it might need more than 3 minutes, it might need less! This marinade made the fish incredibly flavorful - I used really high quality swordfish, but I can see how this marinade and salsa duo would also make any ole inexpensive piece of white fish sing.

Bernardo de la Vega says:

I really enjoyed this recipe, the seasoning on the fish was very good and the watermelon salsa was superb. If you have a thicker piece of fish I recommend slicing it in half so its nice and thin for easy cooking. I used wild cod, but I am a big fan of sea bass so will use that next time.

Annie Chambers Myott says:

Loved this recipe. I am not a big fan of super spicy foods so was worried about the jalepeno in the watermlon salsa but it just added flavor! I did end up one of the thicker pieces of my fish about 6 minutes per side to ensure it was cooked through. My husband absolutely loved this dish and raved about the flavor. Perfect for a summer night. Nice and light!