Seafood is on the table for meals of all sorts, especially when it comes to celebrating the Feast of the Seven Fishes! But after that huge meal is done, what to do with all of the leftover seafood that’s left in your refrigerator? We’ve rounded up our favorite ways to use up leftover seafood so that none of it goes to waste. 

Our Mission: Help give new life to your leftovers!

Our mission is to stop food waste at home! We have tons of ideas for all sorts of other proteins, but what about seafood?

Give New Life to Leftovers

If there is one thing we really don’t like, it’s food waste. Repurposing these leftovers in creative ways ensures that nothing will get wasted, which makes us totally happy! So much food is wasted in the US, but we are here to make sure that never happens again by bringing your leftovers back to life!  

 

Tips for Reheating Leftover Seafood

Reheating leftover seafood can get tricky. Most seafood shouldn’t be reheated over a strong direct heat, like searing or microwaving. Instead, try a gentle simmer, a light warming in a skillet, or a quick fry with other ingredients.

Never, ever microwave leftover seafood straight up. Instead, use the ideas below to repurpose leftover seafood the right way!

#1: Make Leftover Seafood into Buddha Bowls!

It just so happens that leftover proteins like seafood work perfectly as a part of our Buddha Bowl philosophy. And I love using seafood in these meals — it adds the perfect twist and interesting flavors to Buddha Bowls!

What exactly goes into a Buddha Bowl?

Glad you asked! A Buddha Bowl can be whatever you want it to be, but here’s what we usually do. Start with a base of grains or some kind of starch, then add veggies–cooked, raw, parboiled, etc.–and a protein. Wrap it all up with a signature sauce and a crunchy topping. This is a great way to use up all your leftover rice, lean proteins and all the bits of veggies you find in the drawer.

You can use all sorts of leftover seafood in buddha bowls, from scallops to shrimp! Try your leftover seafood in my favorite buddha bowl combinations below:

• Shrimp and Avocado with Creamy Cilantro Sauce
• Roasted Protein Buddha Bowl with Teriyaki Sauce
• Rice Noodle Buddha Bowl with Vietnamese Dressing
• Buddha Bowl with Sweet & Tangy Mango Sauce and Peanuts
• Rainbow Buddha Bowl with Tahini Lemon Dressing

#2: Make Leftover Seafood into Fish Tacos

I love making a quick and easy batch of fish tacos to use up my leftover seafood. No matter what type of seafood, it always tastes good when it’s reimagined with spices, toppings, and a crema in a taco shell. 

I love using this idea for leftovers when there’s a crowd. Just put out all of the fillings, including any other leftover vegetables and herbs you have on hand, and let the crowd do its work! Here are some of our favorite fish taco recipes:

• Easy Fish Tacos
• Fish Tacos with Taco Sauce
• Spicy Fish Tacos
• Battered Fish Tacos
• Blackened Fish Tacos with Avocado Crema

#3: Make Leftover Seafood into Fish Cakes

I LOVE this idea for leftovers because it’s a great way to use up other leftovers in your kitchen like stuffing or bread. Roughly chop your seafood, then stir it in with leftover milk or sour cream, eggs, breadcrumbs made from leftover bread, and any sort of herbs or spices you have hanging around. You can bake or fry them!

These are such a good recipe to make after a big meal. They’re light enough to be a snack or to go with a salad. Here are my favorite recipes for fish cakes:

• Classic Fish Cakes
• Spicy Fish Cakes
• Whitefish and Shrimp Cakes
• Crispy Haddock Cakes
• Scallop Cakes