30+ Classic Sauces for Fish (Easy, Flavorful + Delicious!)

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Wondering what the best sauces to serve with fish are? I’ve got you covered with this handy guide.

These sauces pair with all your favorite seafood recipes.

The BEST Sauces for Fish

These are some of my favorite sauces to serve with fish. I’ll usually pick one based on the type of seafood dish that I’m preparing.

Here are some examples:

Keep reading to discover a sauce that you love. Then pair it with a couple fish side dishes, a perfect fish wine pairing, and you’re guaranteed an amazing dinner!

An elegant, white wine sauce for fish that looks and tastes luxurious but is incredibly easy to make using a simple restaurant trick!
Get the RECIPE from Recipe Tin Eats
This Crispy Salmon with Beurre Blanc and Sautéed Fennel is definitely a crowd pleaser!
Get the RECIPE from Cooking with Cocktail Rings
Jar of chipotle crema with spoon on small plate next to lime wedges and small bowl of chipotles.
Add some smoke and spice to your favorite recipes with this Chipotle Crema. A Mexican-inspired sauce, this creamy mix is made with chipotles in adobo to give a boost to fish tacos.
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Learn How to Make Brown Butter with my info packed guide. With intense, nutty caramel flavour, browned butter will elevate all your dishes.
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Spoon stirring yellow herb sauce in small white bowl
This lemon butter sauce, made with dry white wine and fresh dill, is the upgrade your next fish dinner craves! Switch up your go-to weeknight dinner recipes with this 10-minute creamy sauce for fish.
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Dill Pickle Tartar Sauce – No fish fry is complete without the perfect tartar sauce!
Get the RECIPE from Southern Bite
Overhead shot of remoulade in bowl with shrimp surrounding it.
This easy Louisiana-style Remoulade Sauce is a smoky and tangy dipping sauce that’s perfect for po’ boys, fried green tomatoes, and crab cakes.
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Lemon caper sauce on spoon over small bowl.
This easy 6-ingredient lemon caper sauce has a delicious dimension of flavors and a velvety richness, making it the perfect match for fish, shrimp, chicken, and more! Ready in just 5 minutes, it’s a simple go-to sauce that always upgrades your weeknight dinner.
Lemon Caper Sauce
Bowl of seafood boil sauce with spoon next to seafood boil spread on newspapers.
Learn how to make Seafood Boil Sauce from scratch! It’s a rich and layered butter sauce that’s perfect for Southern seafood boils and for sprucing up your usual weeknight dinner. Easy to make in 20 minutes!
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This Creamy Cajun Salmon is absolutely loaded with flavour. Quick, easy, rich and delicious, this truly is the ultimate cajun salmon recipe!
Get the RECIPE from Don’t Go Bacon My Heart
Hand dipping spoon into green sauce.
This Peruvian Green Sauce (or Aji Verde) is a spicy and versatile condiment. Made with jalapeno, cilantro, and fresh lime juice, plus Greek yogurt to give it a creamy texture. It's an amazing dipping sauce, spread or dressing.
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Piccata sauce is a zesty, lemony butter sauce that complements the fish perfectly. This light, healthy recipe is a very easy to make, family friendly dinner that is great for busy wee…
Get the RECIPE from Delicious Little Bites
Only 7 ingredients and 20 minutes stand between you & this fresh sweet and savory orange basil butter sauce that’s drizzled over your favorite white fish & vegetables!
Get the RECIPE from Bless Her Heart Y’All
Bearnaise sauce in small black bowl.
Bearnaise Sauce is great with steak, but also one of the classic sauces for fish. Flavored with fresh cracked blacked pepper and tarragon leaves.
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Overhead shot of shrimp arranged on white plate with cocktail forks and bowl of cocktail sauce in the middle.
This easy Cocktail Sauce recipe is a zesty and tangy dipping sauce that’s perfect for prawn cocktails, po’ boys, and crab cakes. 
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Small bowl of aji amarillo sauce topped with habanero pepper and surrounded by french fries.
This Aji Amarillo Sauce is a spicy and versatile Peruvian condiment. Spicy yellow pepper paste is blended with creamy and tangy ingredients, leaving you with an outstanding dipping sauce, spread, or dressing.
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This delicious recipe for garlic butter sauce is simple and extremely satisfying. Cooked in one pan, no fuss, amazing results.
Get the RECIPE from Erren’s Kitchen
Piece of salmon on top of rice drizzled with wasaba and sriracha mayo.
Creamy wasabi sauce is delicious on these Spicy Salmon Sushi Bowls!
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Overhead shot of small glass jar of honey mustard sauce next to honey wand and small bowl of mustard
This easy homemade Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce recipe is made with just 4-ingredients This easy sauce for fish will be ready in 5 minutes! All you need to make it are yellow mustard, dijon mustard, mayonnaise and honey. 
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Crema arranged on plate with limes and cilantro.
This quick and tangy Cilantro Lime Crema is ready in just 5 minutes. Better than sour cream, this Mexican condiment is flavored with fresh cilantro and lime juice to create a creamy and vibrant dressing, taco topping, or dipping sauce for fish sticks.
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Hand holding small bowl of mojo sauce.
This Green Mojo Sauce can be used for topping SO many different things. It’s loaded with fresh herbs, garlic and spicy peppers and it just perks up everything that it comes in contact with.
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Ditch the store bought stuff and learn how to make the BEST TARTAR SAUCE! Made with mayo, relish, herbs, and lots of citrus, this is fantastic as the perfect seafood dip!
Get the RECIPE from Grandbaby Cakes
Chimichurri sauce in small jar with spoon.
This Chimichurri Sauce recipe is packed with flavor and easy to make with simple ingredients & your blender or food processor.
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Hand holding jar of homemade bbq sauce
This Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe is so easy!  Made in just 15-minutes with simple ingredients you probably already have on hand. This southern sauce is delicious on grilled salmon.
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SIDE VIEW OF BOWL OF GREMOLATA NEXT TO LEMON AND GARLIC CLOVES.
Learn to make Gremolata, a zesty Italian condiment that always adds fresh, vibrant flavor to seafood. All you need is fresh parsley, lemon zest, and garlic. Bonus: customize it with more add-ins or use olive oil to transform it into a marinade!
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Italian dressing in small jar with spoon.
This easy homemade Italian Dressing recipe is made with a tangy and zesty mix of pantry staple ingredients and dried herbs. Use it as a zesty marinade for fish or drizzle it on your cooked dish.
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Hand holding spoon dipping into green goddess dressing.
This healthy Green Goddess Dressing takes less than five minutes to make and is loaded with fresh herbs, garlic and tangy lime juice. Use it as a dip or as a zesty topping for seafood.
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Bowl of mango salsa in serving bowl next to tortilla chips.
This sweet Mango Salsa has tons of flavor and flair! The bursts of acidity and brightness from the juicy fresh mangos, jalapeno, lime juice, and red onion are delicious with tortilla chips or on fish tacos.
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Romesco sauce in white bowl next to almonds and crusty bread.
Romesco Sauce is packed with flavor and easy to make with simple ingredients & your blender or food processor. This roasted red pepper based Spanish sauce is delicious with chicken, pork, seafood and roasted vegetables.
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Pineapple salsa served in fresh pineapple bowl.
This Easy Pineapple Salsa is light and fresh with just a hint of heat. It makes an amazing dip for chips but is also amazing as a topping for grilled fish or pork tacos! 
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Bowl of jalapeno salsa next to small bowl of sesame seeds.
This jalapeno sesame salsa recipe is totally unique and so addictive! It’s the perfect topping for a simple salmon filet.
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Basil Arugula pesto in small white bowl with spoon.
Arugula Pesto has peppery kick from the arugula and is flavored with parmesan, garlic, lemon zest and pine nuts.
Get the RECIPE

More fish pairings:

More sauce recipes:

Did you Make Any of These Sauces for Fish?

Please leave a comment and rating below, if you loved this round up of sauces for fish. Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.

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Spoon stirring lemon butter sauce in small white bowl

30+ Classic Sauces for Fish

Looking for the best sauces for fish? I've got you covered with this guide! Start off by trying this lemon butter sauce, made with dry white wine and fresh dill. It's the upgrade your next fish dinner craves!
5 from 6 votes
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Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 8
Created by Platings and Pairings

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup dry white wine (or dry vermouth)
  • 3 Tablespoons shallot (minced)
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice (fresh squeezed)
  • ½ cup unsalted butter (cut into 6 pieces)
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons fresh dill (chopped)
  • Salt and pepper (to taste)

Instructions

  • Boil wine, shallot and lemon juice in a small saucepan over high heat until reduced to ¼ cup, about 6 minutes.
  • Reduce heat to low and add butter, one piece at a time, whisking until melted before adding more.
  • Remove pan from heat. Stir in dill.
  • Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Enjoy over your favorite fish.

Notes

  • If you don’t have dill, you can still use this delicious recipe, just swap the dill ingredient out for parsley, basil or tarragon.
  • If your sauce is too thin, you can continue cooking it over low-medium heat and whisk in a few tablespoons of cornstarch and cold water to thicken it up a bit. Always start with a little and add as needed.
  • If you over season the sauce, Like I said before, less is more! When making sauces especially, it’s super easy to season, taste, and season some more. To take down too much seasoning, you’ll have to add in more bone broth and water to balance the flavors — then likely more cornstarch to thinking the mixture again. You’ll then end up with LOTS of sauce.
  • If your sauce is too sour, then you probably just have a bit too much lemon juice in comparison to your other ingredients. Even that out by adding in a little more garlic, shallots, and white wine, then whisk together. Don’t be afraid to taste your sauce while you cook to ensure you’re getting the perfect flavors.
Did you make this recipe?Mention @platingsandpairings or tag #platingsandpairings!

Nutrition

Calories: 124kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 36mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 361IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg

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