Check out the recipe below, followed by photos, cooking tips, and reader reviews.
Instant Pot Brazilian Fish Stew Recipe
(Ratings: )INGREDIENTS
Stew Base:
- 1 onion, finely chopped (I use a yellow onion)
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
(I use a garlic press) - 14 oz wt. canned crushed tomatoes (I use half of a 28 oz wt. can)
- 1 cup seafood or fish broth
- 3/4 cup
canned full-fat coconut milk (I use the brand Goya and thoroughly shake the can before opening since the fat may have separated; avoid low-fat versions) - 2 tbsp
coconut oil - 1 tbsp
ground cumin - 1 tbsp
smoked paprika - 1 tsp table salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp
ground cayenne (this yields mild spiciness)
For Finishing:
- 1.5 lb fresh or thawed white fish (firm white fish like cod or halibut is ideal; you can use more delicate fish like tilapia if you don’t mind some pieces falling apart during cooking)
- 2 tbsp
coconut oil - 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro or parsley leaves
INSTRUCTIONS
Add all stew base ingredients to the pressure cooker pot (I use a 6-quart Instant Pot), and stir until well-mixed. - Secure and seal the lid. Cook for 10 minutes at high pressure. While waiting for it to cook, proceed to the next step to prepare the fish.
- Remove any skin and bones from the fish, and pat dry with paper towels if moist. Cut into roughly 1 inch pieces. Set aside.
- After pressure cooking has completed, let it naturally release pressure for 10 minutes. Then manually release remaining pressure.
- Uncover, and turn on the saute mode on the pressure cooker for medium heat to bring to a boil. Let the stew boil for about 10 minutes to thicken into a stew-like consistency, stirring frequently.
- Stir in the fish until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Fish is done when it flakes easily with a fork and is no longer translucent.
- Turn off the saute mode. Stir in coconut oil and lime juice until combined. Serve in bowls, and top with chopped cilantro or parsley. The soup will be very hot, so let it cool 10 minutes before enjoying.
- Leftovers: Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or bring to a simmer on the stovetop (avoid overheating, which will overcook the fish). This stew often tastes better the next day, after the flavors have gotten acquainted with each other.
NUTRITION
| Makes 5 Servings |
| Amount Per Serving (1.5 cups): |
| Calories 330 | |
| Total Fat 18g | 27% |
| Saturated Fat 15g | 76% |
| Cholesterol 59mg | 20% |
| Sodium 690mg | 29% |
| Net Carb 7g | |
| Total Carb 10g | 3% |
| Dietary Fiber 3g | 11% |
| Sugars 5.5g | |
| Protein 28g |
🔆 Try These Variations
This recipe calls for firm white fish, but you can use other fish and types of seafood depending on what you have on hand. Since the seafood component is added at the end of the recipe, just stir it into the stew for a few minutes or until it’s cooked through. In the comments below, readers have shared their successful experiences using other seafood such as shrimp, sea bass, scallops, mussels, and calamari.
If you love a spicy stew, then double the cayenne. As written, this stew has a low spiciness level, just mildly hot from the 1/4 tsp of cayenne. This is my preference because it allows the other flavors to shine without being overpowered by cayenne, but you can add more to taste after cooking.
❕ Tips For Success
- Note the amounts used for crushed tomatoes and coconut milk. In the U.S., crushed tomatoes are often sold in 28 ounce cans, and the recipe calls for 14 ounces, so you should only use half a can. The same goes for coconut milk, which usually comes in larger sizes than what the recipe uses.
- Thaw your frozen fish. I don’t recommend cooking directly from frozen because it’ll exude a lot of liquid into the stew.
- If you’re new to pressure cooking, avoid beginner mistakes such as forgetting to seal the lid (knob goes to the sealing position). Familiarize yourself with terminology such as natural release (don’t touch any buttons and let the pressure cooker passively release pressure).
- To scale the recipe, you can increase or decrease the ingredients proportionally, but the pressure cooking time should remain the same.
- I use a 6-quart Instant Pot. If you are using a smaller capacity pressure cooker, make sure that its maximum capacity is at least 7.5 cups, which is the approximate volume of this recipe. Larger pressure cookers are fine.
🔧 Behind The Scenes: Recipe Development
This recipe is inspired by the Brazilian dish moqueca, which is a seafood stew that traditionally uses palm oil, coconut milk, tomatoes, onions, garlic, lime, and cilantro. I developed this recipe by referencing a stovetop version; I adjusted the ingredients to suit my palette and optimized the cooking process for the pressure cooker.
To me, this dish is all about the stew base, and not so much the fish (which is why it can be substituted with other seafood, since it’s just a vehicle for transporting stew into your mouth). What really shines in this recipe is the base — coconut milk adds a unique richness and creamy feel, and the spices work together beautifully.
I chose the pressure cooker for this stew because it does a spectacular job of blending the flavors together (tastes like you’re eating at a fancy Brazilian restaurant) and for simplicity — most ingredients are tossed into the pressure cooker without fuss, almost a dump-and-go recipe.
This recipe is ridiculous. Husband was so skeptical of fish stew but I thought it sounded amazing. He wouldn’t stop talking about it after he tried it. I forgot to look for fish stock so I used chicken and added 1.5 tbsp of fish sauce. Amazing, will be making regularly.
Love it!! The sauce would make a piece of wood palpable.
Can this recipe be made on the stove or in the slow cooker?
Did I miss something? What is the coconut oil for, and do I just dump it in with the other ingredients?
The coconut oil is for flavor and added richness, and yes, it goes directly into the pot along with the other ingredients.
Should I use sweetened or nonsweetened coconut milk?
You should use unsweetened coconut milk. You can check by looking at the list of ingredients on your can’s packaging. There should be no added sugar or other sweeteners listed. I also recommend using full-fat versions, not reduced or low fat.
Yum!!! I followed the recipe exactly, except I used only 1/8 tsp. cayenne because I was afraid if there was even a little bit of heat, my kids wouldn’t eat it. I used all cod for the fish. This was absolutely delicious! Everyone loved it. I will be home alone tomorrow evening and I can’t wait to have the leftovers all to myself! I might try adding a full 1/4 tsp. cayenne next time, but other than that, I wouldn’t change a thing. This is definitely a keeper recipe. Thank you so much for sharing!!!
I made this with shrimp and sea bass. Absolutely delicious, my family thoroughly enjoyed this. Next time I will double ingredients and add scallops and calamari. Could not find fish broth. Instead I used half vegetable broth and half water.
So easy and super delicious! Will definitely make again.
This recipe is hands down the best fish stew ever and super easy to make. I added whiting, scallops, mussel, shrimp, and calamari and it was sooooooo good! I used used chicken broth and omitted the coconut oil. This is my second time making it this week! Thanks for sharing this recipe! I will be making this fish stew frequently during these cold winter months!!
Absolutely delish!! A firm fave in our household 🙂
I have made this with shrimp only and it is awesome. I freeze leftovers and before I reheat I defrost the stew and take out the fish. Then I reheat the liquid and add the previously cooked shrimp at the end. Today I am making it again and it will be with shrimp and scallops!
I added potato and used chicken stock with fish sauce instead of seafood broth. Added more coconut milk, used cod and shrimp. Super delicious. Also added a little splash of rice vinegar at the end to cut the richness, omitted coconut oil. Yum. Served with homemade biscuits.
Could veggies like potatoes or okra be added to this?
That should be fine. You’ll need to adjust the cooking time so that the vegetables are properly cooked.
This fish stew was delicious! I used tomatoes from my last garden and fresh cilantro. Yum!
This was incredible! We sliced a baguette to dip in the broth and did 1lb halibut, 1/2 lb shrimp and 6 sea scallops. I could die this was so good.
Had a lot of thawed raw fish leftover following a parish Fish Fry. This recipe looked delicious and something different than a typical chowder. I was not disappointed! The coconut milk adds a unique richness, and the spices work together beautifully. This recipe is definitely a keeper! Thanks for posting!
Amazing! My husband had seconds!
We made it tonight and it was delicious!
As an elderly American, I had never heard of fish soup or Stew. Oh, My Goodness! This is to die for! I shared with a neighbor who says he doesn’t like fish, But raved about this recipe. It is the top of my 2019 finds! Thank you so much.
i’d like to substitute jarred roasted red peppers in place of the fresh since my kids are funny about the pepper skins. would you recommend adding them as you’ve instructed or waiting to add with the fish so they don’t get too mushy?
Hi Kate! I would drain them and add them with the fish.
Thanks for this quick yet tasty recipe. Will make again for sure. I found it needed more liquid, would you suggest more coconut milk or broth?
If you feel it needs more liquid, I would add more broth.
Would chicken broth work instead of fish stock? Maybe chicken stock + some fish sauce? I wouldn’t even know where to get fish broth! Never seen it where I live…
Have you seen seafood broth? That would work as well. If that’s not available, I think your idea of chicken stock and some fish sauce would be a reasonable substitution.
If I want to add shrimp, would you recommend when the fish is added or at the end on sauté mode?
I would add the shrimp near the end of the saute mode so that it doesn’t overcook.
Oh, this is a beautiful stew! I can’t wait to make it; hopefully some fresh fish will come to where I live. Sometimes it does!
That would be great. Frozen fish that’s defrosted would work too.
Can you use cream instead of coconut milk?
You mean coconut cream? The coconut flavor is pretty important, so I would make sure you’re using coconut cream and not just heavy cream. Also, thin it out with extra seafood/fish broth so it’s not too thick, which could impact pressurization.