A flavorful Brazilian fish stew with coconut milk and tomatoes, also called moqueca, made in the Instant Pot pressure cooker. Low carb, keto, paleo, and gluten free.
Recipe Overview
Moqueca is a fantastic seafood stew with white fish. The stew base is made with coconut milk, which gives it a creamy texture and feel. It tastes like a thick and hearty meal, but isn’t actually very caloric. I feel like I’m eating at a fancy Brazilian restaurant every time I make this.
To me, this dish is all about the stew base, and not so much the fish. After all, it’s just white fish, which is pretty bland by itself. What really shines in this recipe is the base, which includes coconut milk, crushed tomatoes, vegetables, broth, and spices. Since the fish is merely a vehicle to transport more of the delicious stew into your mouth, I tell people that this is a dish you’ll love even if you don’t usually like white fish.
Making Moqueca In The Instant Pot
I usually think of cooking appliances like the slow cooker and pressure cooker as primarily cold weather appliances, since they excel at making stews and soups.
Turns out I was wrong. I’ve actually been using my Instant Pot more than ever during this past summer, making things like Turkey Chili and Bacon Pork Chops. Unlike oven or stovetop dishes, using my Instant Pot doesn’t heat up the kitchen. It’s perfect for hot weather days, when the last thing I want to do is cook anything that’s going to heat up the house.
The Instant Pot does a spectacular job with this seafood stew by bringing out the flavors of various ingredients. To adapt this Brazilian dish for the Instant Pot, I started with this stovetop version and made some ingredient tweaks as well as optimizing cooking times for the pressure cooker.
For reference, I developed this recipe using a 6 quart Instant Pot. Smaller pressure cookers should work just fine, as long as their maximum capacity is at least 7 1/2 cups, which is the approximate volume of this recipe. Larger pressure cookers will also work, and if you decide to double the recipe, note that the pressure cooking time should remain the same.
Ingredient Tips
Some of the ingredients are worth pointing out:
- Note the amounts used for crushed tomatoes and coconut milk. In the U.S., crushed tomatoes are usually 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.
- I use seafood broth, but fish broth will also work well. I use a low sodium version, but regular is fine too. If you’re worried about this seafood stew being overly salty, you can start off with less salt and add more to taste after it’s done cooking.
- I give a range of amounts for cayenne. The lower amount is for mild spiciness, which is actually my preference because it allows me to taste the other flavors without being overpowered by cayenne. The higher amount is for moderate spiciness, which is for anyone who loves spicier foods. If you’re not sure what to use, start with the smaller amount and add more later if it’s not spicy enough.
- I recommend using white fish that’s on the firmer side. I usually use fresh cod because it’s readily available at my local grocery store, but halibut should work well too. Since the white fish isn’t a crucial component of this stew, I think that substituting other fish like salmon, or even other kinds of seafood like shrimp would also work well. The seafood component is added at the end of the recipe, so just stir it in until it’s cooked through. You can tell when the fish is done because the flesh looks less tight and more flaky. I don’t recommend using frozen fish because it’ll exude a lot of liquid into the stew, so make sure to thaw it first.
Serving and Leftovers
This fish stew is really hot when it’s done, so give it 5 to 10 minutes after cooking to cool down a bit before enjoying.
If you have leftovers, you’re in luck. I think this fish stew is even better the next day, after the flavors have had a chance to get acquainted with each other.
You can reheat leftovers in the microwave, but be careful not to overheat because you can easily ruin the texture of the fish by overcooking it.
Instant Pot Brazilian Fish Stew (Moqueca)
DESCRIPTION
INGREDIENTS
Stew Base:
- 1 onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper sliced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 14 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
- 8 ounces seafood or fish broth
- 6 ounces canned full-fat coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne (mild to moderate spiciness)
For Finishing:
- 1 1/2 pounds firm white fish like cod or halibut
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add all stew base ingredients to the pressure cooker pot, and stir until well-mixed.
- Secure and seal the lid. Cook for 10 minutes at high pressure, followed by a 10 minute natural release. Manually release remaining pressure.
- Uncover and turn on the saute mode on the pressure cooker for medium heat. Let the stew boil for 10 minutes to thicken the sauce, stirring frequently. While waiting for the stew to thicken, 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 1 inch pieces.
- When the stew has thickened, stir in fish until cooked through, about 5 minutes.
- Turn off the saute mode. Stir in coconut oil and lime juice until combined. Serve in bowls, and top with chopped cilantro or parsley.
NUTRITION
| Nutrition Facts Per Serving |
| Calories 320 | |
| Total Fat 18g | 27% |
| Saturated Fat 14g | 72% |
| Trans Fat 0g | |
| Cholesterol 60mg | 20% |
| Sodium 370mg | 15% |
| Potassium 110mg | 3% |
| Total Carb 10g | 3% |
| Dietary Fiber 3g | 11% |
| Sugars 5.5g | |
| Protein 27g |
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!
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.
Hello Julia
Can i double the amount of ingredients and make bigger batch? Cooking times i assume will stay same (I’m using 6q Instant-pot)
Regrads
Yes, you can double the ingredients. The pressure cooking time would stay the same. For the boiling part in Step 3, you may need to boil longer than specified. The liquid should appear like a thick soup or stew.
We made it tonight and it was delicious!