Instant Pot Whole Fish (Fresh or Frozen)
This post may contain affiliate links (disclosure).
Cooking whole fish in the Instant Pot is so easy! Just put the whole fish in the Instant Pot and press the button!
Staring at a whole fish can leave you feeling lost and intimidated. You don’t have to leave delicious whole fish to the professionals, you can have a healthy and delicious fish dish ready in no time with this Instant Pot recipe. Easy enough to do from your own kitchen, dining on tender and flaky whole fish has never been faster. With your Instant Pot, this whole fish will be ready in about ten minutes. How is that for fast and delicious?
Mouthwatering and juicy, a whole fish made fresh in your Instant Pot is easier than ever. Cooking for yourself or for a group? This recipe is easily able to satisfy any troop. You can cook a single whole fish or more all at once using this Instant Pot Whole Fish recipe, no need to add extra water or to add more cooking time. If you are cooking additional fish, just be sure to keep your Instant Pot below the “Max Fill” line. If you have fish in the freezer, you can cook it straight from frozen!
It couldn’t be easier to serve up a fresh and satisfying seafood meal. With your Instant Pot, your whole fish will be juicy, tender, and flaky…. In other words, perfect. My favorite fish to cook whole is branzino (Mediterranean Sea Bass).
No need to spend all day preparing this meal, in a few short and easy steps you’ll be enjoying this Instant Pot Whole Fish. Start by rubbing the whole fish with salt and pepper, making sure to include the inside of the fish cavity. Next, you’ll place the whole fish and water in the Instant Pot. Top your whole fish with sliced lemon or lime once inside the Instant Pot. Close and seal your Instant Pot lid and it’s time to cook! Simply press the “Pressure Cook” or “Manual” button and set your cooking time for 7 minutes on High pressure. That is all there is to it! When the timer goes off, carefully quick release the steam and dinner is served.
Eating fish is a great way to fuel your body with important nutrients while still enjoying a meal that feels rich and decadent. This Instant Pot Whole Fish recipe provides fat-soluble vitamin D, a nutrient in which most people are deficient. Fish is also an excellent source of Omega-3 and is considered one of the best foods for heart health. Great for your heart, brain, and vision, this Instant Pot Whole Fish recipe is more than just delicious, it is an investment in your health.
You don’t need to be intimidated by preparing a whole fish with this quick and delicious Instant Pot recipe. Tender and luscious, this Instant Pot Whole Fish provides lean protein without skimping on flavor. Your taste-buds will thank you for trying out this incredible fish recipe!
Like the sweet potatoes that I served with the fish? They are also made in the Instant Pot! Check out my recipe for Instant Pot roasted sweet potatoes.
If you like Instant Pot Whole Fish, you will also love these easy recipes:
Instant Pot Fish Fillets – of course, you can cook pieces of fish in the Instant Pot, not just the whole fish :)
Instant Pot Shrimp – just throw in the bag of frozen shrimp in the Instant Pot and take out a delicious dinner!
Instant Pot Lobster Tails – make a fancy lobster dinner at home in minutes for a fraction of a restaurant price!
Instant Pot Whole Fish
Ingredients
- 1 whole fish cleaned
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 lemon or lime sliced
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rub the whole fish with salt and pepper, including the inside of fish cavity.
- Add water and whole fish to the Instant Pot (you can either use the trivet or put fish directly in the water). Add lemon slices on top of the fish.
- Close the Instant Pot lid and turn the valve to a Sealing position.
- Press the "Pressure Cook" or "Manual" button and set the cooking time to 7 minutes on High pressure for fresh fish (or 20 minutes for frozen).
- Once it's done cooking, quick release (QR) the steam.
Notes
Nutrition
10-Minutes seems to be a lonnnnng time for fish.
It would be long for fish fillets (they cook in Instant Pot in 3 minutes), but just right for whole fish.
What type of whole fish works best in the instant pot?
Any whole fish cooks great in Instant Pot, my favorite one is branzino.
Here in Panama, 1-2 lb red snapper (‘pargo’) is usually fried to a nice crisp, but that would be hard to do evenly with the 5.5 lb one I bought from a fisherman. And I was *hungry*, so I surfed for something quick and easy and found this. It seemed TOO easy, but it worked! I used half of a fresh 5.5 lb fish (froze the front half), and it came out totally delish, falling off the bones. I used the rack/trivet to keep it off the water. Mind you, the very center was a bit undercooked at 7 minutes, so I’ll probably go 9 minutes for the next one (once thawed). Thank you, Melanie!
I enjoyed preparing this meal for my family
easy to cook and nutritious dish