Pescado a la Veracruzana {Veracruz-Style Fish Recipe}

Pescado a la Veracruzana is a special fish dish from the state of Veracruz, Mexico. Simple to prepare and perfectly seasoned, this classic meal always impresses a crowd. Make this recipe and serve with cilantro-lime rice for a special holiday dinner or any time you want something delicious and festive.

This post is created in collaboration with California Grown and California Ripe Olives. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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If you like my Hominy Veracruzana, you’re going to love today’s Pescado Veracruzano. We use the same base recipe, skip the hominy, and add flaky fish fillets. Delish!

The Mexican food from this region is so interesting and distinct. Veracruz lies on the Gulf of Mexico and is one of the largest and oldest ports in the country. For centuries ingredients from Spain and other European countries have made their way to Mexico through this port, like the olives and capers in this dish.

Whenever you see anything “a la Veracruzana” it means cooked with these Mediterranean flavors so popular in this heavily Spanish-influenced region.

Why You’ll Love This Pescado a la Veracruzana:

• Elegant, heady sauce which, like my pollo a la diabla, glows a vibrant red with juicy tomatoes
• Delicate flaky fish that soaks up the flavors as it poaches in the sauce
• Briny California ripe green olives bring punch and pizzazz
• All-in-one dish with fish, sauce, and baby potatoes
• Easy to make; just simmer everything together then add the fish at the end
• Just like arroz con pollo or pozole this is a large, beautiful, Mexican meal perfect for holiday celebrations—gluten-free and dairy-free too!

Wondering what wine might go well with this dish? Here’s 9 rules to pairing wine with Mexican food.

These Are Key Ingredients You Need & Why

Like all of the recipes on my websites and in my cookbook, I tested various ingredients and ratios to develop a standout dish with excellent flavor and texture. Here are some key ingredients:

• Green olives: For this recipe we are using California Ripe Green Olives because they have a smooth and nutty flavor that pairs beautifully with the sauce and fish. They are grown on multi-generational family farms who pour their heart and souls into creating these buttery gems.
• Fish: The traditional fish used to make this dish is red snapper (called huachinango in Spanish). If you can’t find this any firm white fish will work. I’ve made this with Pacific cod, rock cod, halibut, and sea bass.
• Tomatoes: Just like in my spicy tomato mushroom sauce, fresh tomatoes make up the body of the sauce while a bit of tomato puree adds luscious texture.
• Capers: Adds salty pop to balance the dish.
• Chile Güero + pickled jalapeños: These are the traditional peppers that are used in the dish. The Güero chiles are yellow, medium-spicy peppers. If you can’t find them you can substitute banana peppers, either fresh or pickled. I also use pickled jalapeños and the pickled jalapeño juice. Have leftover pickled jalapeño juice? Use it to make spicy jalapeño micheladas.
• White onion & garlic: These make up the base of the sauce.
• Bay leaf, parsley, thyme: Herbs are the final finishing touch adding depth and sophistication. Use this combo or swap the thyme for either oregano or marjoram.
• Baby potatoes: To make a lovely one-dish meal add some creamy baby potatoes to simmer along with the fish.

You also need olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper, and fresh limes for squeezing lime juice over the finished dish.

The Best Green Olives To Use

California Green Ripe Olives are meticulously grown and harvested right here in California and have the perfect savory flavor and meaty texture for this dish. I like to add them at the end of cooking to preserve their toothsome texture and freshness.

You can find them at your local grocery store, just look for the blue and yellow California Grown label on the can.

Overview: How To Make It

You’ll find the full recipe below, but here’s a quick visual of the steps:

Salt the fish: Salting the fish fillets will help them keep their texture and prevent them from becoming mushy in the sauce. Sprinkle them all over with salt and refrigerate while you make the sauce.

Make the sauce. Heat the oil in a large frying pan big enough to hold all the sauce ingredients over medium heat. I use my sturdy 5-quart Le Creuset Braiser. It’s the same pan I use to make oven-baked Mexican rice, Mexican baked eggs, and roasted red pepper-guajillo sauce.

Start with the onions then add the chopped garlic cloves and the tomatoes and let cook down. Add the capers and the tomato sauce, and bay leaves and thyme. Finally stir in the chiles and let simmer.

Fry the potatoes. While the sauce is cooking fry the baby potatoes in a separate skillet over medium-high heat. Just until they are golden brown. Transfer the fried potatoes to the tomato mixture to finish cooking in the sauce.

Add the fish: Gently poach the fish fillets in the simmering sauce. You may have to do this in batches depending on how large your frying pan is.

And serve. Remove fish to a serving platter. Taste and add a teaspoon or so of salt if needed. Stir in the olives and parsley and spoon the potatoes and sauce over the fish. Serve with lime wedges and rice.

What To Serve With It

As I said before, this is a wonderful all-in-one dish, but if you want to add a little something extra, it’s fabulous with arroz blanco and some extra chopped parsley sprinkled on top. It’s also lovely with arroz verde for extra color. Or go all out and serve with stewed green beans or roasted asparagus and crusty bread or warm homemade sprouted lentil turmeric tortillas for sopping up the tangy sauce.

More Ways To Use California Ripe Olives

• Spicy Marinated Olives with Roasted Garlic & Herbs
• Chicken & Olive Empanadas
• Grilled Asparagus with Olive-Chile Dressing
• Oven-Roasted Veggie Fajita Nachos
• Cuban Picadillo
• Bacalao a la Mexicana