This 15-minute recipe makes an easy, quick, delicious meal out of frozen seafood mix.
The creamy sauce is made with heavy cream, garlic, and parmesan. It's delicious. Your only task as a chef is to avoid overcooking the dish!
I have quite a few fish and seafood recipes on this site, but I am always on the lookout for more interesting recipes. This one is a keeper - it's so easy to make and it's delicious.
If you happen to have a bag or two of frozen seafood mix in your freezer (mine came from Trader Joe's), this recipe is a great way to turn them into an easy, delicious meal. We had it for lunch this weekend with steamed broccoli and a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. Perfection!
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
Frozen seafood mix: The one I like to use has shrimp, calamari rings, and bay scallops. I get it at Trader Joe's:
Butter: I love Kerrygold butter, but any butter will work.
Kosher salt and black pepper: If using fine salt, you should reduce the amount you use, or the dish could end up too salty
Minced garlic: Please use freshly minced garlic cloves. The garlic is very important here and jarred minced garlic won't be the same.
Heavy cream and parmesan: These are the creamy ingredients that make the amazing sauce. Make sure to use dry-grated parmesan and not coarsely shredded.
Cayenne pepper: Just a pinch to add a subtle hint of spice. You can skip it if you wish.
Parsley: Used purely for garnish. You can skip it if you wish.
Instructions
Making this seafood mix recipe is so easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
Defrost: Place the frozen seafood in a large bowl. Fill the bowl with cool water. Allow it to defrost for about 5 minutes, stirring gently to separate the pieces, and replacing the water once during the process. Place the pieces on a clean kitchen towel or on paper towels to dry.
Saute: Season the seafood with salt and pepper. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When foaming subsides, add the seafood and cook just until opaque, about 3 minutes. Be careful not to overcook it, or it could become tough and gummy. Remove to a plate, drain the skillet and wipe it dry.
Make the sauce: In the same skillet, cook garlic over medium heat. Add the cream, cayenne, and more salt and pepper. Then add the parmesan, stirring until it melts. You now have a beautiful creamy sauce.
Finish the dish: Add the seafood back to the skillet and stir it into the sauce. Serve the dish garnished with chopped parsley.
Expert tip
In a previous version of this recipe, I used to simply sauté the seafood in olive oil and spices. But I have found that it releases quite a bit of water into the skillet, so that it ends up steaming rather than sautéing, and some of the spices are lost in the liquids released into the pan.
So now my favorite method is to sauté it in some butter, drain the liquids, then make a quick cream-parmesan sauce and add the seafood to the creamy sauce. This is AMAZING. So delicate and creamy as long as you take care not to overcook it.
Frequently asked questions
Generally, the answer is yes, though you'll need to cook it for a longer time and ensure it's fully cooked.
But in this particular recipe, I do recommend that you defrost it first. Otherwise, the pieces won’t cook uniformly.
There's no one way! This recipe uses sauteing as its cooking method, but I also have recipes that use baking, such as baked shrimp. Broiling is also good - check out this recipe for broiled scallops.
I find that one of the easiest ways to do that is to keep frozen fish and seafood in the freezer. Whether a mix such as the one used here, bags of shrimp, scallops, or salmon fillets, it's a convenient way to always have it available.
Variations and substitutions
I love this recipe as is and almost always make it as written. But in case you'd like to vary the basic recipe, here are a few ideas for you:
- You can use olive oil instead of butter. I must admit, though, butter tastes really good in this recipe!
- Change up the spices you use. A pinch of dried thyme is very good in this recipe.
- You can sprinkle the finished dish with bacon bits prior to serving it.
Serving suggestions
This is a saucy dish, so it's perfect on top of cauliflower rice or spaghetti squash noodles.
I also like to serve it on top of raw spinach or arugula leaves. The warm sauce wilts the leaves just enough to very lightly cook them.
Storing leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in a sealed container, for up to 3 days. Reheat them very gently, though. It's best to use the microwave on 50% power and to reheat them covered.
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Recipe Card
Seafood Mix In Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter - divided
- 1 pound frozen seafood mix - thawed - see notes below
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - divided, or ¼ teaspoon divided of any other salt.
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper - divided
- 4 garlic cloves - minced - see notes below
- 6 tablespoons heavy cream
- Pinch cayenne
- 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese - grated
- 2 tablespoons parsley - chopped
Instructions
- Heat one tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the seafood with half the kosher salt and black pepper.
- When the butter starts foaming, add the seafood to the skillet and cook, stirring often, until just cooked through and no longer translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the seafood to a plate, cover it with foil, and set aside.
- Pour the liquids out of the skillet, wipe it clean with paper towels (careful, it’s hot), and add the remaining butter. Reduce the heat to medium.
- When the butter starts foaming, add the garlic to the skillet. Sauté, stirring, until fragrant, 30-60 seconds, depending on how hot your skillet is.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the cream, cayenne pepper, and the remaining kosher salt and black pepper. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, stirring. This should take about 1 minute.
- Add the parmesan cheese and gently stir until melted, about 30 seconds.
- Add the seafood back to the skillet. Gently stir to combine with the sauce and reheat, about 1 more minute.
- Transfer the skillet contents, including the sauce, to a serving plate, sprinkle the dish with parsley, and serve.
Video
Notes
- While you can theoretically cook the seafood from frozen (though it will take longer and won't cook as evenly), I prefer to thaw it first, either overnight in the fridge or by submerging it in a bowl of cool water for 5 minutes, replacing the water once, and then drying the pieces on paper towels.
- Please use freshly minced garlic cloves. The garlic is very important here and jarred minced garlic won't be the same.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in a sealed container, for up to 3 days. Reheat them very gently, though. It's best to use the microwave at 50% power and reheat them covered.
Nutrition per Serving
Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
Michelle B
Could you use coconut milk instead of heavy cream?
Vered DeLeeuw
Hi Michelle,
Yes. You can use canned full-fat coconut milk. Please stir it well before using it.
The dish will taste slightly coconutty, and the nutrition info will change.
Michelle
I made as directed and it was delicious. I think next time I’ll add riced cauliflower. Thanks so much!
Vered DeLeeuw
Hi Michelle,
I'm glad you enjoyed this recipe! Riced cauliflower would be an excellent addition.
ML
I had to use up a frozen bag of seafood, and came across this recipe. I also aim for high protein/ low carb. This was easy and delicious! Due to making it on the fly, I had to make a few substitutions. I’m looking forward to making it again as written and it will be even better.
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm so glad this recipe was helpful! Thank you for leaving a comment.
Joy
This was really delicious! So quick to put together and no crazy ingredients. The fresh garlic suggestion is right on and made a big flavor difference. My only add-on was a splash of cooking sherry while simmering the seafood in the sauce. I’ll be sure to keep a bag of seafood medley in the freezer! Thank you!
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Joy! The sherry sounds like a great addition.
Marlene Wilhelm
I made your Creamy Seafood Mix recipe recently. It came together quickly and the flavor was incredible!
I only had small shrimp and some frozen flounder, so that’s what I used.
This week, I’m making this with shrimp, scallops, and Louis Kemp “crab”. I’m going to add a splash of sherry when making the cream, because I like the subtle flavor.
I have some packaged cubed herb flavor stuffing that I think I will use to make a topping then bake everything in the oven just until everything is warmed through.
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm so glad you like this recipe, Marlene! I love your additions.
Margaret
I just wanted to say I’m so happy I found this recipe. I’ve had a bag of Trader Joe's frozen seafood blend that I brought with the intention of making a cold seafood salad but was pressed on time and followed your recipe instead.
Although I did not have heavy cream in the house, I just omitted it, and it still came out delicious- my hubby said we should have it more. I served it with peas and Trader Joe’s brown rice. Thanks for the recipe!
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm so glad you and your husband liked this recipe, Margaret!
Lina C
This was absolutely easy and delicious! I had the Trader Joe's seafood mix and found this recipe on a search for how to use it. I would definitely make it again and change nothing. Thank you!
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Lina!