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If you’re looking for a way to make fish feel exciting on a weeknight, this Easy Cuban-Style Fish might be exactly what you need.
A friend passed this recipe along to me years ago — she called it one of her go-to recipes for any fish she happened to have on hand, and I completely understand why. The sauce is bold and briny, with tomatoes, olives, capers, and a hint of heat, and it comes together in one skillet in under 30 minutes.
At just 3 WW Points per serving, it’s one of those dinners that feels like a real treat without costing you much at all.
Why I Love This Cuban-Style Fish
- One skillet, minimal cleanup. The sauce and fish all come together in the same pan.
- Big, bold flavors. Olives, capers, tomatoes, and red pepper flakes do all the heavy lifting.
- Works with almost any white fish. Use whatever looks good at the store that day.
- Light but satisfying. Just 254 calories and 3 WW Points per serving.
- Company-worthy. It looks and tastes far more impressive than the effort required.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Olive oil — Just a small amount to start the sauce. A light hand here keeps the dish lean.
- White onion, chopped — The flavor base. Yellow onion works just as well.
- Minced garlic — Fresh is best in a sauce this simple.
- Canned whole tomatoes, chopped or diced — The heart of the sauce. Fire-roasted tomatoes add a lovely smoky depth if you want to try a variation.
- Dry white wine, fish stock, or clam juice — All three work beautifully. Use whatever you have. Clam juice adds the most depth of flavor.
- Green stuffed olives, sliced — Briny and savory, they’re what give this dish its Cuban character. Kalamata olives are a good substitute.
- Drained capers — Small but mighty. If you don’t have them, just add a few more olives.
- Crushed red pepper flakes — Adds a gentle warmth. Use more if you like heat.
- Chilean sea bass or your favorite mild white fish — Sea bass is wonderful here, but cod, haddock, tilapia, pollock, or halibut all work beautifully. Even shrimp or scallops would be delicious.
- Butter — Just a small amount stirred into the finished sauce to give it a silky richness. You won’t miss the extra calories — the flavors more than make up for it.
- Fresh cilantro — Stirred in at the end for a bright, fresh finish. Not a cilantro fan? Flat-leaf parsley works just as well.
How Many Calories and WW Points in this Cuban Fish Dish?
According to my calculations each serving has:
Calories: 254
WW Points: 3 To see your WW Points for this recipe and track it in the WW app. (You must be logged into WW App on smartphone or tablet.)
6 *PointsPlus (Old plan)
How to Make Easy Cuban-Style Fish
- Heat the oil in a large skillet (affiliate link) over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the garlic and tomatoes and stir to combine.
- Stir in the wine or stock, olives, capers, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Nestle the fish fillets into the sauce, cover the skillet, and simmer gently for 10 to 12 minutes, until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily.
- Carefully transfer the fish to a serving dish and keep warm.
- Increase the heat under the skillet, add the butter, and simmer the sauce for a few minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in the fresh cilantro.
- Spoon the sauce over the fish and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
The original recipe called for Sea Bass; however any kind of mild white fish will work. I tried it once using frozen pollock and will us Alaskan halibut next time since it was on special at the local grocery store!
To lighten this up just a tad I cut back a little on the butter and olive oil, which you shouldn’t even notice since the dish is so full of flavor from all the other ingredients.
A Few Cooking Notes
The original recipe called for sea bass, but I’ve made this with frozen pollock and it was still delicious. Alaskan halibut is wonderful when it’s on special — that’s usually my first choice now.
I’ve lightened the recipe slightly by cutting back a little on the butter and olive oil. With so much flavor coming from the olives, capers, tomatoes, and spices, you honestly won’t notice the difference.
This dish is lovely served over a small portion of rice or alongside crusty bread to soak up that gorgeous sauce.
Recipe originally shared by Marge M., Phoenix, Arizona.
If you’ve made this Cuban Spiced Fish, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Cuban Style Fish Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1-1/2 cups white onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 can (29 ounces) whole tomatoes chopped or diced
- 1-1/2 cups dry white wine, fish stock or clam juice
- 2/3 cup green stuffed olives, sliced
- 1/4 cup drained capers
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 24 ounces Chilean sea bass or your favorite white fish
- 1 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion until translucent, then add minced garlic and tomatoes.
- Stir in wine or stock, olives, capers and red pepper flakes.
- Heat to a simmer.
- Place fillets of fish on top of sauce; cover and gently simmer 10-12 minutes.
- Transfer fish to serving dish and keep warm.
- Increase heat in skillet; add butter to sauce ingredients and simmer to thicken. (Just a few minutes) Stir in cilantro.
- Place sauce over fish in serving dish.
Notes
- different fish – any mild white fish will work: sea bass, haddock, tilapia, cod, pollock, shrimp, scallops or a mixture would be delicious too.
- no capers – skip them and use more olives instead.
- spicy – add more crushed red pepper flakes, chili peppers or your favorite hot sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe submitted by: Marge M., Phoenix, Arizona
More WW-Friendly Fish and Seafood Recipes
If you liked this cuban fish you might also like:
- Easy Slow Cooked Foil-Wrapped Fish — A foolproof, hands-off method that delivers tender, flavorful fish every time.
- Baked Fish with Lemon — Simple, clean, and bright — a classic that never disappoints
- New England Fish Chowder — Creamy, comforting, and surprisingly light for a chowder.
- 25 Best Easy Healthy Shrimp Recipes for WeightWatchers – So many favorites you are sure to love.
I first tried this recipe using cod fish – and true to the recommendation from a friend, it has proved to be a true ‘keeper’! I have shared it many times since making it with all positive feed-back. Since I love all ingredients used in making the sauce I just knew it had to be a good find. It is one of those recipes that you will continue to pull out – also ‘dresses up’ a fish dish for company!