Pescado a la Veracruzana is a classic Mexican fish dish made with tender fillets simmered in a rich and delicious tomato sauce with olives, capers, bell peppers, and chiles.
Pescado a la Veracruzana is one of those Mexican seafood dishes that feels a little different to me because I grew up on the Pacific coast of Mexico.
Veracruz cuisine has a stronger Spanish influence, so the flavors here are a bit more layered than the simpler seafood dishes I’m used to.
The olives, capers, olive oil, and tomatoes almost give the sauce a Mediterranean feel, but once it hits the table with tortillas, rice, and chiles, it still tastes deeply Mexican.
If you’ve never made it before, this is a great place to start. The flavors are bold, but the method is simple and everything comes together in one pan.
You’ll Need
- white fish fillets (cod, tilapia, snapper, or halibut)
- tomatoes + tomato sauce
- onion
- bell peppers (green and yellow)
- green olives
- capers
- chiles (güero or pickled jalapeños)
- olive oil
- garlic, oregano, bay leaf, parsley salt and pepper
How To Make Pescado a la Veracruzana
Start by heating olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Once the oil is warm, add the bell peppers and cook them for about 2 minutes so they start softening.
Add the onions and continue cooking for another 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often.
Stir in the diced tomatoes, garlic, oregano, and bay leaves. Season lightly with salt and pepper and let everything cook together for a couple of minutes.
Top Tip: If your tomatoes are very juicy, you can lightly mash them with a potato masher or the back of a spoon. I do this sometimes because I like the sauce a little thicker and more rustic.
Pour in the tomato sauce and water, then bring everything to a gentle simmer.
Cover the pan and cook for about 10 minutes until the vegetables soften and the sauce thickens slightly.
Once the sauce looks rich and flavorful, stir in the olives, capers, and chiles.
Let everything cook together for another minute so the salty and briny flavors blend into the tomatoe
Carefully add the fish fillets to the pan, and spoon the flavorful sauce over.
Cover and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.
Try not to overcook the fish because white fish can go from perfectly flaky to dry very quickly. I usually stop cooking as soon as the fish flakes easily with a fork.
Taste the sauce one last time before serving because olives and capers can vary a lot in saltiness.
A Few Things That Make This Recipe Better
- Drain the olives and capers well so the sauce does not become overly salty.
- If your sauce tastes too acidic, let it simmer a little longer before adding the fish.
- Cod is my personal favorite for this Pescado a la Veracruzana recipe because it holds together beautifully in the sauce.
- If you want a richer veracruzana sauce, replace part of the water with fish or vegetable stock.
- I recommend adding the fish only once the sauce tastes exactly how you want it because the fish cooks quickly.
What I Like Serving With It
In my house, pescado a la Veracruzana almost always goes to the table with arroz blanco or arroz a la mantequilla because the sauce soaks into the rice beautifully.
Warm tortillas or bolillo are non-negotiable for me here. I always end up using them to scoop up whatever is left on the plate.
If I want a more complete meal, I’ll add avocado slices on the side, or sometimes even papas gratinadas.
How To Store & Reheat
- This pescado a la Veracruzana will keep well in the fridge for about 3 days.
- Reheat slowly in a pan over low heat, adding a little water or stock if the sauce thickens.
- I actually love it the next day because the olives, capers, and tomatoes blend even more.
More Pescado Recipes
If you make this pescado a la Veracruzana, I would love to hear how it turned out for you. Whether you grew up eating this dish or are trying it for the first time, leave me a comment below because I always enjoy hearing how these recipes end up on your table.
And don’t forget to share it and follow this blog on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Video
Pescado a la Veracruzana
Equipment
- 1 large frying pan
Ingredients
- 1 lb cod fillets (red snapper, cod, tilapia, etc.)
- 1 small onion (sliced)
- 3 small tomatoes (diced, seeds removed)
- 1 ½ cups tomato sauce
- ½ small green bell pepper (cut into strips)
- ½ small yellow bell pepper (cut into strips)
- 1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
- â…“ cup green olives (pitted & sliced)
- 2 Tablespoons capers (rinsed)
- 3-4 pickled chiles güeros (or pickled jalapeños)
- 3 Tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon parsley (chopped)
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
- Add first the bell peppers and cook for 2 minutes, then add onions and cook stirring constantly for 3-4 minutes or until the vegetables are lightly soft.
- Add tomatoes, garlic, bay leaves, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes over medium-low heat.
- Stir in in the tomato sauce, then pour 1 ½ cups of water. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked through and the sauce has been thickened a bit.
- Mix in the olives, capers, and chili peppers. Cook for 1 minute.
- Carefully add the fish fillets to the pan, and spoon the flavorful sauce over.
- Cook for 4-5 minutes or until fish is nicely cooked through.
- Adjust seasonings to taste, turn off the heat, and serve.
Notes
- drain the olives and capers well so the sauce stays balanced.
- don’t overcook the fish, it only needs a few minutes.
- cod works best because it stays firm in the sauce.
- if the sauce feels too sharp, let it simmer a little longer before adding fish.
- a splash of stock makes the sauce richer and deeper.
Hi Mari Cruz, Thanks so much for sharing this recipe! I made it today for Lent. My family loved it including my husband who doesn’t care for fish gobbled it up. I used tilapia and served it with white rice and avocados (same as your picture). My mom used to make it and now thanks to you I know how!
When I was living in Mexico this was one of my favorites. I used to make it with chiles guero but not pickled, I’d just fry them lightly and then serve them on the side.