This easy keto fish pie is comfort food at its best. It has a deliciously creamy filling and a cheesy cauliflower mash topping.
Fish pie is a classic family dinner and one of the first dishes I learned.
The traditional recipe consists of a variety of fish in a white sauce that is topped with mashed potatoes. You then bake it in the oven until the topping is crisp and golden.
It is very simple to turn it into a proper low carb fish pie. I got my inspiration from two different recipes in Vickie De Beer's amazing Low Carb Diabetes Cookbook.
The most important change is to substitute the potato mash with mashed cauliflower. I promise you won't taste the difference. My daughter even declared: "I love the potato mash!"
We make this pie regularly to this day and everyone always comes back for seconds.
This recipe has been on my blog since 2017. I have just updated the post with more details and tips to help you make the recipe perfectly.
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🌟 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Family-friendly. This fish pie recipe is creamy, tasty and filling. It is the perfect comfort food. If my kids like it, yours will too (my kids are very critical!).
- More vegetables. Here is another win: Your kids eat more vegetables thanks to the cauliflower mash. And the adults benefit from the fact that one portion is keto-friendly with only 8.1g per serve.
- Easy recipe. There are only 20 minutes to prep for this pie. The rest of the time is hands-off. The dish is ready in just one hour. The best thing? Fish pie freezes well, which means it is great for meal prep.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you'll need:
For the filling
- White fish fillets. I used hake and cod.
- Onion. Finely chopped.
- Garlic. Fresh is best, but you could replace it with garlic powder.
- White wine. Use a dry wine. Can be substituted with fish stock, vegetable or chicken broth.
- Heavy cream.
- Zucchini. Should be grated. This thickens the sauce.
- Lemon zest, fresh parsley and chives.
For the mash
- Cauliflower. Make sure it is very fresh. If you only have frozen cauliflower or cauliflower rice, squeeze out all liquid after cooking with a cheesecloth or dish towel.
- Butter and Cheddar cheese
- Sour cream or cream cheese
- Chives, Nutmeg and salt
All amounts and details are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Instructions
This is a very simple recipe that even beginners can master easily. Here are the basic steps:
Prep Cauliflower Mash
Step 1: Steam, boil or microwave the cauliflower until soft. Use the tips in my post on keto mashed cauliflower. Drain well.
Step 2: Put the cauliflower florets in a food processor. Add the softened butter, soured cream, cheddar, chives, nutmeg and salt. Blend until smooth. Set aside while you make the filling.
Make The Filling
Step 3: In a large skillet or frying pan, sauté the onions and garlic. Fry until soft and translucent over a low heat.
Step 4: Add the white wine. Cook over a high heat until reduced by half.
Step 5: Add the zucchini, cream, lemon zest and herbs. Season with salt and pepper and let simmer for a while.
Assemble The Pie
Step 6: Put the fish fillets in a casserole dish and pour over the sauce. Spread the cauliflower mash on top.
Bake In The Oven
Step 7: Bake the fish pie in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until the mashed cauliflower topping is golden brown.
Serve with a crisp green salad, a side of green beans or enjoy all on its own.
Katrin's Top Tip
It is essential that the cauliflower is very soft, but not watery. If you have steamed it, pat it dry. If you have boiled it, drain the water and then put it back in the pot. Let any residual moisture cook off, without letting it burn.
Variations
I have made this keto fish pie countless times over the years, and I love tweaking ingredients. Here are some variations we have tried and tested:
#1 Don't like cheese? Make the cauliflower mash from my keto cottage pie recipe.
#2 Any white fish works, as well as salmon or prawns or even lobster. You can also try a smoked fish.
#3 Celery and green beans work well in addition to the zucchini.
Recipe FAQs
Of course. Simply fill into single serve ramekins.
For a dairy-free version, use a dairy-free cream instead of the heavy cream. Use olive oil instead of the butter in the cauliflower mash and add either a vegan cheese or nutritional yeast for a cheesy taste.
Single cream (or half and half) is more watery than heavy cream or double cream. I don't recommend it.
Storage
Refrigerator: Store keto fish pie in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezer: Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, the reheat in the oven or in the microwave.
If you love fish recipes as much as I do, also check out my Keto Fish Tacos and this 10 minute keto salmon recipe!
More Easy Keto Dinners
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Recipe
Low Carb Keto Fish Pie
from Sugar Free LondonerNote: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary.
Ingredients
For the filling
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 cup dry white wine (250ml)
- 1 cup double/heavy cream (250ml)
- 3 medium zucchini 550g, grated
- grated lemon zest from 1 unwaxed lemon
- handful of fresh parsley and chives chopped
- 1.75 lb hake and/or cod fillets (800g) without skins
- pepper and salt to taste
For the cauliflower mash
- 1 very large or 2 smaller cauliflower heads 700g
- 3 tablespoon melted butter 40g
- ½ cup soured cream or cream cheese, (125g)
- 1 cup cheddar shredded (125g)
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- salt to taste
Instructions
Cauliflower Mash
- Separate the cauliflower into florets and steam/ boil/ microwave until soft. Follow the tips in my keto mashed cauliflower recipe.
- Add the butter, soured cream, cheddar, chives, nutmeg and salt. Blend in a food processor or with an immersion blender until smooth.
- Preheat oven to 200 Celsius/400 Fahrenheit (electric) or 180C / 360 F fan.
Fish filling
- Fry the onions and garlic in olive oil over a low / medium until soft and translucent, around 3 minutes. Do to burn.
- Add the white wine. Turn up the heat to high and reduce by half.
- Add the grated courgettes, cream, lemon zest and herbs and simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Assembly
- Put the fish fillets in a casserole dish and pour over the sauce.
- Spread the cauliflower mash on top and run a fork over the top to make lines.
- Bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until the top is browned.
- Sprinkle with some fresh parsley and serve.
Nadia
I’ve made this fish pie today and OMG it’s delicious Even my husband who is not a fan of white fish ( only eats salmon) enjoyed it! I didn’t have nutmeg and chives but will make sure I do next time to get the full experience but grated lemon zest really does make a difference so don’t forget to add.