Find exactly what you're looking for...

VIEW LISTINGS

Best Recipes to Cook Onboard Any Type of Boat

Best Recipes to Cook Onboard Any Type of Boat

Best Recipes to Cook Onboard Any Type of Boat

Are you planning an upcoming boating trip for family and friends? We know from experience that being out on the boat all day takes a lot out of you and will leave you with a big appetite. Whether you are fishing the day away, basking in the sun, or swimming with guests, you’ll eventually be ready for a good meal. Depending on whether you own a yacht with a fully equipped galley or a center console boat with a smaller kitchenette, your meals may look a bit different. Regardless, we’ve chosen the best recipes to cook onboard, no matter the size. View our go-to suggestions below.
 

Smaller Galley | Best Recipes to Cook Onboard

Below are some quick and easy meals that don’t require much preparation or cookware. These meals are perfect for boaters with smaller galleys or kitchenettes. 

Taco Night 

This taco recipe is packed with flavor, delicious, and ready in less than 30 minutes. A meal your guests will love! Prepare the taco seasoning and chop your ingredients the night before. On the day of boating, pack your components along with the ground beef and taco seasoning, pan, and spatula, and you are set.

Ingredients:
Taco Seasoning: (Make Ahead)

  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Ground Beef: (Prepare Ahead)
Chop & package for the day of

  • 1/2 white onion 
  • 1 jalapeno 
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 450 grams (1 lb) lean ground beef
  • 240 grams (1 cup) tomato sauce

Assemble:

  • 8 tortilla 
  • romaine lettuce shredded
  • Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese
  • diced tomatoes

Instructions

  1. Prepare the taco seasoning mixing all the ingredients and set aside.
  2. In a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion and sauté until soft, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
  3. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking up the meat into smaller chunks, until cooked thoroughly, about 5 minutes.
  4. Stir in the taco seasoning, cook for about 30 seconds and then add the tomato sauce and jalapeno. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  5. Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet or a conventional oven. About 30 sec each side.
  6. Fill each tortilla with the beef mixture and top with your preferred toppings.
  7. Garnish the easy ground beef tacos with chopped cilantro, lime wedges, and serve!

 

The All-American

Nothing beats a basic hamburger recipe to cook onboard, simple and easy to prepare for boat days! These patties are blended with an easy to prepare breadcrumb mixture. Add your favorite condiments, pop open a cool drink, and enjoy!

Ingredients for 8 (Make Ahead)

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 cup fine dry bread crumbs

Directions (day of boating)

  1. Preheat grill for high heat and lightly oil grate. Or prepare over the stovetop.
  2. Place patties on the prepared grill or pan. Cover and cook 6 to 8 minutes per side, or desired doneness.
  3. Top with your favorite condiments and enjoy! Add a variety of chips and fruit salad for a complete meal.

 

Ceviche

No cooking is required for this shrimp ceviche recipe. This is a perfect boating dish bursting with fresh citrus flavor. You’ll need a few simple ingredients, a knife, a bowl, and a cutting board.

Ingredients (make ahead)

  • 1 pound cooked shrimp peeled and deveined 
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice about two lemons
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice about 3 limes
  • 1/2 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice
  • 4 whole plum tomatoes seeds removed and diced
  • 2 whole jalapeno peppers seeds and vein removed, minced
  • 1 cup jicama diced or diced peeled apple
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped
  • 1/4 cup red onion finely chopped
  • 1 avocado pitted and diced
  • kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Instructions:

  1. Chop the shrimp into 1/2 inch pieces and add to a bowl. Set aside.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon, lime, and orange juice to combine. Pour 1/2 cup of the citrus juice over the shrimp and toss to combine. Allow the shrimp to marinate for 15 minutes.
  3. Add the tomato, jalapeño, jicama (or apple), cilantro, and red onion to the shrimp. Toss the ingredients to combine and allow to marinate for an additional 10 minutes. Stir in the avocado and remaining juices.
  4. Season the ceviche with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve with tortilla chips for light lunch or serve over lettuce wraps or salad for a heartier meal.

 

Larger Galley | Best Recipes to Cook Onboard

The recipes found below are a little more complex and require a larger galley to cook onboard. You’ll still have time to spend with family and friends as these recipes are pretty simple and don’t require a lot of time. 

Scallop Scampi

Ingredients

  • 1.5-pound Scallops
  • 1.5 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 3 tablespoon butter
  • 3 Organic Garlic cloves, slivered
  • 2 tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
  • 0.25 cup White wine
  • 2 tablespoon capers
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
  • Fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoon Lemon Zest

Directions:

  1. In a large skillet, heat the oil and half of the butter over medium-high heat until the mixture starts to brown.
  2. Transfer half of the scallops to a hot skillet and cook without moving until seared. You can check the bottom of one to confirm before flipping the rest – if it hasn’t browned, wait a little longer.
  3. Gently flip and sear on the other side until caramelized (this side will cook more quickly). Remove from skillet; add remaining scallops and butter. Cook in the same manner as the first batch.
  4. Once the second batch of scallops is finished cooking, return the first batch to the skillet and give a quick, gentle toss.
  5. Remove skillet from heat.
  6. Add the garlic, lemon juice, wine, and capers. Season with salt and pepper.
  7. Give a gentle toss and finish with parsley and lemon zest.
  8. Serve immediately with your favorite veggie dish and a side salad for a complete meal.

 

Fresh Catch of the Day

What is a better meal option than your fresh catch of the day? If your boating day consists of a day of fishing, check out these recipes below.

Fresh Wahoo

Ingredients:

  • Wahoo fillets
  • Compound Butter
  • 1 pound of butter softened
  • Juice and zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • A few liberal dashes of Tabasco

Directions

  1. Mix butter with other ingredients to make your compound butter and store it in an airtight Ziplock bag in the fridge.
  2. When you are ready to eat, put each piece of fish on a piece of heavy-duty foil and add 2 tsp of the compound butter. Wrap and crimp all edges multiple times. Turn the packet over and wrap the second sheet of foil around it, making sure to crimp the edges. Lay the packages on the manifolds and cook for 30-40 minutes. This can also be made in a standard oven set at 350-degrees and cooked for about 15-20 minutes.

 

Fresh Snapper

Ingredients

  • 2 lemons
  • Cooking spray
  • 4 (6-ounce) red snapper or other firm white fish fillets
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon paprika
  • 1 ½ teaspoon chopped fresh herbs (such as rosemary, thyme, basil, or parsley)
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons butter, softened

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°.
  2. Cut 1 lemon into 8 slices. Place slices, in pairs, on a rimmed baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Grate remaining lemon to get 1 teaspoon lemon rind; set aside. Reserve lemon for another use.
  3. Place 1 fillet on top of each pair of lemon slices. Combine salt, paprika, and pepper; sprinkle evenly over fish. Bake at 425° for 13 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness.
  4. While fish bakes, combine reserved lemon rind, butter, and herbs in a small bowl.
  5. Place fish and lemon slices on individual serving plates; top each fillet with herbed butter, spreading to melt, if desired. Serve with grilled veggies and a potato dish for a full meal option.

 

Peppercorn beef 

This peppercorn beef recipe is simple yet delicious, perfect for a dinner under the stars.

Ingredients:

  • 1 beef fillet (about 3.5lb), trimmed of sinew
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/3 cup dried green peppercorns, coarsely ground (¼ cup)
  • Caraway cream
  • 2 tbsp caraway seeds
  • 1 cup crème fraîche
  • 2 tbsp rosemary, coarsely chopped
  • 1 tbsp finely grated horseradish, or horseradish purée
  • Finely grated rind and juice of ½ lemon

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325F.
  2. Truss beef at 1 ¼ inch intervals with kitchen string. Brush with 2 tbsp oil and roll in ground peppercorns, pressing so they stick. Heat remaining oil in a large frying pan over high heat, add beef, and sear, turning occasionally, until brown (1-2 minutes each side). Place on a wire rack over a roasting tray and roast in the oven until cooked to your liking (35-40 minutes for rare). Cover loosely with foil then set aside to rest and cool to room temperature.
  3. For caraway cream, dry-roast caraway seeds in a frying pan over medium heat until fragrant (30 seconds). Transfer to a mortar and pound with a pestle until coarsely crushed. Set aside to cool, then combine in a bowl with remaining ingredients, season to taste, and serve with thickly sliced beef. Add a side of mashed potatoes and veggies for a divine dinner

 

No Kitchen, No Problem | Best Recipes to Cook Onboard

For those boaters without a kitchen onboard, below are simple recipes that can be made ahead of time and only require refrigeration or ice and a cooler.

AntiPasta 

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces Genoa salami, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 8 ounces soppressata or other hard salami, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 2 large tomatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1 (14 ounces) can artichokes, drained and cut into bite-size pieces
  • 8 ounces sharp provolone cheese, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into bite-size pieces
  • ½ (12 ounces) jar roasted red peppers, drained and sliced
  • ½ cup pitted and coarsely chopped Kalamata olives
  • ¼ cup pitted and chopped green olives
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
  • ¼ cup shredded fresh basil leaves

Directions:

  1. Combine the Genoa and soppressata salami, provolone, mozzarella, tomatoes, and artichokes in a bowl. Slice the roasted red peppers and add them to the bowl, along with about 3 tablespoons of their juice.
  2.  Mix in the chopped olives. Drizzle olive oil over the entire dish, followed by the red wine vinegar and black pepper. Salad can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until serving.
  3. Tear the fresh basil leaves into bite-sized pieces and add them to the salad just before serving. Mix thoroughly and serve.

 

Chicken Ranch Wraps

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cooked grilled chicken breasts chopped (seasoned with your favorite spices)
  • 1/4 cup Ranch dressing
  • 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup cilantro minced (optional)
  • (4) 8” tortillas

Instructions

  1. Lay tortillas on a clean flat surface. Place about 1/2 cup chicken, 1 tablespoon ranch, 2 tablespoons of cheese, and 1 tablespoon of minced cilantro on each tortilla. Fold tightly to form a burrito shape.
  2. Heat a heavy-duty pan or grill to medium heat. Coat with a light layer of oil or cooking spray and cook wraps for 1-2 minutes on each side or until the tortilla is crispy and golden. Remove from heat, slice in half.

 

Avocado Salad

Ingredients

  • 1 medium (12 oz) English cucumber, cut into quarters through the length then sliced
  • 16 oz. grape tomatoes
  • 1/2 small red onion, sliced into small pieces
  • 2 medium avocados (firm but ripe), sliced into bite-size pieces

Dressing:

  • 1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 3 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

  1. For the dressing: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together lemon juice, red wine vinegar, extra virgin oil, honey, garlic, cilantro, parsley, oregano, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  2. In a large bowl, gently toss together cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, and avocado with dressing. Add chicken, steak, salmon, rice, or black beans for a heartier option.

 

Related Articles:

Thanksgiving Tips & Recipes for Aboard Your Yacht
Mother’s Day Gift Idea | A Day of Boating

More Yachting News
Vanessa Torres

Article By:

Vanessa Torres

Vanessa is the Sr. Content Creator at Galati Yacht Sales — you might have seen her work among our extensive yachting news section over the years. She concentrates mainly on content creation, website optimization, and tackling editorial tasks, among many other things.

yellow-arrow

Compare (0/3)

Back to Top