Food on Good Friday (2024)

Good Friday is a solemn, sacred day in the life of a Christian, and when it comes to food, those who do observe Good Friday can take a few different approaches. For many Catholics, Good Friday is a day of fasting and abstinence—basically, “putting food aside” as my BFF Hyacinth explained. Other observers of Good Friday take the seafood-only route as they do every Friday during Lent, saying no to meat, chicken, and pork. Still others take a vegetarian/meatless approach, forsaking all meat of every kind. I grew up Episcopalian and am now Presbyterian, and through the years I’ve found that how one approaches food on Good Friday is a very individual and personal thing.

To cover all bases, here are some Good Friday recipe options for you!

(And if you’re planning for Sunday, here is my entire Easter Recipe Archive.)

FASTING

The first option is fasting. Here is one of my favorite recipes for that.

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SEAFOOD ONLY

Beef, pork, chicken, and other meats are verboten on Good Friday, but fish is permissible for many observers. Here are a few options if that’s the way you like to go!

Shrimp Scampi. A quick-and-easy pasta dish everyone goes crazy for (especially my oldest child!)

Tuscan Bean Soup with Shrimp. If it’s still a little chilly where you live, this is a cozy, satisfying Good Friday fish dish.

Seafood Pasta in a Foil Package. If you’re having company over for dinner tonight and want to serve an elegant seafood dinner, look no further than this parcel of deliciousness. You cook the seafood in a skillet and make a light tomato sauce, then throw it into heavy duty foil with al dente pasta and finish it in the oven. Oh my heavens.

How about an easy batch of Shrimp Tacos? Another great Good Friday fish option, whether for the family or for company.

Coconut Curry Shrimp. Super easy, super flavorful…and super shrimpy!

And one of my very favorites: Lemon Basil Shrimp Risotto. So lovely and citrusy and comforting. I love this one!

MEATLESS

Still other observers of Good Friday take the meatless route. Here are five of my favorites from that category.

Zucchini Noodles. I just posted this last week, and it’s one of my favorite easy, ultra-light veggie dishes. All you need is a vegetable peeler.

Heavenly Hummus Wrap. Mmmm…hummus, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, caramelized red onions, feta…all rolled up in a spinach tortilla.

Kale Citrus Salad. So light, so flavorful, so absolutely delightful. If I could eat one salad the rest of my life, I’m pretty sure it would be this one. Never gets old!

Spicy Cauliflower Stir Fry. A quick-and-easy, seriously meatless dish that’s so addictive, I once made it four times in one week. It really is that good.

Super simple Veggie Scramble. Eggs, veggies, cheese—nothing complicated about it.

P.S.

And don’t forget to deliver Hot Cross Buns to your loved ones today! It’s a beautiful Good Friday tradition.

Wherever you are today and whatever you’re doing, I hope you have a blessed Good Friday, friends.

Love,
Pioneer Woman