11 Tips To Prevent Your House From Smelling While Cooking Fish

I'm no stranger to cooking and preparing fish, from salmon to smoked haddock and seafood such as prawns. There's one thing I can't stand, though — when the house smells of fish after cooking. There are plenty of hacks and tips to get around this, and today, I'm going to share 11 tips with you to prevent your house from smelling of fish. 

Some of these tips are gleaned from my own personal experience cooking fish, while for others, I've consulted expert guides and articles written by chefs and foodies. From obvious tips like opening a window to some tips you might never have known, like boiling cinnamon to remove smells, I'll share the tips you need to ensure your house stays smelling fresh, whatever you're cooking up.

One thing is for sure: Follow one or more of these tips, and you can cook fish as much as you like without worrying that your house has a lasting fishy odor. Let's dive into our list of tips, starting with some of the best ways to cook fish to reduce unwanted smells.

Baking fish in foil or parchment paper prevents your kitchen — and house — from smelling of fish. Not only this but sealing in all the moisture as the fish cooks results in deliciously tender, flaky, perfectly cooked fish. It's also a great way for those new to cooking fish to try it out, as it's foolproof. 

Just pop your fish of choice on some parchment or foil, add your seasoning, herbs, etc., and then fold or scrunch the paper to seal it in an envelope before popping it in your oven. You can also add any veggies you want to cook, such as asparagus, tomatoes, new potatoes, or whatever you have to hand, to the pouch before sealing it. 

The result? Perfectly tender fish, a house that smells fresh, and minimal cleanup afterward. Just pop the tin foil in the trash — and don't forget to take it out to prevent your house from having a fishy odor.

Another great way to cook fish if you want your house to stay smelling fresh is to poach it in some kind of liquid. Poaching means that any fishy odor is released into the poaching liquid rather than permeating your house. 

You could use broth, boiling water, wine, or coconut milk. Some people swear that milk creates the most flavorful, creamy fish, with fish such as smoked haddock or salmon a particularly good choice for poaching in milk. It turns out that poaching fish in milk is a surefire way to stop your house smelling bad after you've prepared dinner.

The casein in milk binds to a compound in fish known as trimethylamine — which is responsible for the fishy smell. When the poaching liquid is drained, so is the trimethylamine, removing the fishy smell. Your fish will still taste amazing. In fact, it should be perfectly cooked, tender, and flaky, thanks to the poaching liquid — without any of the offensive smell.

Boiling cinnamon to remove fishy odors from your house while cooking fish? It might sound strange, but a viral TikTok hack that involves boiling cinnamon has taken the world by storm. You'll need some cinnamon sticks, ground cinnamon, and a bit of lemon juice, as well as 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract.

These ingredients are added to a saucepan half filled with water. This is then brought to a rolling boil and left boiling while you fry your fish. Of course, that means you're supervising two pans instead of just one, ensuring that your fish doesn't overcook while ensuring the water doesn't boil over. But if you want to keep your home smelling fresh, this could be the answer.

@citygirlthe3rd

If you know a different or better way drop em in the comments. I also open the window, shut the room doors & light an inscent while im cooking and after. #citygirlthe3rd #cookinghacks #cookingtipsandtricks #fishfry #friedfish #soulfood #comfortfood

♬ original sound – Bigg Mama

Cinnamon has a delightful spicy smell, so it's easy to see why this hack might work. However, we'd honestly rather bake some gingerbread or cookies instead so that we have something delicious to enjoy after our fish.

Have you ever purchased fish only for it to smell fishy? That's actually a sign that it isn't fresh. Truly fresh fish shouldn't have a fishy odor at all. So, where should you head to get the freshest options?

If you're lucky enough to live near a fish market, you'll usually find the most fresh selections as you can get short of catching it yourself. Local restaurants generally get their fish from these markets, but you'll need to get up early as many start selling around four or five in the morning.

A fishmonger or shop with a fish counter is another great bet, as the fish you'll find here will usually be another than anything you can buy pre-packed. If you're feeling really committed to the freshest possible fish, you could grab a rod, head for your nearest lake and catch your own. Just make sure fishing is allowed before you get started.

Rubbing your fish with acidic ingredients such as lime, lemon, vinegar, or tomato will help remove odors but will also add bags of flavor while cooking. Choose your ingredients based on the type of dish you're creating. For example, tomatoes and sundried tomatoes are great for Spanish or Italian-style dishes.

In a similar vein, adding citrus slices to foil or parchment parcels of fish not only adds flavor but also helps to eliminate odors. You can even use acidic ingredients in a sauce to poach your fish. For example, a creamy tomato sauce or coconut milk sauce with zingy lime will make your fish deliciously tender and flaky while also ensuring there's no pesky odor of fish permeating your entire house.

The citric acid found in lemons, limes, and other acidic ingredients reacts with the amines in fish, neutralizing them so you no longer have that fishy smell. So, when you're shopping for fish, make sure to pick up some citrus fruit, tomatoes, or vinegar at the same time.

No matter how you cook your fish, leaving trimmings or leftovers in your kitchen trash overnight will lead to odors spreading throughout your home. So once you've bagged those leftovers and trimmings, make sure to seal the bag tightly — or double bag it if needed — and take out the trash straight away.

If you leave the trash in your kitchen overnight, a fishy smell could linger the next morning and hang around for days. Once it's there, it can be surprisingly difficult to get rid of. Of course, if you've cooked your fish in a foil or parchment parcel, that will help to eliminate any odors even in the trash, as you can parcel up any trimmings or leftovers in the fishy foil once you're done before disposing of it.

If you do forget to take out the trash, you could always try one of the other tips on this list to eliminate any lingering fishy odors in your home. Try boiling cinnamon, using white vinegar, or baking some brownies or cookies so your kitchen smells fresh again.

If you don't have any cinnamon on hand to try out the viral TikTok hack we mentioned earlier, chances are you have some white vinegar in your pantry. Did you know that it can be used to absorb odors?

Filling a small bowl with white vinegar and leaving it on your kitchen countertop overnight works to absorb any bad smells from the surrounding environment. So, if your kitchen reeks of fish after cooking, this could be the hack you need to eliminate the worst of any fishy smells. You could also try adding a few tablespoons of white vinegar to a pan of hot water. You can boil this on the stove while cooking your fish or afterward to reduce fishy odors in your home.

Soaking your fish in a diluted solution of vinegar and water for around ten minutes before cooking is another way to get rid of unpleasant smells. What's the science behind this? Vinegar contains molecules of acetic acid. When these evaporate and turn into vapor, they bond with the volatile molecules responsible for the bad smell in your home, neutralizing them. We are here for it.

Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, is another product you'll likely have in your pantry. It's great at making pancakes and other baked goods light and fluffy, but not many people know that it can also prevent your home from smelling after cooking fish. Similar to vinegar, baking soda can be used to absorb odors from the air around it. 

Just like vinegar, baking soda bonds with the compounds, causing the reek in your kitchen, neutralizing them and turning them into salts, so your home will smell fresh again in no time at all. Try leaving out a bowl of baking soda on your kitchen counter after you've cooked fish. This will target the acidic odor from the fish, leaving your kitchen smelling beautiful within a few hours — or the next morning.

You can use this tip to neutralize any odors around your home, not just fish. You can even keep a small dish of baking soda in the back of your fridge to get rid of unpleasant odors.

If your kitchen or your whole house is prone to that unpleasant fishy odor that lingers after cooking fish, try replacing the smell of fish with something far more pleasant by baking. Whether it's cookies, a cake, or brownies, baking something sweet smelling will not only eliminate any bad smells in your home, but it will also ensure that you have delicious treats to enjoy after your fish.

Just don't bake your cupcakes or muffins in the oven alongside your fish — even if it's wrapped in foil or parchment paper. The fishy odor could permeate your baked goods, leaving them smelling and tasting strange. Fishy cookies, anyone? No, thank you.

If you lack skills in the baking department or aren't a dessert fan, you could try replacing the fishy odor with a fresher smell by using a scented soy candle or burning some essential oils. Not only will it eliminate the smell of fish, but it'll also make your whole home smell amazing.

For those lucky enough to have an outdoor grill, grilling your fish outside is a surefire way to eliminate any lingering fishy odors indoors. Not only that, but you can cook up a whole feast on your outdoor grill so you can feed all your family and friends.

Try wrapping fish in foil before popping it on the grill. Add veggies, citrus slices, and the seasonings of your choice for perfectly flaky fish and easier clean-up once you're done. As an added bonus, everyone knows that anything cooked outdoors over the grill tastes amazing, so even those new to cooking fish will be able to create a dish that wows a crowd.

In the summer months, you can enjoy eating your fish outdoors and pop any trimmings or foil straight in the trash, so there's no risk of bad smells in your house. Even if you end up eating indoors, all those fishy odors created when cooking your fish will be long gone once you clean up.

It may sound obvious, but cracking a window open while cooking can help any odors dissipate. This is true for anything you're cooking, not just fish. Provided the weather isn't freezing where you are, this is a helpful tip to employ whether you're baking, frying, or poaching fish.

If you don't want to crack a window due to cold weather, or if you have pets or young children around and opening a window is impossible, we have another option. You could try using your kitchen extractor fan to extract any bad smells from your kitchen before any odors have a chance to permeate your entire home. 

This isn't a tip that will work for everyone. So, if you don't have an extractor or a window you can open, try preventing fishy smells before they happen by poaching your fish in liquid or baking it in a foil or parchment parcel to reduce unpleasant odors. Or, cook it outside on the grill on a sunny summer's evening.