This baked fish recipe uses simple ingredients for great Mediterranean flavor! It’s a crowd puller with every kind of white fish.
Baked fish might seem a bit mundane…until you try it Mediterranean baked fish recipe! One bite and you’ll sing its praises. Roast white fish with lemon, garlic and a simple tomato, onion and olive mix. It comes out perfectly fork-tender with a tangy squeeze of lemon and tender veggies to flavor every bite. As soon as we tried it, we knew it suited our regular rotation: it works just as well as a simple weeknight dinner as it does for dinner parties!
Types of fish to use
You can use any type of white fish in this baked fish recipe – in fact, it doesn’t even have to be white fish! It also works with salmon. Here are some varieties of soft whitefish that work well. Remember that each type of fish has a different fillet thickness:
- tilapia
- halibut
- cod
- consolidator
- snapper
- pollock
- Low
Ingredients for this baked fish recipe
This baked fish recipe uses a simple Mediterranean preparation to bring big flavors to the dish! Slicing vegetables before cooking is easy and results in something that seems far greater than the sum of its parts. The genius of this recipe is that the fish cooks over Mediterranean vegetables, which give it just the right amount of moisture. The veggies then form a flavorful sauce that adds a kick of savory flavor to every bite. When preparing, be sure to add:
- White fish fillets
- cherry tomatoes, red onion, garlic
- Green olives and capers
- fresh parsley
- olive oil
- Dried oregano
- lemon juice
- salt and pepper
How to cook fish
Cooking white fish is very simple: it all depends on the thickness of the fillet! Here are some simple tips for preparing fish:
- Dry the fillet and then season with olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon. It’s a great base flavor profile.
- Bake the fish at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes. The exact timing depends on the thickness of the fish. A very thin fillet may take 15 minutes and a very thick fillet may take 25 minutes or more.
- Cook the fish until the internal temperature is 140 degrees Fahrenheit measured with a food thermometer. This is a more accurate measurement that results in perfectly cooked fish.
About olives
This baked fish recipe uses olives for Mediterranean preparation: a polarizing ingredient! You can omit the olives if you’re cooking for those who hate olives. the dish is always delicious. But we highly recommend using them for the best flavor here! The Italian variety Castelvetrano is a green olive with a mild, buttery flavor: you can find this variety in many grocery stores alongside other canned olives.
Side dishes for baked fish
Once you have a casserole of this baked fish recipe, you’ll agree with us: it’s a winner! Our whole family loves this one. Here are a few ways to mix and match this Mediterranean-style dinner party—both for quick weeknight meals and impressive dinner parties:
- Simple Salad: Try the Romaine Salad with Green Goddess, Arugula Salad or Kale Caesar Salad
- Elegant salad: Opt for the endive salad with parmesan and orange, the frisee salad or the orange salad with fennel
- Vegetables: Opt for sautéed broccolini, perfectly roasted broccolini, roasted broccoli, sautéed green beans, or simply shaved Brussels sprouts
- Muesli or Pasta: Add spinach rice with feta, plain couscous, lemon orzo, plain farro, farro with mushrooms and parmesan, plain quinoa, or spiced quinoa
More baked fish recipes
Do you like baked fish recipes? There are many ways to cook fish in the oven. Here are some additional ideas:
This baked fish recipe is…
Pescetarian, gluten free and dairy free.
The description
This baked fish recipe uses simple ingredients for great Mediterranean flavor! It’s a crowd puller with every kind of white fish.
- 1 1/2 supplies white fish fillets (tilapia, halibut, cod, snapper etc.)
- 1 pint Cherry tomatoes, halved
- ¼ cup halved green olives (optional*; we like Castelvetrano)
- ¼ cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 3 Garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, shared
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, shared
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Let the fish rest at room temperature while you prepare the vegetables.
- Chop tomatoes, olives, red onion and garlic as above.
- Place the chopped vegetables, drained capers, and 1 tablespoon chopped parsley in the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Mix with 1 tablespoon olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- dry the fish Rub it with 1 tablespoon olive oil and ¾ teaspoon kosher salt spread over the fillets. Sprinkle with oregano and a few black peppercorns. Place the fillets over the vegetables in the pan, then gently drizzle the lemon juice over the fillets.
- Place the dish in the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes (depending on the thickness of the fish; check after 15 minutes for very thin fillets) until the fish is flaky and the internal temperature is 140 degrees Fahrenheit as measured with a Food thermometer. Garnish with the remaining tablespoon of chopped parsley and serve immediately, placing a few spoonfuls of vegetables on each plate (on top of or near the fish).
Remarks
*Omit the olives when cooking for people who hate olives; the dish is always delicious. But we highly recommend using them for the best flavor here! The Italian variety Castelvetrano has a sweet, buttery taste.
- Category: main course
- Method: Cooked
- Kitchen: Fish
- Diet: Gluten free
Keywords: Baked fish, baked fish recipe, how to cook fish, baked fish recipes
