This easy-baked basa fish is light, flavorful, and perfect for beginner cooks or busy families. Tender basa fillets seasoned with bold spices and baked to flaky perfection in under 20 minutes. A no-fuss, foolproof dish for weeknights or meal prep.
Featured Review
First time making it, but something new looks so good. I'm also from Canada, Windsor, Ontario.
(Natasha)
Recipe Highlights
🕒 Quick & Easy: Ready in just 20 minutes with minimal prep, no fuss.
🔥 Oven-Baked Perfection: Flaky, tender white fish with bold seasoning and no pan-frying.
🍽️ Healthy & Light – Low-fat, high-protein baked white fish
💯 Great for Beginners: Foolproof, flavorful, and perfect for weeknight dinners or healthy meal prep.
In my house, my husband loves fish even more than I do, so I'm always looking for quick ways to get a good fish dinner on the table. Basa became one of my go-to fillets because it's cheap, easy to find, and takes seasoning so well that even my picky eaters clean their plates. After making it more times than I can count, I keep coming back to this simple, foolproof method.
Basa is a mild, budget-friendly white fish that bakes up beautifully. If you're new to seafood or just want an easy oven-baked fish, this one delivers bold flavor with barely any effort, like my 4-ingredient baked basa fish or easy baked cod recipe. You're in the right place for fish recipes, too. I have over 200 on my YouTube channel.
You don’t need any special tools or fancy marinades, just a few pantry spices, olive oil, and your oven.
What Is Basa Fish?
Basa is a mild, white freshwater fish with a soft, flaky texture and a light, slightly sweet flavor. It's affordable, easy to find, and takes on seasoning beautifully, which makes it perfect for quick baked dinners. It's a lot like tilapia, cod, and haddock, so if you can't find basa, those all work in this recipe.
Why You'll Love This Baked Basa Recipe
- Quick and easy: Just 5 minutes of prep, then 15 minutes in the oven.
- Budget-Friendly: Basa is affordable and readily available in most grocery stores.
- Versatile: Pairs well with other fish, including cod, halibut, tilapia, and salmon. This dish also pairs well with a variety of side dishes.
- Flavorful: The perfect combination of spices, just right without overpowering.
Jump to:
- Featured Review
- Recipe Highlights
- Why You'll Love This Baked Basa Recipe
- Recipe Ingredients
- Substitutions and Variations
- How To Make Easy Baked Basa Fish Fillet
- How to Keep Fish from Sticking When Baking.
- Recipe Tips for Baked Basa Fish
- Recipe FAQs
- More Fish Recipes to Try
- Easy Baked Basa Fish Fillets in 20 minutes
Recipe Ingredients
- Basa Fillet: The basa fillet bakes quickly and absorbs flavors beautifully.
- Spices: Garlic powder, Chilli flakes, fish seasoning, and paprika.
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Herbs: Italian seasoning and parsley
- Lemon slices
- Cooking oil
How to Season Basa Fillets
Basa is mild, so it takes seasoning beautifully and won't fight bold flavors. For the best baked basa, combine garlic powder, smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, dried parsley, fish seasoning, chili flakes, salt, and black pepper. Pat the fillets dry, then rub the seasoning generously over both sides so every bite is flavorful. Drizzle with a little oil to help it stick and crisp, and tuck lemon slices underneath for brightness.
Substitutions and Variations
- Swap the fish fillets with tilapia, cod, haddock, snapper, or mackerel.
- Add any of the following: jerk, Cajun, Sazon, Adobo, Old Bay, or blackened seasoning.
- For a kick of heat, add cayenne pepper or hot sauce.
- Top with some unsalted butter and lemon slices.
- Add sliced onions, bell peppers, or cherry tomatoes to the tray.
How To Make Easy Baked Basa Fish Fillet
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking tray with parchment paper or foil. I greased mine.
- Make the Seasoning: Mix the seasonings in a bowl.
- Season Generously: Pat the fish dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle the rub all over the fish and drizzle the fish with oil.
- Bake the fish: Place the seasoned fillets on your prepared tray. Bake for 10- 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.
- Serve: Carefully remove from the oven. Serve hot, with a squeeze of lemon, and garnish with fresh parsley or thyme.
How to Keep Fish from Sticking When Baking.
This is a question I get all the time on YouTube. The trick is to create a barrier between the pan and the fish:
- Pat the fish thoroughly dry.
- Line the pan with parchment paper and grease it with a thin layer of oil or cooking spray.
- Suspend the fish on lemon slices or vegetables underneath.
Recipe Tips for Baked Basa Fish
- Pat the fish dry before seasoning to help it crisp up and prevent sticking.
- Don’t overbake: Check for doneness at 12 minutes; the fish should flake easily and reach an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C).
- Line your pan with parchment paper or foil for easy cleanup and no sticking.
- Adjust seasoning to taste: Reduce cayenne for less heat or add lemon zest for extra brightness.
- Use even-sized fillets so they cook at the same rate.
Recipe FAQs
Basa fish typically takes 12 to 15 minutes to cook in a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C). The exact time depends on the thickness of the fillets
Yes, but thaw completely and pat dry before seasoning and baking
Yes! Air fry at 380°F for 10–12 minutes, flipping the food halfway through.
Pan searing, air frying, baking, and grilling
More Fish Recipes to Try
If you tried this baked basa fillets recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Easy Baked Basa Fish Fillets in 20 minutes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Basa fillet skinless
- 1 tsp. Dry parsley
- 1 tsp. Garlic powder
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp. Chili flakes
- 1 tsp. Fish seasoning
- 1 tsp. Smoked paprika
- ½ tsp. Salt
- ¼ Black pepper
- Lemon slices
- 3 tablespoon Cooking oil
Instructions
- Prepare the oven and preheat it to 400℉.
- Pat dry fish fillet from both sides using a paper towel and place it in a baking pan lined with parchment paper or lemon slices.1 Basa fillet
- Add garlic powder, dry parsley, Italian seasoning, chilli flakes, fish seasoning, paprika, black pepper and salt in a small bowl, and mix well.1 tsp. Dry parsley, 1 tsp. Garlic powder, 1 tsp. Italian seasoning, ½ tsp. Chili flakes, 1 tsp. Fish seasoning, 1 tsp. Smoked paprika, ½ tsp. Salt, ¼ Black pepper
- Generously sprinkle the spices and seasoning mixture on one side of the fish fillet and rub gently using your hand to make an even coating.
- Drizzle olive oil and pat gently. Repeat the same procedure on the other sides of the fillet. Keep 2 or 3 lemon slices under the fish.3 tbsp Cooking oil, Lemon slices
- Place the dish in the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until flaky. Remove from oven, transfer to the serving plate and serve with your favourite garnishing and sides.
Video
Notes
- Start with 1 teaspoon of chili flakes for a balanced heat. For milder fish, use ½ teaspoon and add more to taste. For extra spicy, go up to 2 teaspoons.
- Pat the fish completely dry before seasoning so it crisps up and doesn't stick.
- Don't overbake. Check at 12 minutes. The fish is done when it flakes easily and reaches 145°F (63°C).
- Line your pan with parchment paper or foil for easy cleanup and no sticking.
- Use even-sized fillets so they all cook at the same rate.
- Thaw frozen basa completely and pat dry before seasoning.
- Leftovers should be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
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Nutrition
San says
This was such a hit!! I've been waiting for another opportunity to make this again, and I'm making it tonight.
Sophie Johnson says
Lovely, added some great flavours to my basa fillets, really simple
Lovely Robinson says
Love it l! Needed more than 10mins at least 15mins. I did 20mins. Maybe my cut was thicker
Natasha says
First time making it but something new looks so good I'm also from Canada Windsor Ontario
Thank you
Marta Paras says
WOW! The first time I make a recipe, I always do it as written, which is what I did here but 2 tsp. Of Chile flakes!
My husband and I both like spice but this was over the top!
I would do the recipe again but I would cut the chile pepper flakes back to 1/2 a tsp. So the heat doesn't overower everything else flavor wise.
Debbie Davis says
Loved easy baked basa fish recipe so yummy. I'm from Canada too,Kingston Ontario. Maybe you are near? Your recipes look so good👏🔥
Thanks for the feedback.