This Easy Mediterranean Oven-Baked Fish is juicy and tasty, with deep fresh herbs, lemon, and garlic flavours. It's an irresistible dinner ready in under 30 minutes.
This fish combines the fresh, vibrant flavors of the Mediterranean diet with the lightness of fish; this dish is the perfect choice for anyone looking to enjoy a nutritious meal without sacrificing taste, just like the Mediterranean baked cod and tilapia paired with the all-time vibrant tomatoes and cucumber salad or pasta salad.
If you want something with a crispy crust, this pan-fried crispy fish or baked basa is super tasty.
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Why Choose This Recipe?
Packed with Flavor: The combination of fresh herbs, zesty lemon, garlic, and olives gives the fish a vibrant, Mediterranean-inspired taste that’s impossible to resist.
Super Easy to Prepare: This recipe is incredibly simple to follow even if you’re not an experienced cook.
Versatile and Customizable One of the great things about this recipe is its flexibility. You can easily swap out different vegetables or herbs based on what you have on hand or your personal preferences.
Recipe Ingredients
- Herbs: Fresh Thyme, Basil, Rosemary, Parsley, and dried Oregano(or fresh). Who makes a Mediterranean dish without herbs? No one!
- Fish Fillets: Thaw the fish and pat dry. You can also use whole fish, but bake it for a longer time (approximately 30 minutes).
- Vegetables: Cherry tomatoes, Zucchini, Olives, and Onions.
- Sweet Chilli Sauce: You can substitute some honey, chilli flakes, or hot sauce.
- Garlic: I love adding lots of garlic to any fish recipe because of its deep flavor.
- Lemon Juice and Lemon Zest: You can substitute lime, red, or white wine vinegar.
- Olive Oil: This is the most flavorful oil to use when baking, as it enhances the flavor of the fish.
- Salt and Pepper to taste.
See recipe card for details.
Why Bake A Fish?
- Requires less oil compared to deep frying.
- This is the easiest way to ensure a tender, juicy, and flaky fish.
- The fish doesn't dry out quickly.
- Maintains its flavour.
- Quick and easy method of cooking.
- Avoids flipping of the fish.
- You may always end up with sauce or gravy from the fish.
How to Make Mediterranean Baked Fish
Preheat the oven to 400℉
- Add all the ingredients except the veggies and fish to a bowl and combine well.
- Coat the fish with the marinade generously. Save some marinade.
- Toss the veggies with the remaining marinade.
- Pour the veggies into the baking dish, then place the fish on top. Bake at 400 ° F for 15 minutes.
TOP TIP
Fresh, high-quality fish is the key to a truly delicious baked Mediterranean fish. Fresh fish will have a delicate, flaky texture and a mild flavor that pairs beautifully with Mediterranean ingredients. If possible, purchase your fish from a trusted fishmonger or a reputable source to ensure it's fresh. Additionally, don’t forget to check for the "fishy" smell—fresh fish should have a clean, ocean-like aroma, not an overpowering or pungent scent. This simple step makes all the difference in the final taste of your dish!
Another pro tip: If you’re using frozen fish, thaw it thoroughly and pat it dry before cooking to avoid excess moisture, which can make the fish soggy when baked.
Substitutions and Variations
- White fish like cod, halibut, tilapia, cod, haddock, catfish, or snapper. Feel free to use any fish of your choice, but cooking time will depend on the size of the fish.
- Use any vegetables, like bell peppers, carrots, or artichokes, for the veggies.
- Olives are a key ingredient in Mediterranean dishes, but if you’re not a fan or have an allergy, you can substitute capers, sun-dried tomatoes, or pickled onions.
- For an added burst of Mediterranean flavor, crumble feta cheese over the top of the fish before baking. It will melt into the fish, adding creaminess and tang.
- Add a topping of seasoned breadcrumbs or crushed nuts (like almonds or pine nuts) mixed with olive oil for a little crunch. This gives the fish a crispy texture while keeping it Mediterranean-inspired.
Recipe FAQS
Yes, you can. Thaw the fish properly and pat dry.
Store any leftover baked Mediterranean fish in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It should stay fresh for about 1-2 days. To reheat, place the fish in the oven for a few minutes at 300°F (150°C) to warm it or gently reheat it in the microwave.
You can prepare the fish and vegetables in the baking dish a few hours ahead. Cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake. You can also prepare the fish up to 24 hours in advance and let it marinate in the refrigerator for extra flavor. Just make sure not to bake it until you're ready to serve.
More Mediterranean Recipes to Try
Easy Mediterranean Baked fish
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Fish fillets
- 6 sprigs Thyme chopped
- 3 sprigs Rosemary chopped
- 1 teaspoon Oregano dried
- 2 teaspoon Parsley chopped or dried
- 4 Garlic cloves minced or chopped or 2 teaspoon paste
- 1 teaspoon Basil chopped (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Sweet chilli sauce
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Blackpepper
- ¼ cup Olive oil
For The Veggies
- 1 cup Cherry tomatoes
- ½ cup Olives pitted
- 1 medium Onion diced
- 1 Zucchini diced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉ and lightly grease or line a baking dish.
- Add all the ingredients except the veggies and fish to a bowl and combine well.6 sprigs Thyme, 3 sprigs Rosemary, 1 tsp Oregano, 2 tsp Parsley, 4 Garlic cloves, 1 tsp Basil, 1 tsp Lemon zest, 1 tbsp Lemon juice, 1 tbsp Sweet chilli sauce, ½ tsp Salt, ½ tsp Blackpepper, ¼ cup Olive oil
- Rub the marinade on both sides of the fish generously and set aside. Save ½ tablespoon of the marinade.2 Fish fillets
- Add the veggies into the remaining marinade and mix well with a spoon until they are well coated.1 cup Cherry tomatoes, ½ cup Olives, 1 medium Onion, 1 Zucchini
- Pour the veggies into the baking dish, then place the fish on top.
- Scrape any remaining marinade from the bowl and pour it on the fish.
- Bake in the middle rack of the oven at 400℉ for 15 minutes. Baking time will depend on how thick your fillets are.
- Cook until the fish is flaky or a thermometer reads 145℉ internal temperature.
- Remove from the oven and let it rest for about 5 minutes, then serve,
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Aeisha says
What type of fish was used here?
Branzino
Dharshini says
Been on the lookout for good fish recipe.This was great.I loved the flavours
Cíntia Mansion says
Oh my goodness… this was so good! I made it today with fresh fish from my local fish market, and my husband and I loved it. The lemon zest makes such a difference, and the vegetables cooked in all those delicious juices were amazing. I’ll definitely be making this again next week for friends. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Terri says
This is a delicious recipe. Never tried corvina. So good. Could use and firm white fish
Alicia says
Totally worth having to refill our spice shelves. The seasonings worked well on the tilapia and my salmon. When I found enough veggies to make that part of the recipe it was an even bigger hit. Hubby said he thought he'd never eat an olive but had now found their purpose in our fridge and boys wanted extra on their second helpings. Thank you!
I love this. Thanks so much for the feedback
Kathy says
This is an excellent dish! We loved the flavors, and it's really quick and easy to make. I used tilapia that was fairly thick, so I baked it an extra 5 minutes. We aren't olive fans, so I substituted extra veggies (squash and zucchini), and I substituted honey and red pepper flakes for the sweet chili sauce, and it was really good. Thank you, Claudy - great recipe!
Thanks so much for your feedback.