This baked Mediterranean Branzino (sea bass), served with a delicate Ladolemono sauce is the perfect easy weeknight dinner that the whole family will enjoy. Branzino, aka Mediterranean sea bass, is cooked to perfection with a delicious mix of veggies and seasonings and topped with the rich, citrusy sauce.
If you love Greek and Mediterranean flavors, you're in for a huge treat!
On days when I just can't figure out what to cook, I usually turn to a simple baked fish based on what I have at hand, and that's precisely why you'll find a lot of baked fish recipes on my blog.
Lately, I've been trying out a lot of recipes inspired by Mediterranean flavors. My Mediterranean baked Tilapia and Mediterranean baked Cod were both huge hits, and inspired by how well they turned out, I tried out another recipe using Branzino. And oh-boy! I'm so happy I did!
Prefer stovetop? Skip the oven and try the no-oven Pan Seared Whole Red Snapper or pan seared crispy fish fillet instead
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What I Love About this Recipe
If cooking a whole fish feels daunting, this easy recipe is just what you need.
It's bursting with flavors with the beautiful mix of spices, and has soft, flaky fish in every single bite.
You'll need just 10 minutes of hands-on kitchen time to prep for the dish. It doesn't get better than this.
Recipe Ingredients
Branzino: Branzino is a flaky white fish that flakes beautifully when baked. Since this is the star of the meal, make sure you pick one that's absolutely fresh, and smells like the ocean, not like fish.
Veggies: For the base of the dish, I used cherry tomatoes, capers and Kalamata olives.
Seasonings: To season, I used a mix of garlic powder, paprika, chili flakes, sumac, salt, pepper and some dried oregano.
Olive oil: I used extra virgin olive oil here- both for the fish and for the sauce.
Ladolemono sauce: To make the sauce, all you'll need is some fresh garlic, lemon juice, parsley, thyme and some seasonings.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Variations & Substitutions
- To lend some extra citrusy flavors to the dish, arrange some lemon slices around the fish while baking. You can also zest some lemon and add it into the marinade and the sauce.
- To bulk up the dish and make it more filling, add some cubed potatoes as well! They'll cook simultaneously and you'll have a delicious and wholesome meal ready super quick.
- If you want, you can also chop up some other veggies into cubes and add them in. Bell peppers, broccoli and zucchini are some good choices.
- If you can't find Kalamata olives, just use regular pitted olives instead.
How to Make Mediterranean Branzino
To make this baked Mediterranean Branzino, start by preheating your oven to 400℉.
- Combine all the ingredients for the fish marinade in a small bowl and mix well.
- Score the fish by making deep diagonal lines with a sharp knife.
- our the marinade on it and rub generously, including the cavity and slits. You can place some lemon slices or fresh thyme into the belly of the fish. Set aside.
- Add the tomatoes, capers, olives, pinch of salt and little olive oil to the baking dish and stir to combine.
- Place the fish on it and bake at 400℉ for 30 minutes until it flakes easily.
- While it's baking, combine the ingredients for the Ladolemono sauce in a small jar and shake well to combine. Pour all over the fish when it's fully cooked.
Storing Leftovers
To store your leftover baked Branzino, transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. You can then reheat it in a pan over medium heat or microwave it, pausing at every 30 second intervals.
Tips & Tricks to Make the Mediterranean Branzino
- If you can, choose cooking the whole fish and not the filet. Doing this helps keep the fish juicy and more flavorful.
- Don't forget to slit the fish on both sides. This helps that beautiful marinade get in and also cooks the fish much more evenly.
- Keep an eye on the fish at the 20-25 minute mark to check if it is done. High oven temperatures can cause the fish to cook pretty quickly, and you don't want to have overcooked fish.
- If you have the skin to have a nice bit of char on the outside, turn on the broiler setting in your oven for the final 3-4 minutes of cooking.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
You can enjoy the baked Branzino with some steamed rice or a flatbread of your choice- that's how I usually do it. Sometimes, I also like to serve it with a simple side dish of potatoes like garlic herb roasted potatoes or Air Fryer potatoes and a salad like Mediterranean tomato and cucumber salad.
The fish also tastes fantastic when paired with a filling salad like Mediterranean pasta salad or Mediterranean chickpea salad.
Recipe FAQs
You absolutely can! Just remember that the cooking time will diffe and depend on the size and type of fish you're using.
You can choose any mild white, flaky fish. Red snapper, cod, sea bass, halibut, and flounder are good choices.
You can use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. If it reads 145 degrees or more, it is done. If you don't have one, check if the fish has turned translucent to opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
To determine the freshness of any fish, check the eyes. If they are bright and clear, the fish is fresh. You can poke the fish with your finger to see if it bounces back. If it does, the fish is fresh and pleasing to use.
More Fish Recipes to Try
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried these Mediterranean Branzino 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!
Mediterranean Branzino
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 whole Branzino (sea bass) scaled, gutted and rinsed
Fish Marinade Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon Sumac
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Chilli flakes
- 1½ teaspoon Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Oregano dried
- 2 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 3 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
Fresh Ingredients
- 1-2 cups Cherry tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon Capers
- ½ cup Kalamata olives
- Pinch of salt and little olive oil
Ladolemono Sauce
- ½ cup Extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup Fresh Lemon juice from 1-2 lemons
- 2-3 Garlic cloves minced
- ½ tablespoon Fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Fresh thyme finely chopped or oregano
- Pinch of salt and Blackpepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉.
- Combine the fish marinade in a small bowl and mix well.
- Score the fish by making deep diagonal lines with a sharp knife. Pour the marinade on it and rub generously, including the cavity and slits. You can place some lemon slices or fresh thyme into the belly of the fish. Set aside.
- Add the tomatoes, capers, olives, pinch of salt and little olive oil to the baking dish and stir to combine.
- Place the fish on it and bake at 400℉ for 30 minutes until it flakes easily.
- While it's baking, combine the ingredients for the Ladolemono sauce in a small jar and shake well to combine.
- When the fish is fully cooked, remove it from the oven and serve it on a platter. Pour the sauce all over the fish as you like with the cherry tomatoes, capers, and olives. Spoon some juice from the fish on it. Enjoy.
Video
Notes
- If you can, choose cooking the whole fish and not the filet. Doing this helps keep the fish juicy and more flavorful.
- Don't forget to slit the fish on both sides. This helps that beautiful marinade get in and also cooks the fish much more evenly.
- Keep an eye on the fish at the 20-25 minute mark to check if it is done. High oven temperatures can cause the fish to cook pretty quickly, and you don't want to have overcooked fish.
- If you have the skin to have a nice bit of char on the outside, turn on the broiler setting in your oven for the final 3-4 minutes of cooking.
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Bilikis says
Yummy yummy
Bilikis says
Delicious
Claudy says
Something Mediterranean to make your tastebuds scream with joy. Save this recipe and you wouldn't regret it