Loaded with bright Mediterranean flavors, this baked white fish is seasoned with oregano and garlic and a mixture of tomatoes, olives, and red onions. Ready in about 25 minutes! Be sure to check out my fish tips and the video for how to make this recipe below!
Baked white fish is one of the easiest and fastest dinners you can make on a busy weeknight.
This simple recipe is featured in my roundup of 25+ fish recipes anyone can make! Here, the fish fillet takes on a tasty mixture of tomatoes, olives, garlic and red onions, which bathes the fish with fresh and bright Mediterranean flavors. Best part, it takes only 15 minutes or so in a high-heated oven!
Serve it with lemon rice, couscous or your favorite grain + a big salad like Greek salad or even black eyed pea salad.
If you’re new to cooking fish, let’s cover a few basics and some tips…
What is white fish?
When a recipe calls for white fish, what kind of fish should you buy? Unlike a rich and oily fish such as salmon or tuna, white fish refers to mildly flavored fish that has a subtle hint of sweetness and colorless, flaky flesh. It is readily available wherever you travel. If you’ve had fish-n-chips at a local restaurant, you’ve had white fish.
Cod, halibut, grouper, snapper, sea bass, and haddock are all examples of white fish, and any of them will work in this recipe as long as you are working with a fillet.
A few tips for buying fish
Buying fish can be intimidating if you haven’t done it often. But whether you’re a beginner or an experienced chef, it is never a bad idea to ask your fishmonger for recommendations, tell them what you’re making and they will guide you. And they can also typically advice you on the freshness and quality of the fish.
Generally speaking, look for white fish that is firm-fleshed and the color should be translucent to light pink. To me, one of the giveaways is how your fish smells. It should not have a terribly strong odor.
Do not discount frozen fish. Frozen wild fish that is processed fresh and flash frozen can be a great option. The fish should be frozen solid (no trace of liquid), and check the label for additives. This Washington Post Article talks about sodium tripolyphosphate, which is a chemical that is used to retain moisture of the frozen fish. It also adds weight, essentially increasing your cost and decreasing your experience.
Baked White Fish: Step-by-Step
(print-friendly recipe below)
Like I said, this is one of the easiest dinners you’ll make. There really are three main steps to making this Mediterranean fish recipe: season the fish fillet, add the tomato and olives mixture, and bake! Here is how it goes, step-by-step (and you can also watch the video below in the recipe card):
- Season the fish
Pat your fish dry and season with kosher salt and black pepper on both sides. Squeeze a little lemon juice on top.
- Make the tomato and olive mixture
In a bowl, combine halved cherry tomatoes (about 8 ounces), chopped olives, and minced red onion. Add a pinch of kosher salt and black pepper, and more of the thyme, oregano and garlic. Drizzle a bit of extra virgin olive oil and toss to combine. - Assemble and bake
Top the white fish fillet with the tomato and olive mixture and bake in a 425 degrees F heated-oven for about 15 minutes or until the fish flakes easily.
How can you tell if your fish is cooked?
Fish cooks quickly. Whether you’re making salmon, baked cod, or halibut, it’s important to pull the fish out of the oven at the right time so it does not overcook and become too dry.
In the case of baked white fish, it will take about 15 minutes or so to bake at 425 degrees F. This will somewhat depend on how thick the fish is, so you can start checking a little bit earlier. Stick a fork in the thickest part of the fish and gently twist it, it should flake easily and the flesh should look white rather than a greyish opaque (which is what it looks like raw).
More easy fish recipes to try
Mediterranean Lemon-Garlic Haddock
Greek shrimp with tomatoes and feta
Craving more? Browse our fish recipes, top Mediterranean diet recipes, or all Mediterranean Recipes
Visit Our Shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including olive oils and spices!
Mediterranean Baked White Fish
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb white fish fillet such as cod or halibut, (1 to 1 ½ in thickness)
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Juice of ½ lemon more for later
- 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 ounces pitted olives, halved (I used a combination of kalamata olives and green olives)
- 3 tablespoons minced red onion
- 4 to 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Pat the fish dry and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Brush a 9 ½ x 13-inch baking dish with a little extra virgin olive oil and put the fish in it. Squeeze ½ lemon juice all over the top of the fish.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes, olives, onions, garlic and spices. Add a very small pinch of salt and ground pepper. Add a generous drizzle (about 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil) toss to combine.
- Pour the tomato and olive mixture over the fish.
- Bake in the heated oven for 15 to 20 minutes (this will depend on the thickness of your fish).
- Remove from the heat and serve.
Video
Notes
- Remember that fish cooks quickly. You can begin to check if the fish is done before the 15-minute mark. Carefully insert a fork at the thickest part of the fish and twist gently, the fish is ready when it flakes easily.
- Serve with lemon rice, couscous, or your favorite grain. Try adding a big salad as well.
- Visit Our Shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including extra virgin olive oils and spices.
Suzy, ALL your recipes are 5 stars!!!!! My husband and I are new mediterranean diners! Thank you so much for each and every one. I, too, am looking forward to your cookbook. Please be sure to let us know when it’s available. Oh, love your spices, I’m totally in love with sumac, I’ll use it in place of coriander, and I always have a jar of harissa paste, your recipe, in the fridge.
Thank you for the kind words, Catherine! I will definitely keep everyone posted on the cookbook release :).
When are you going to have a cookbook with all these wonderful recipes?
I’m currently in the process of creating my first cookbook! Yay! Due out in fall 2022.
Could this be made in a foil packet on the grill or in a sheet pan on the grill – we are experiencing triple digit weather! Thanks.
Hi, Beth. I’ve not tried that personally with this recipe, but I don’t see why not. Would love your feedback if you give it a go!
I made this for dinner tonight. The only change I made was to substitute capers for the green olives. Still added the black olives. It was delicious. I served it with the lemon rice recipe from this site,, an arugula salad and some roasted zuchinni. It was a wonderful meal that we will definitely have again. Thank you for the recipe.
What a feast :). Thanks Carol!
Yummy
Thank you!! 🙂
Tasted scrumptious! I used mahi mahi because it’s what I had, and added a diced bell pepper along with some fresh basil and parsley from my garden. Amazing!
Sounds wonderful! Thanks, Veronika!
Hi Suzie, can I make this with whole fish instead of fillet? Thanks
Hi, Nazia! Sure! I think that would work!
Such a good and easy meal! Made it with black grouper. Obsessed
Thanks, Drew!
Suzy this was outstanding! Love all the wonderful Mediterranean flavors that certainly make the taste buds do the happy dance. I’ll be making this on a regular basis for sure . I have always loved fish from childhood and now I’m 60 years old but fish never tasted this good growing up . I sure am glad I discovered your food blog . You’ll be my cooking Sensei for all things Mediterranean.
So glad you loved it, Greg! Thank you for the kind words!
Made an adaptation of this using fresh cod last night. I had fresh dill, so added that, and substituted capers for the olives. Delish!!
Thanks for sharing, Cathy!
Did this tonight, soo good!
Thanks, Maureen!
ANother winner – like every one of your recipes that I’ve tried. We loved it! I used all of my white fish for this recipe but have shrimp in th efreezer so will be subbing that later in the week. Your site has been a godsend for me during covid. I try 1-2 new recipes of yours per weekk 🙂 THANK YOU!!
Wonderful! Would love to hear how this works with shrimp!
We enjoyed it with shrimp every bit as much! Large shrimp cooked to perfection in 8 minutes in the preheated oven. The only thing I’ll do differently next time is mix the shrimp in with the olive and tomato mixture before putting on the oiled pan, as it was much more difficult to cover all of the shrimp with the mixture than it was the fish fillets.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing your tips!!
I’m a registered dietitian who loves cooking but i shy away from cooking fish at home cuz i just never got to that comfort level, especially with white fish. Working in nice restaurants for a decade – I’d just go out to eat fish and let the professionals take care of cooking it.
But this recipe hit it out of the park! Loved how easy this was and the flavors were amazing! We used Baramundi and a trout that came in our CSA box. Served over couscous with asparagus on the side. So good! I already wrote this combo down and look forward to making this regularly.
Awesome!! Thanks, Courtney!
Hello, do you have any helpful hints or recipes using fish. I ‘m looking for dishes for my daughter that I can make and freeze for her. She is trying a new diet and would like dishes she could just pull out of the freezer and heat.
Thank you,
I am going to try your soup.
Hi, Beverly! We have quite a few recipes using fish/seafood, like this one. They can be found here: https://www.themediterraneandish.com/category/fish-and-seafood/
Absolutely amazing! I had a recent diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, so my doctor recommended the mediterranean diet. I have been eating these foods all week with no flare ups! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your recipes.
That is wonderful to hear, Stephanie!! Yay!
Suzy, I’ve made many of your recipes and they are delicious. This dish was another home run. I served it with asparagus because I’m watching my carbohydrate intake. Thanks for sharing.