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.
Thank you for this recipe, I have made this many times and it is delicious.
Wonderful! Thanks, Cyndi!
Right away noticed the liquid component in the recipe was too low; rice is just a tad under 1:2. So made 2/3 cup rice 1/3 cup Orzo with 1/4 cup lemon juice (one lemon, in this case) and 1 1/2 cups light chicken broth and it came out perfect. Thank you!
This is literally the best cod I think I’ve ever had! I love it so much. I served it alongside some lemony farro tossed with herbs and feta cheese. Perfect healthy dinner! Can’t wait to make this again 😋🤤
Yay! So glad to hear it!
Amazing weeknight dinner. Substituted olives for capers. Paired with a Mediterranean cucumber tomato salad and yellow rice. Thanks for the recipe! My teenage has only had salmon fist so this is the 1st time and she loved it!
Made this recipe as instructed using haddock and it was absolutely delicious! My new favorite white fish recipe.
This dish was as beautiful as it was delicious!! I made it exactly as written. Thank you Suzy for sharing your talents with us!! My husband and I felt so good eating this healthy dish!!!
Monica
I love hearing that! Thanks, Monica!
Easy, fast and super yummy. A staple on my meal plays. TY so much.
Meant to write “plans”, ofc. But “plays” does not sound that wrong 😀
The Easiest & Fastest and most delicious recipe!! We LOVE it and have made it every week for the past few weeks! We’ve shared it with friends and family too. We add in extra tomatoes & onions and less olives since their saltiness goes a long way. Comes out amazing every time and we serve it over a bed of white rice!
Once it’s ready on my plate I like to mix it together with the rice and squish the tomatoes so their juicy flavors are soaked up in the rice and olive oil etc
So glad this has become a favorite, Olivia! Thank you for the nice review!
Love this recipe! I used halibut and shallots instead of red onion. I had some extra fish left over so I shredded it, chopped the remaining topping and mixed everything with what I had on hand…some mayo, hot sauce, and capers for a tasty fish dip that I served with warm pita pockets the next day!
Another fabulous recipe of yours that I’ve gone back to many times.
I can always count on your recipes to make a wholesome yet healthy Mediterranean style meal.
Thanks Suzy. Keep them coming.
Diana
I’m so glad to hear that, Diana. Thank you!
Sounds delicious. Will catfish work? I’ve got some on hand.
Hi, Kandice. I have never tried this one with catfish, personally, but I think it should work.
Do you think Mahi Mahi would work?
I have made so many recipes and every one has been a winner! My husband has raved about every dish and always wants more pita bread!
Hi, Marilyn. I have not personally tried this one with Mahi Mahi, but another reader has with success. If you give it a go, please stop back and share your thoughts!
I made this tonight with Mahi Mahi and my husband went back for seconds so it was a big hit. It was delicious and perfect with the lemon rice. I have so many recipes now that I can rotate during the week. Shopping for ingredients is a cinch and as long as I have plenty of veggies and proteins, cooking this way is so healthy and really delicious. I wish I found the Mediterranean Dish and your way of cooking years ago. I am hooked! Next time I will take pictures. The presentation is great too! Thank you!
Thank you so much for sharing, Marilyn!
Perfect for a light summer meal with in season tomatoes. I subbed capers for the olives. Even though it was super easy the fish was so flavorful & clean up was a snap.
Thanks, Brenna!
Forgot to rate the recipe!
Thanks, Denise!
We had this for dinner last night. I used halibut and it was delicious! Served with some roasted garlic rice and sautéed zucchini. YUM!!
The first time, I made this recipe exactly as written. It was certainly delicious, but the raw onions didn’t agree with me. I made this again last night and sauteed the onions in EVOO, then added the garlic, fresh thyme and dried Greek oregano. Finally, added the tomatoes and olives just to combine all the flavors. Doing this was an absolute game changer for me. Used frozen wild cod and served it over cauliflower rice seasoned with fresh lemon juice and chopped parsley. Will add this to our meal rotation!