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.
Delicious light recipe!
This dish looks so amazing and colourful, very excited to give this a try! Is there anything you’d recommend to serve with it? Always struggle with sides for fish dishes.
Hi, Dani. You could serve this with lemon rice, couscous or your favorite grain place a big salad, like Greek salad or even black eyed pea salad. Enjoy!
Sorry forgot to give it 5 stars.
Thanks so much, Patricia!
Forgot the star rating…..10!!!
Yay! Thank you!
AMAZING!! My husband usually does the fish cooking on the stovetop, but this recipe really got my attention and desire for something new!
I used half kalamata and half jalapeño garlic stuffed green olives. The peppers gave it a nice little zip! Delicious with cod. Next time (very soon) I’ll use halibut.
Jalapeño garlic stuffed olives? YUM!
Made this last night and your lemon rice
AMAZING!
definitely will be making it again and again.
Love your recipes but this one was just ok. I used cod and based on the ingredients I thought it would be much more flavorful than it was.
Absolutely fabulous recipe! My mom and I are not fish eaters EVER!! I wanted to incorporate fish into our diets and this was amazing! I paired it with your lemon rice recipe, which was an amazing accompaniment! Thank you for sharing and creating a fish fan. Bravo
So glad you enjoyed it, Deanna!
Delicious and so easy, thank you!
Outstanding. I followed the recipe other than adding some fresh chives. I used Dover Sole for the white fish. Served it with a green salad and a glass of wine. A+
Suzy, I love every recipe of yours that I have tried! I would like to make this fish dish (Med baked white fish) but unfortunately I loathe olives, despite absolutely loving everything Mediterranean from travel to food. What could I substitute for olives in this dish?
Hi, Angela. You could simply use more tomatoes, or even replace them with any other veggie you enjoy. This recipe is super forgiving!
Halibut is my fish of choice but cannot find it lately. I was wondering if Pollock would work in this recipe? Thanks.
Sure! You’ll just need to adjust the cooking time accordingly. Enjoy!
This is one of those meals where you say “wow” between every bite and for hours afterward. I have never left a review on a recipe, but this one absolutely deserves it. Simply exquisite.
Thank you for the amazing review, Everett! We appreciate it!
I have made this dish several times before. It is a great recipe. I do have a question. How big are your garlic cloves. Giving an actual amount of garlic in any recipe is quite helpful.
Those was great! Thank you
DELICIOUS! So many layers of flavours. Made tonight with halibut and everyone loved it. Thank you.