20 minutes is all it takes to make this delicious haddock recipe, prepared Mediterranean-style in a garlic-lemon sauce with artichoke hearts, tomatoes and olives!
An Easy Haddock Recipe for the Fish Skeptic!
As someone who eats fish weekly as part of my Mediterranean lifestyle, I often get questions like, “I love fish but my family…not so much, what should I make that they might like?” Today’s recipe is it! A fish recipe for the fish skeptics!
This is an easy one-skillet lemony, garlicky haddock recipe, jazzed up with a few Mediterranean ingredients that I love.
In this recipe, the mild-tasting haddock fillet (or similar white fish fillet), takes on a Mediterranean spice rub, then you quickly cook it (or poach it) a delicious, lemony sauce with garlic, shallots and artichoke hearts for about 4 to 5 minutes. to finish, throw in some fresh chopped tomatoes, herbs and green olives.
This haddock recipe is bright and flavorful, I’ve tried it on a few fish skeptics and they gave it thumbs up!
What is haddock & what does it taste like?
Haddock is a type of white fish, similar to halibut or cod. It’s a northern Atlantic fish with a mild, slightly sweet flavor and somewhat firm texture that turns beautifully tender and flaky when cooked. Because of this, it is among the fish types I always recommend to people who aren’t fans of fish but would like to incorporate it into their diet.
If you can’t find haddock, you can use other white fish like cod or halibut fillet in this recipe.
Ways to cook haddock
In this recipe, the fish is essentially poached, and it takes no more than 4 to 5 minutes to cook in the delicious lemony sauce. But there are many other ways to cook haddock fillet including:
- Fried. Haddock is great for frying and often used in fish and chips.
- Baked. You can also bake haddock with a few of your favorite seasonings. It will work well in this baked white fish recipe.
- Pan-fried. Pan-frying haddock is quick and easy. Be sure to put it skin-side down first.
- Broiled. For a quick dinner, you can stick the fish under the broiler and watch it for a few minutes to char and cook through under the direct heat.
Ingredient’s you’ll need
This recipe uses traditional Mediterranean seasonings to season the haddock and a base of white wine and lemon juice for the sauce.
- Haddock Fillet– If you’re using previously frozen fish, it should be thawed completely before starting.
- Seasoning– The halibut is seasoned with dried oregano, Aleppo pepper, coriander, paprika and a pinch of black pepper.
- Extra virgin olive oil – You can see my favorite olive oils here.
- Butter– Only 1 tablespoon, and you can omit it if you like
- Garlic and shallots – These aromatics are sautéed to release flavor throughout the entire dish.
- White wine – Any dry white wine such as chardonnay, pinot gris, or sauvignon blanc will work.
- Lemon – It’s essential to use fresh lemon juice for this lemon fish recipe!
- Artichoke hearts – They should be rinsed and drained.
- Tomato – I used a roma tomato to add a pop of color and flavor to the final dish.
- Fresh herbs – Parsley and dill add a bright, fresh flavor to the halibut and work well with the lemon flavor.
- Green olives – Added at the end for a variety in flavor and beautiful presentation.
How to make this haddock recipe
Making this one-pan haddock recipe is simple and takes just a few steps!
- Season the fish. Combine the spices in a small bowl. Pat the fish dry and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Rub the spice mixture all over and set aside.
- Prepare the sauce. Heat the olive oil and butter. Cook the garlic and shallot until softened. Add the white wine, lemon juice and artichoke hearts. Cook until the liquid is slightly reduced.
- Cook the fish. Add the halibut to the skillet and reduce heat. Cover and cook for 4 minutes, until flakey and fully cooked.
- Serve. Remove from heat and finish the dish with tomato, fresh herbs and olives. Serve immediately!
Tips for success
If this is your first time cooking haddock, here are a few things to keep in mind.
- For best flavor, coat the fish with the spice mixture and allow it a few minutes. Seasoning the fish first and allowing it to rest while you prepare the lemon sauce helps to infuse every bite with extra flavor.How to tell when haddock is cooked. When haddock is fully cooked, it will flake easily. If you twist a fork in the center, it should not only flake easily but also be completely white, with no translucent color.
- Frozen fish is okay! If you can’t find fresh fish fillets, frozen wild caught haddock is perfectly acceptable to use! Just be sure to safely thaw it in the fridge before starting the recipe.
Serve it with
Serve this one-pan haddock recipe immediately while the fish is freshly cooked, tender and flaky! With such a beautiful presentation and vegetables already prepared with it, this fish does not need much else to go along. Try something simple like basmati rice or couscous.
How to store leftovers
Leftover lemon haddock can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Be sure to store in the sauce to avoid it drying out. I’m not a huge fan of reheating fish and will often enjoy leftovers at room temperature but in this case, you can easily reheat on the stove with the lemon sauce. It shouldn’t dry out too much, just make sure to remove from the heat as soon as it’s warmed through.
More easy white fish recipes:
Fish and Seafood
20-Minute Fish Piccata
Fish and Seafood
Baked Cod Recipe with Lemon and Garlic
Fish and Seafood
Baked White Fish Recipe, Mediterranean-Style
Fish and Seafood
Mediterranean-Style Fish Soup Recipe
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One-Pan Mediterranean Haddock with Artichoke Hearts and Olives
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 4 fillets haddock (thawed if previously frozen, 6 ounces each)
- Black pepper
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 shallot (minced)
- Kosher salt
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 lemon (juice of)
- 15 ounces artichoke hearts (rinsed and drained)
- 1 roma tomato (chopped)
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
- 1/4 cup fresh dill (chopped)
- 1/2 cup green olives (pitted)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the oregano, Aleppo pepper, coriander, and paprika. Stir to mix.
- Pat the fish dry and season with kosher salt and black pepper on both sides, then rub the spice mixture all over the fish. Set aside for now.
- In a large cast iron skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallot and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened (manage your heat so the garlic does not burn)
- Add the white wine, lemon juice, and artichoke hearts and cook for another 5 minutes until the liquid is slightly reduced.
- Add the fish to the skillet and turn the heat down to medium-low. Cover and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the fish is flakey and fully cooked through.
- When the fish is ready, remove it from the heat and finish with the Roma tomato, fresh herbs, and olives. Serve immediately!
Video
Notes
- To make sure your fish is cooked through, test it with a fork at the thickest part. Gently poke the fish and twist the fork, the fish should flake easily and should look white and not translucent grey. The internal temperature of cooked fish should be somewhere between 140 and and 145 degrees F.
- Leftovers will keep in the fridge in a tight-lid container for up to 2 days.
- Visit Our Shop for quality Mediterranean ingredients including extra virgin olive oils and spices.
Wow. I just made this and devoured it. This is an amazing dish. I wish has slightly larger haddock fillets (mine were probably only 4oz) but the flavors are just wonderful. I used marinated chokes because that what I had and threw in some capers with the tomatoes and herbs. Superb!
Do you think it would taste good with black Greek olives instead of green olives?
Sure! It would be a slightly different flavor profile, but if you prefer, you can totally use black olives here.
why don’t you list ingredient amounts? shallots, garlic, spices, etc.?
Hi, Kathleen. If you scroll all the way down to the bottom of the post, you’ll find a recipe card with all of those details.
Excellent. Was really surprised on how great this dish was.
We are used to a simple recipes since we love the taste of fresh good fish.
Decide to try something different. So glad we did it was beyond excellent.
Thank you for a great meal!
I’ve made this a few times and it is always delicious. I substituted for shrimp the last time since that was all I had in the freezer and it turned out as well as the original.
I made it a couple weeks ago and it was not only beautiful but very tasty. One quick question. Can I sear the fillets for about a minute each side before putting in the sauce to cook? Or would that have a tendency to overcook? Thank you for any feedback.
Hi, Beverly. That might work. Just be sure to keep a really close eye on the halibut so that it doesn’t overcook.
Incredible! We have made w/ haddock & cod & they’re both excellent.
New family favorite! Everyone asks for it for Friday “seafood day”..
Substituted chicken broth for wine. My daughter’s comment: ‘This is amazing!’ My son: ‘This is really good’ (They’re both picky eaters) I loved it! Oh also used sole as I didn’t have haddock. I like that you can do this with your recipes.
Thanks so much, Joy!
Another fabulous dish! Made it with cod and fresh herbs I had stored in the fridge just like Suzy recommends!
Hi, your recipe looks fabulous. But is the fish in your photograph truly Haddock? Haddock is not generally as thick as that, unlike cod. Also, in your recipe pictures of ‘How to cook’ you state “Season the Halibut”. Your filets look so chunky and delicious I was just wondering if you meant to use Halibut.
Hi, Shelley. Yes, the pictures you see here are haddock, but you could also use cod if you would like.
Very creative,colorful and healthy. Fish is not my husband’s favorite food but he had two helpings and asked where I got the recipe. (That means he liked it). My picky daughter said it was very good.
Yay! Love to hear this! Thanks, Paula!
Our entire family loves this dish! The kids even devoured it and one asked for seconds. So healthy and flavorful, and quite easy to pull together. Have made it a few times now with fresh, wild caught haddock (skin on). Might try with cod or salmon next, or even shrimp. So glad I stumbled on your website!
Thanks, Ashly! So glad to have you here!
I made it with cod . Excellent!
All my favorite dinner recipes seem to come from your site, and this is another winner! I used thawed frozen Costco salmon fillets and it was absolutely delicious and very quick to put together. Definitely a keeper.
Thanks so much, Alison!
Another wonderful meal. It was not too time consuming, pleasant to assemble and a delicious end for a busy day.
It even pleased my fussy one. Thanks again Suzy.
Yessss! Love to hear that! Thanks, June!
Made this recipe last night. It was delicious and easy to make. I will definitely make it again!
Great to hear! Thanks, Joann!
This dish was easy, flavorful, healthy and beautiful to look at. This will be my go to recipe for haddock.
Awesome! Love to hear it! Thanks, Cynthia!
All thumbs 👌 so tasty .
Me and my husband loves the recipe.
I used Cod fish .
Thank you Suzy for sharing
Irene
Thanks for sharing your adaptation, Irene. So glad you enjoyed it!