The secret to this juicy baked fish recipe is in the quick marinade with spices, garlic, fresh basil, a little citrus, and extra virgin olive oil. Works great with any white fish, like halibut, cod, halibut, snapper, and beyond.
We often forget that, just like chicken and meat, fish can benefit from a little time in a tasty marinade. As long as you keep the acid low and the marinating time short, marinating a firm fish or a fish fillet like halibut or cod for just 30 minutes can do some good.
The marinade infuses the fish with all sorts of mouthwatering flavors. And, just like cooking fish in foil, it prevents the fish from drying out. Today’s tender baked fish recipe could not be any easier to make. I used halibut fillet, but any other white fish will work.
I add the fish and the marinade over a bed of colorful bell peppers and shallots, and bake for about 15 minutes. Easy! My family loved this baked fish with lemon rice and a big bowl of Greek salad.
Table of Contents
What’s in the Fish Marinade?
You’ll notice that I kept the citrus portion low, using the juice of 1 lemon (2 tablespoons of citrus) to 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
- Garlic: 10 fresh garlic cloves. I like to mince the garlic as finely as I can for maximum flavor.
- Fresh basil: 15 fresh basil leaves, sliced into ribbons. The combination of fragrant fresh basil with the warm spices packs this baked fish recipe with great flavor. If you don’t have basil, you can use parsley, cilantro, dill, or thyme to your liking.
- Spices: A trio of dried oregano, coriander, and paprika.
- Citrus: Juice of 1 lemon, which is about 2 tablespoons of citrus. If you like, you can switch it out for lime, white wine, or a mild-tasting vinegar.
- Extra virgin olive oil: I used 6 tablespoons of Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil. Because the fish bakes with the marinade, it’s important to use a tasty oil that enhances the flavor of the fish.
How Long to Marinate Fish?
In general, it’s safe to marinate a fish fillet like halibut or even a flaky fish like cod for 30 minutes or so refrigerated. If you’re marinating a fairly thick fish steak like a tuna fish steak or a swordfish steak, you may go for 1 to 2 hours of marinating. Always keep your marinated fish in the fridge.
How to Make this Baked Fish Recipe
There really are two steps to this fish fillet recipe: Marinate and bake. Here’s how it’s done:
- Marinate the fish. Pat a 2 pound fish fillet dry and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Place in a large zip-top bag. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 teaspoon coriander, 1 teaspoon paprika, 10 minced garlic cloves, 15 sliced basil leaves, 6 tablespoons olive oil, and the juice of 1 lemon. Zip the bag shut and massage to be sure the fish is evenly coated in the marinade. Marinated for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour in the fridge.
- Meanwhile, get ready to bake. Preheat your oven to 425°F. Arrange 2 sliced bell peppers and 2 sliced shallots in the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Bake the fish: Place the fish on top and pour the marinade over it. Bake in heated oven for 15 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
What to Serve with Baked Fish
Serve baked fish immediately with your favorite grain or lemon rice and a side of Greek salad, white bean salad, or herbed zucchini.
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Easy Baked Fish with Garlic and Basil
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fish fillet (like halibut or cod)
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 10 garlic cloves, minced
- 15 basil leaves, thinly sliced
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 bell peppers, any color, sliced
- 2 shallots, peeled and sliced
Instructions
- Season the fish. Pat the fish dry and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Place in a large zip-top bag. Add the oregano, coriander, paprika, minced garlic, basil, olive oil, and lemon juice. Zip the bag shut and massage to be sure the fish is evenly coated in the marinade. Marinated for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour in the fridge (see notes).
- Meanwhile, get ready to bake. Preheat your oven to 425°F. Arrange the bell peppers and shallots in the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Bake the fish: Place the fish on top and pour the marinade over it. Bake in heated oven for 15 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
Notes
- Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients, including the olive oil and spices used in this recipe.
- How long to marinate fish: I used halibut fillet in this recipe and I typically marinate it about 30 minutes. Thicker fish steaks, like tuna or swordfish, can marinate for 1 to 2 hours, but that is not the kind of fish I would recommend for this recipe.
- How to know if your fish is cooked? Your fish should be opaque and should flake easily with a fork at the thickest part. You can also use an instant read thermometer, which should register 145°F.
Nutrition
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I made the baked fish with garlic and basil. Iwas delicious. I added some mediteranian herb mix and old bay. the flavor was amazing!
I tried this with 3 different types of fish at once and it was very delicious. I do think I used a higher concentration of lemon juice, spices, and garlic though, I think. You can’t go too wrong with lots of flavor.
I also added potatoes, but I would recommend roasting them for 10-20 minutes beforehand.
Thanks so much!!!
I’m sad to say this recipe was so boring and bland we struggled to eat it. I followed the recipe exactly – it sounded great and flavorful, but it wasn’t. I rarely give a bad review but this was very disappointing
Love this recipe! Deceptively easy, and has so much flavor. One of my favorites.
What a great review! Thank you so much, Sarah!
Yassou Susan, another great recipe, efkharisto’ poli
Milena
Use this recipe over and over love it so easy to make when l get home from a long day at work when l am tired yummy
Delicious! It turned out perfect.. also made the white beansalad.
This was AMAZING! Hubs and I absolutely loved it. I’ll go a step further and say it was the best fish we have ever had! (And we eat fish a lot!)
Wow! We love to hear that, Lori! Thank you!
Very very good. Super simple easy to divide for one or two people. Served mine over pasta, very good
Very tasty recipe which I’m going to claim as my own. Don’t tell anyone and we’ll get along fine.
Haha!
Classic !! Best comment I read on the internet 🙂 lol
This is an excellent recipe. Restaurant quality, excellent colorful presentation. I served it with your lemon rice recipe ( wonderful) and lightly steamed asparagus.
Thank you for the wonderful review, Mairan!
That pepper and onion bed was such a good idea!