Baked Whole Fish is the simple seafood recipe that looks fancy but comes together with ease. Tender, flaky fish, crisp skin, and fresh lemon-garlic flavor make this an unforgettable dinner in under 40 minutes.
Recipe Highlights: Baked Whole Fish
- Flavor: Bright and fresh with a delicate sweetness and savory depth. Roasting brings out a rich, aromatic flavor while every bite is tender and juicy with a subtle citrusy finish.
- Why Make It: Stunning visual presentation, especially perfect for seafood lovers. Baking fish whole keeps it juicy and so flavorful.
- Difficulty: While this looks like the kind of dish a 5-star restaurant would offer, it’s super easy to prepare. Simply brush with oil, season, stuff with lemons and rosemary, then bake.
- Serving: This fish looks and tastes great with a side of vegetables. Try it with sauteed broccolini, a serving of baby potatoes to go alongside, and a crisp vinaigrette Caesar salad.
- Yield: Small fish provide one serving each, while larger ones can be shared between two plates.
Total Time: 40 Mins Servings: 4 to 8 Cooking Method: Oven Baked
Ingredients Notes
- Fish: Mahi-mahi, snapper, sea bass, and tilapia are all mild, lean white fish that are delicious baked whole. Tilapia is firm and mild, while mahi-mahi and sea bass have a slightly sweeter flavor.
- Olive Oil: Helps brown the fish and carry the seasoning.
- Cavity Seasoning:
- Italian seasoning is a convenient mixture of herbs and seasonings.
- Fresh garlic becomes soft and sweet when cooked.
- Fresh turmeric, while optional, adds peppery flavor and golden color.
- Filling:
- Lemons bring citrus flavor inside the fish and brightens it after baking. Limes make a good substitute.
- Fresh rosemary sprigs have an earthy flavor and are easy to remove. Good substitutes include thyme, dill, parsley, oregano, or sliced green onions.
- Outer Seasoning:
- Garlic powder adds savory flavor without the risk of fresh garlic burning under high heat.
- Kosher salt enhances the flavor of the fish, reduce if using a salty seasoning blend or packaged dressing mix.
- Ground black pepper adds warmth and a subtle bite to complement the bright, herbaceous flavors of the fish.
Variations
- Use one large fish instead of four small ones. Bake according to thickness rather than the recipe cooking time.
- For a Mediterranean style twist, fill the cavity with oregano, parsley, lemon, and thinly sliced tomatoes.
- Make this spicy by adding crushed red pepper, cayenne, or thinly sliced fresh chili to the filling.
- Brush the outside with melted butter for a rich tasting finish.
How to Bake Whole Fish
- Score the top of the prepared fish, then coat it with oil.
- Season the entire fish with the spice mixture (full recipe below).
- Stuff with fresh lemon slices and rosemary sprigs.
- Finish with a sprinkle of garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
- Bake until tender, squeeze lemon on top, and serve hot.
Why do I need to score the skin?
Scoring promotes even cooking, creates spaces for seasoning to sink in, and helps prevent the skin from tightening.
Do I have to bake the fish with the head on?
The head can remain attached and adds to the whole-fish presentation, but it can be removed if you prefer.
How can I serve it without as many bones?
Lift away the top fillet, remove the central backbone, and then lift the lower fillet. Carefully check each portion for small pin bones before serving. Let less experienced guests know to be careful about the bones.
Leftover Fish Made Easy
- Remove bones from cooled fish before storing.
- Refrigerate in a shallow airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Freeze cooked and deboned fish for up to 3 months in an airtight, freezer safe container. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- Cold leftovers can be mixed with mayonnaise to make a tilapia variation of this tuna salad recipe. Try it on homemade whole-wheat bread with a thick slice of tomato and a few capers.
- Reheating whole baked fish is easy!
- Place fish in a 300˚F oven until warmed through.
- You can also microwave at reduced power for short intervals, but the skin will become soft.
- The air fryer is a great way to reheat whole fish while keeping the skin crisp.
- Warmed leftovers are delicious in tacos, pasta, chowder, fried rice, fish cakes, or even scrambled eggs.
Bright Sides for Lemon Herb Fish
Did you make this Baked Whole Fish recipe? Leave a comment and rating below.
Baked Whole Fish
Baked whole fish cooks up flaky and tender for a delicious and impressive-looking entree.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 whole fish about 1 pound each (tilapia, mahi mahi, or sea bass), cleaned and de-scaled
- 4 Tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced (4 teaspoons)
- 4 teaspoons fresh turmeric *optional, grated or minced, or 1 teaspoon dry turmeric
- 4 teaspoons Italian dressing mix or 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 lemons divided (slice about 1½ lemons (12 slices), and keep remainder for squeezing after baking)
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a baking tray with foil (or grease the baking sheet).
- Rinse fish and with paper towels, pat dry inside and out.
- Score the top of each fish three times.
- Brush both the inside and outside of the fish with oil and arrange on the baking sheet.
- Mix together garlic and turmeric, and spread the inside of each fish with ¼ of the mixture. Sprinkle the inside of each fish with 1 teaspoon of Italian dressing mix (or Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper).
- Add 3 slices of lemon and 1 sprig of rosemary to the inside of each fish.
- Sprinkle the outside of each fish with ¼ teaspoon each of garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the fish reaches 145°F.
- Optional step for crispy skin: Move baking sheet to the top rack, and turn oven up to broil. Broil for 2 (or more) minutes to reach desired crispiness, and remove from the oven quickly. Watch it carefully!
- Squeeze the remaining lemon over the fish and serve.
Notes
*If using optional grated fresh turmeric, take care to wear an apron and consider using gloves, as it dyes what it touches yellow. It will also turn the fish a colorful yellow inside, while giving it a pleasant earthy flavor.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 164 | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 1377mg | Potassium: 173mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 21IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information does not include optional ingredients or garnish and is an estimate. It may change based on actual ingredients and cooking methods used.
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Recipe very slightly adapted from Gimme Some Oven
Made 1 fish for my son and I using this recipe. Worked perfectly and was delicious
Hi Jay, I am glad to hear that you and your son enjoyed the recipe.
Absolutely wonderful recipe! My husband was literally sucking the fish off the boned because he wanted every little piece. I cooked it for the minimum 15 minutes called for in the recipe. He left the fish very moist. I also sprayed avocado oil (as that’s what I stock) in the inside and in the 3 gashes I made on either side of the fish. I seasoned with lemon pepper, garlic powder, tumeric and I opted for paprika instead of Italian seasoning (personal preference). I did not use salt as we are a low sodium family.
Thank you for sharing this recipe!! I am now going to follow your page for sure
Thank you for sharing your alterations, Donna. I am glad it turned out so well for you!
I ordered my groceries online a few weeks ago. Thought I was getting tilipia fillets, and I received whole tilipia! Imagine my surprise 😮 but this recipe saved the day. It was absolutely delicious 😋 so much so I ate the entire fish straight from the oven.
That is definitely surprise! But a happy surprise for sure. I am glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Yummy crispy and flaky. Candace’s husband