Baked Whole Fish

Baked Whole Fish cooked on a baking sheet with lemon garlic salt and seasonings

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5 from 13 votes

Baked whole fish cooks up flaky and tender for a delicious and impressive-looking entree.

Prep Time20

Cook Time15

Total Time35

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: -8 servings

Calories: 164

Author: Candace

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
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon 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 on a diagonal (see images).
Using a silicone brush or pastry brush, brush both the inside and outside of the fish with oil. Arrange fish on the baking tray.
In a small bowl (or on a small piece of foil paper), mix together garlic and turmeric. Spread ¼ of the mixture on the inside of each fish. 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