Oven Baked Fish with Herbs and Lemon (Gluten & Dairy Free)
Fish.
Yep, I said the ‘F’ word.
How many of you love fish but avoid cooking it at home because you HATE the lingering odor of fish? And for an even better question, how many of you avoid cooking whole fish, simply because you don’t know what to do with it?
It’s time to let it all go cause I’ve got the perfect easy solution for you. And it’s freaking delicious without smelling up your home.
When you cook fish in the oven, the oven pumps most of the smell out the exhaust. No more dealing with your home smelling fishy for days on end after cooking it. Plus, there’s no giant clean up mess either.
Simply grab a handful of fresh herbs, lemon slices, and a bit of salt and pepper to stuff in the cavities and pop it in the oven on a baking sheet. Cover that baking sheet with baking paper for easy clean up. And have the prep work of cleaning and scaling done at the fish market.
Yep, it’s that simple to make Oven Baked Fish with Herbs and Lemon that will have your family or guests applauding you.
How to Pick Out Fresh Fish
No matter whether you’re eating your oven baked fish whole or in fillets, it needs to be fresh. So, how do you tell the fish is fresh?
With whole fish, you start by looking at the eyes. Are they clear and glassy, like the fish is staring into your soul? If so, you can start picking out the fish you want to take home. If the eyes look cloudy, avoid.
Besides the eyes, look at the skin. Is the skin still glossy and shiny? If it’s dull, skip it. Does the fish smell fishy or salty like the ocean? If it smells fishy, move on. If you can touch the fish, gently press on the flesh. Does the flesh spring right back out or does the dent stay? If the dent stays, avoid the fish.
When picking out filets, it’s a bit harder because you don’t have the eyes to check out. But you can notice the smell. If it’s smelling fishy, don’t buy it. Does the flesh look firm, or does it appear to be going mushy? If you can touch the fish, the same test as above with checking whether the flesh springs back to the touch, works well. Also, again look at the skin – if there is any. Is it shiny and healthy looking or dull?
Don’t Forget to Think Seasonal
And as you guys know I’m a seasonal chef, I only use the fish that are in season. It’s one of the best ways to help ensure that you’re getting fresh fish (you still need to do all the checking). Seasonal fish are quicker to the market and turn over faster because they are less expensive. Plus, they taste better. You’ll need to consult your local markets to find out what is seasonal for you.
Use these same tips for picking out fresh shrimp and lobster.
What Size Fish is a Serving
I’ve found when using whole fish, a 400-to-600-gram fish (12 to 16 ounce) per person works well. If the fish are larger, splitting a 600-to-1000-gram (1.25 to 2 pounds) between two people is perfect. These are bone in and head and tail on – a complete whole fish.
Yes, yes, I know. You have fisheyes staring at you. But seriously using whole fish enhances the flavor. Plus, the fish cheeks are delicious. If you can’t get past it, have the head cut off at the market, then use to make a nice fish stock for soup.
Personally, I prefer the single serve oven baked fish for dinner parties because it looks nice for everyone to have their own fish. But you can also get large fish and divide up the servings. Usually if I’m going large, I switch to fillets, even though the presentation isn’t as pretty.
What Type of Fish is Good for Oven Baking
It’s totally up to you and what is fresh in the market. Here in Portugal, I’m often baking up small Dourada (featured in the photos) and Robalo (Black Sea Bass). Salmon, hake, grouper, snapper, most any white fish work well.
Trout also works well in this oven baked fish recipe. I’m personally not a trout fan but plenty of people are. The flavor of trout is beautiful, but I’m not a fan of picking bones out of every bite of fish while eating. As a result, I tend to avoid fish with bones throughout the fish rather than centrally attached to the backbone area.
Not so great is tuna or the fish that’s cut into steaks. Or more oily type fish, such as sardines, mackerel, and blue fish. Those you want to sear in the pan or on the grill rather than baking them. Even salmon fillets, I prefer to sear rather than bake. But the whole salmon does work well with this recipe.
Just remember with all fish, adjust the baking time based on your fish size. Smaller fish need less, larger fish more, so the time suggested in the recipe is just an approximate. Also, fish continues to cook after removal from the heat, so remove a hint early as not to overcook.
And sometimes it’s okay to pull out the fish sticks, espeically when we’re talking about Fish Stick Tacos for busy evenings when you want fish but didn’t have time to get to the fish market.
How to Serve Your Oven Baked Fish
Once you pull the fish from the oven, let it rest for two minutes before serving. This matters. The fish is still finishing its cook, and rushing straight to the plate means losing those juices the moment you cut in.
For a simple weeknight dinner, I’ll slide the fish straight onto a plate with a wedge of lemon and whatever salad is in the fridge. The Dourada we get here in Portugal is so delicious on its own that it needs almost nothing else.
When we’re having people over, I’ll plate each fish individually. It looks beautiful and honestly makes people feel like they’re eating at a proper restaurant. If anyone’s nervous about bones, I’ll take a minute to lift the backbone cleanly at the table. It comes out in one piece once the fish is cooked through. Run your knife along the top spine, lift the whole backbone section off, and the bottom fillet is waiting underneath.
Sides That Work Well
A simple green salad is the classic pairing… something light and acidic to cut through the richness of the fish. Roasted vegetables alongside work beautifully too: asparagus, cherry tomatoes, fennel. In summer here in Portugal, we’ll often do sliced cucumber and tomato with a drizzle of good olive oil. Nothing more needed.
If you want something more substantial, the fish pairs well with roasted potatoes or a simple rice pilaf. The cooking juices from the pan are essentially a built-in sauce, spoon them over everything.
The Leftover Question
Honestly? Leftover whole fish is one of my favorite things. Pull the remaining flesh off the bones, flake it into a bowl, and you’ve got the base for fish cakes, a simple fish salad with a little mayonnaise and herbs, or stirred through pasta with olive oil and capers. The Portuguese have been doing this forever — nothing goes to waste.
If love eating fish during a busy workweek, check out my tuna fish cakes with sardines are another high protein weeknight staple that actually keeps.
Bring on the Oven Baked Fish
This oven baked fish recipe is one of the easiest ones I make in both cooking and clean up. Smaller fish take less than 15 minutes to bake up and have on the table. Pair with a side salad and you have an easy lunch that is not only tasty but healthy. Or do it all up with the special sides for dinner. One thing is for sure, you’ll find cooking whole fish so freaking easy and delivering beautifully tasty dishes to the table that everyone will love.
If you’re looking for other lovely seafood dishes that don’t make the house smell fishy, check out my recipe for Mussels in White Wine with Saffron. What’s your favorite way to cook fish? Let me know in the comments. And if you have questions, leave those there as well.
RECOMMENDED INGREDIENTS & TOOLS
Here are the ingredients and tools that make this oven baked fish recipe consistently easy and delicious:
Ingredients
- Good Quality Olive Oil — Olive oil is doing real work here — inside the cavity, over the top, and in the pan juices. Use one you’d actually want to taste. A Portuguese or Spanish extra virgin olive oil is ideal; the flavor comes through in the finished dish.
- Flaky Sea Salt — Regular table salt is fine, but flaky sea salt on the outside of the fish before it goes in the oven gives you a better seasoned crust. Maldon is widely available.
Tools
- Rimmed Baking Sheet — You want a good heavy rimmed sheet pan — the rim catches any juices and the weight means it won’t warp in a hot oven. Nordic Ware’s half-sheet pan is the one I’d recommend to anyone who doesn’t already have one.
- Parchment Paper Pre-Cut Sheets — Line your baking sheet before the fish goes on. It catches all the drips, makes cleanup almost nonexistent, and keeps your pan looking new. Buy the pre-cut sheets if you can — so much easier than wrestling with a roll.
- Instant-Read Thermometer — Fish is done at an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C). A good instant-read thermometer takes the guesswork out of it completely, especially with larger fish where timing can vary. The Thermapen is what professional kitchens use and it’s worth the investment.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Oven Baked Fish
- What temperature do you bake whole fish in the oven? 425°F (220°C) is the sweet spot for whole fish. High heat crisps the skin quickly and cooks the fish through without drying it out. Lower temperatures work but you lose that crispy exterior that makes baked whole fish so satisfying.
- How do I know when my oven baked fish is done? The most reliable method is an instant-read thermometer — fish is done at 145°F (63°C) in the thickest part. If you don’t have one, slip the tip of a knife or fork into the thickest part near the backbone and gently pull the flesh. If it flakes away cleanly, it’s done. If it resists, give it another two minutes. Remember the fish continues cooking after you pull it from the oven, so pull it just before it looks perfect.
- Do I need to score the fish before baking? Yes, and it makes a real difference. Scoring — making two or three shallow diagonal cuts through the skin on each side — lets steam escape during cooking, which keeps the flesh from tearing and helps the skin crisp up properly. Just don’t cut too deep into the flesh; you’re only going through the skin.
- Can I use fish fillets instead of whole fish? You can, though the flavor and moisture won’t be quite the same — whole fish cooked on the bone is always juicier. If you go with fillets, reduce the oven temperature to 400°F (200°C) and check for doneness around the 10-12 minute mark depending on thickness. Skin-on fillets work best.
- Why doesn’t baking fish in the oven smell up the house? Because the oven’s exhaust vents most of the steam and aroma out rather than letting it circulate through your kitchen the way pan-frying does. It’s one of the main reasons I prefer oven baked fish at home — all the flavor, none of the aftermath. The herbs and lemon also help replace any fishy aroma with something genuinely pleasant.
- Can I prepare the fish ahead of time? You can prep and stuff the fish up to an hour before baking — season the cavity, add the herbs and lemon, lay it on the baking sheet, and keep it uncovered in the fridge. Pull it out 15 minutes before you’re ready to bake so it comes closer to room temperature. Don’t season the outside with salt until just before it goes in the oven, or it can draw out moisture.
Oven Baked Fish with Herbs and Lemon
Ingredients
- 2 400-600 gram (12 to 16 oz) whole fish cleaned and scaled
- olive oil drizzle in cravity and on top
- Large handful fresh herbs of your choice rosemary, bay leaf, thyme, cilantro, lemongrass, or your favorite or a mixture
- 1 large lemon thinly sliced
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Wash fish and pat dry with paper towels or place, uncovered, in the fridge for a couple of hours ahead to dry.
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Lightly oil or cover a baking tray with baking paper.
- Score the fish skin on each side of the fish in two to three places. To do, cut a shallow line across the fish with a sharp knife, just getting through the skin, not too deep into the flesh. This allows the steam to escape and the fish to stay firm.
- Lightly sprinkle the inside cavity of the fish with salt and pepper, followed by a drizzle of olive oil. Then layer in lemon slices and half the fresh herbs and season both sides of the fish liberally with salt and pepper.
- Lay fish onto the baking sheet and repeat with other fish. If you have extra lemon slices, I like to lay the fish on them for even more flavor.
- Finish with a drizzle of olive oil over the top and pop into the oven.
- Cooking time depends on the size of your fish, but for fish these size, 12 to 15 minutes is usually good timing. To check, gently slip a fork or knife into the fish to see if it is flaking away from the bone. Remember fish will continue to cook after removing from the oven, so remove just before done, as not to overcook.