Say hello to the BEST most Garlicky Lemon Baked Fish! Whitefish fillets such as cod, tilapia, haddock, and halibut all work great with this recipe. The fish is blanketed in a quick marinade made of lemon, garlic, and olive oil, then baked to perfection. This quick & simple 5 ingredients recipe packs a big punch of garlicky, lemony flavour, despite only taking 20 minutes to make. Simple, Quick, Tasty, & perfectly delicious!
The Best Baked Fish!
I hope you're in the mood for some majorly garlicky lemony, fork-tender and flaky goodness because that's exactly what we're cooking up today! Inspired from the classic Mediterranean fish flavour trio of lemon, garlic, and cumin, with one bite you'll know why this is fish marinade is so popular all throughout the Mediterranean.
This Garlicky Lemon Baked Fish⏤, aka the best-baked fish, ever⏤it's one of my beloved and trusty fish recipes. It never fails to turn out delicious, and it's harmonious with just about any fish you can pull out from the sea.
Use can use any fish you want with this recipe; however, I personally love this with whitefish like cod, tilapia, haddock, lingcod grouper, snapper and halibut. You can also use a whole fish for this recipe too! But you'll have to pick out the bone.
Reasons to Love this Baked Fish Recipe!
- SIMPLE. You'll only 5 of the simplest ingredients to make this garlicky lemon-baked fish recipe⏤and most of them are probably already in your kitchen right now.
- QUICK. No need for marinating unless you really want to. You're simply pouring the marinade on the fish & baking it in it's own marinade.
- FLAVOURFUL. Despite the fact it's such a simple recipe, this fish has an amazing lemony, garlicky flavour that hits just right.
- VERSATILE. Not only can you use any fish with this recipe, but you also have endless possibilities for side options. Eat it with a simple salad, pile on some pasta, stuffed inside a wrap (hello, fish tacos!). The sky's the limit for delicious pairing ideas.
How to Prepare This Baked Fish Recipe
- Prepare your Baking dish by laying down lemon slices. Baking the fish on the lemons not only prevents the fish from sticking to the pan, but they also infuse the fish with extra lemony goodness. Don't forget to take out the seeds. And did know you can eat cooked lemons⏤they're really tasty!
- Melt the butter then add the garlic, lemon juice, cumin & olive oil. Heat only for 1-2 minutes until the butter melted and the ingredients are combined.
- Lay the fish on the lemons slices and pour the garlicky lemon marinade on the fish. Top with a few extra slices of lemon and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the fish easily flakes with a fork.
- Serve with your favourite side.
How to Know Your Fish is Done?
You can tell if white fish is done when you can flake it with a fork. In most cases, the fish fillet for whitefish is really thin and it's next to impossible to get a temperature reading, however, it’s always best to cook fish to the temperature of 145°F / 63°C.
Switch Up The Seasonings
Give this fish recipe a fun twist by tweaking the seasoning in the garlic butter. Here are a few of my favourites Mediterranean inspirations.
- French: Use fresh or dried thyme, and add a tablespoon of chopped capers.
- Italian: Garnish with fresh basil, and the swap the cumin for Italian seasoning.
- Moroccan: Use a tablespoon of parsely and cilantro and ½ teaspoon of ginger and paprika to the marinade.
- Egyptian: A sprinkle of Dukkah is devine for this fish dish.
Favourite Sides For This Fish Recipe
What's a fish plate without some delicious sides? Here are some of my favourites for you to try.
- Authentic Fattoush Salad
- Simple White Bean Salad
- Instant Pot Lebanese Vermicelli Rice
- Mediterranean Bulgur Salad
Recipe FAQ's
Yes! For best results, choose a salmon fillet with skin on, and don't place the salmon on the lemon slices instead just add a few slices to the top.
Baking temperature to 375ºF. for 12-15 minutes.
Of course. Most fish varieties are great to buy frozen, however, I avoid frozen cod cause I find it doesn't great after being frozen.
Be sure to dethaw in the fridge overnight or cold water before baking.
If you can't use butter just reduce the amount of butter to 11/2 teaspoon of ghee or just increase the olive oil.
This can happen with some lemons, to avoid this try selecting thin-skinned lemon or Meyers lemons. The bitter flavour comes from the lemon pith or seeds, but it can happen with any form of citrus.
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Garlicky Lemon Baked Fish
Equipment
- Butter warmer
- baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 kg whitefish fillets
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 4-6 garlic cloves finely diced
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 Meyers lemon* slices in circles, seeds removed
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper (optional)
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Make sure the oven rack in the middle of the oven, then preheat the oven to 425ºF
- Add the lemon slices to the baking dish. Place your fish on the lemons. Important note: You must remove the seeds and choose a thin-skinned lemon, if not, you might have a very bitter lemon sauce. If you don't have a Meyers lemon or the skin is thick, then skip this step.
- Heat the butter, garlic and olive until warmed and the butter has been completely melted. Then add the cumin and salt.
- Pour the lemon sauce over the fish and top with a few extra slices of lemon.
- Place the fish in the oven. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the fish can easily be flaked with a fork.
- Sprinkle the cooked fish with some red pepper flakes and fresh ground pepper on top of the fish and serve.
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