Easy Baked Fish With Garlic And Basil The Mediterranean Dish

Serve it with lemon rice and my big white bean salad or any bright salad you love!

We often forget that, just like chicken and meat, delicate foods like 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 can do some good. The marinade will infuse the fish with all sorts of mouthwatering flavors. It will also keep the fish juicy while protecting it from sticking or drying out during grilling or baking. So if you’re wondering, “what’s the best way to bake fish without drying it out?” One way is to bake your fish in foil, which I know can be a controversial method. But another way is to simply marinate your fish!

About this recipe

Today’s tender baked fish recipe could not be any easier to make. I used halibut fillet (but another white fish of your choosing will work). The fillets sat in the fridge in a slightly lemony marinade with garlic, basil, and a few spices. I let it marinade in the fridge for only 30 minutes. To bake, I added the fish and the marinade over a bed of colorful bell peppers and shallots and baked for about 15 minutes. Easy! My family loved this fish served with lemon rice and a big bowl of Greek salad.

What’s in the fish marinade?

You’ll notice that I kept the citrus portion low using juice of 1 lemon (2 tablespoons of citrus) to 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Here’s what is in my fish marinade:

Spices- a trio of dry oregano, coriander, and paprika. 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 pack this fish marinade with great flavor. If you don’t have basil, you can use parsley, cilantro, dill, or thyme to your liking. 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 will enhance the fish.

How long to marinate fish?

Like I mentioned earlier, when it comes to marinating fish, it’s important to keep the acid low and the marinating time short. I used juice of 1 lemon (2 tablespoons of citrus) to 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. As far as how long you should marinate your fish can depend a bit on the kind of fish and how firm it is. 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

Season and Marinate Fish Pat fish dry and season with salt and pepper. Place the fish in a large zip-top bag and add spices, garlic, basil ribbons, olive oil and lemon juice. Seal shut. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Tip: Be sure to squeeze the air out of the zip-top bag before sealing. Place the bag flat on a plate and refrigerate. Turn the bag occasionally to keep the marinade distributed evenly.
Bake Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Slice shallots and bell peppers into rounds and arrange them on the bottom of 9 x 13 baking dish. Add the fish on top. Pour all the marinade all over the fish. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the halibut is fully cooked and flakes easily (start checking at 10 minutes or so).

To be sure your halibut (or fish fillet) is cooked, use an instant read thermometer to check at the thickest part of the fish. Internal temperature should register 145 degrees F and your fish should be opaque and should flake easily with a fork.

Serve with

Serve baked fish immediately with your favorite grain or lemon rice and a side of Greek salad, white bean salad, or herbed zucchini. Browse our fish and seafood collection. And be sure to view our collection of Mediterranean diet recipes. For all recipes, visit us here.