Easy Mediterranean Baked Fish
White fish fillets baked with garlic, lemon, Mediterranean herbs, cherry tomatoes and Kalamata olives, finished with crumbled feta. On the table in under half an hour.
Ingredients
- 4 fillets white fish fillets (cod, tilapia, or haddock) about 6 oz each
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon zested, then juiced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/2 cup Kalamata olives pitted
- 1/4 cup feta cheese crumbled
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- fresh herbs (oregano, thyme or parsley) chopped, for finishing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Pat the fish fillets dry with paper towels — this is what lets them cook evenly and colour properly. Season both sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, minced garlic, lemon zest and the dried oregano, thyme and rosemary until well combined. Reserve the lemon itself for later.
- Lightly oil a shallow baking dish and arrange the fillets in a single layer. Glass or ceramic works best here — it conducts heat evenly and cleans up easily.
- Drizzle the herb and olive oil mixture evenly over each fillet, coating both sides. Scatter the halved cherry tomatoes and pitted Kalamata olives around the fish; the tomatoes burst as they bake and make their own sauce.
- Squeeze half the lemon over everything and bake for 15–18 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets. The fish is done when it flakes easily with a fork and is opaque all the way through.
- Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with the crumbled feta and chopped fresh herbs. The residual heat warms the cheese without melting it, so it keeps its tang. Serve warm.
Notes
Fish selection: thicker fillets such as cod or haddock hold up to these bold flavours better than delicate varieties like sole.
Room temperature: let the fish sit out about 15 minutes before baking. Straight from the fridge it cooks unevenly.
Do not overcook: fish keeps cooking after it leaves the oven, so pull it when it is just barely done.
Fresh herbs: if you use fresh instead of dried, triple the quantity.
Make-ahead: the marinade and sliced tomatoes can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance, but do not combine them with the fish until you are ready to bake.
Storage: leftovers keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat covered with foil in a 300°F oven for about 10 minutes so the fish does not dry out.