This simple recipe for baked white fish can be used with haddock, halibut, and cod. The brown butter sauce, while optional, adds much-needed fat and flavor.
White fish are mild-flavored compared to fish like salmon, tuna, or trout. This is not necessarily a disadvantage - they readily take on bold spices and herbs. In this easy 20-minute weeknight recipe, we will season the fish fillets with garlic powder and paprika, bake them in the oven, and finish them with a rich, buttery sauce.
Ingredients and Variations
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on some of the ingredients.
- Haddock fillets: Today, I used haddock, but I often use cod or halibut.
- Olive oil: Used to coat the fish before baking. I use a spray for convenience.
- To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, dried thyme, and paprika. You can use a teaspoon of minced fresh garlic, but I like the way garlic powder mixes with the other spices and evenly coats the fish.
- For the brown butter sauce: Salted butter and fresh lemon juice.
- Garnish: Chopped parsley and lemon slices.
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
Arrange the fish fillets in a baking dish and spray their tops with olive oil. Sprinkle them with the seasonings. Bake the fillets in an oven preheated to 425°F until they are cooked through and opaque, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the butter over medium heat. Keep cooking and stirring for 2-3 minutes until it browns. Pour it into a bowl and add lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Arrange the fish fillets on a serving platter. Pour the sauce on top, garnish with chopped parsley and lemon slices, and serve.
Recipe Tips
Avoid Overcooking
White fish lacks fat and can become dry easily, so it's important to avoid overcooking it. The best way to make sure the fish is done is to use a food thermometer inserted sideways into its middle. It should register 145°F. Other hints that the fish is ready are when its flesh turns opaque and white (instead of translucent) and easily flakes with a fork.
Use Fresh Fish
This dish will only be as good as the fish you use. Try to find fresh, high-quality fish. If the fillets smell fishy in their raw state, the dish won't be very good when cooked.
Brown Butter Tips
Brown butter burns easily. It goes from golden to brown to dark brown in a matter of seconds, so keep a close eye on it. See the photo below - when I filmed this recipe, the butter became over-browned, so I made it again. However, if this happens, you can carefully pour out the golden butter, leaving the burned milk solids behind, as shown in the photo below. This is a great way to salvage brown butter that has become too dark.
You Can Skip the Sauce
The fish is delicious without it. However, since white fish is so lean, it does benefit from the addition of a fatty sauce. The image below shows the fish without the sauce.
Serving Suggestions
I usually serve this dish with a vegetable I can bake in the same 425°F oven, or with an easy steamed or microwaved veggie. In the photo below, it is served with steamed asparagus. Here are a few more ideas:
- Roasted mushrooms
- Roasted Brussels sprouts
- Roasted broccolini
- Roasted cauliflower
- Steamed spinach
- Steamed broccoli
- Microwave spaghetti squash
Storing and Using the Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can reheat them covered in the microwave. However, I don't like to reheat them as this makes them dry and fishy, so I flake them and add them cold to a salad, as shown in the photo below. I usually add them to arugula salad or spinach salad.
Recipe Card
Baked White Fish Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 6 haddock fillets - 6 ounces each; can also use cod or tilapia
- Olive oil spray
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ½ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon paprika
Brown Butter Sauce:
- 4 tablespoon salted butter
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice - freshly squeezed
Optional:
- 2 tablespoons parsley - chopped, for garnish
- Lemon slices - for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Pat the haddock filets dry and arrange them in a single layer in the baking dish.
- Spray the fillets generously with olive oil. Mix the salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried thyme, and paprika. Season the fish with the spice mixture.
- Bake the fillets for about 15 minutes, until they reach an internal temperature of 145°F and their flesh is opaque and the top flakes easily with a fork.
- After placing the fish in the oven, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Keep cooking, stirring often, for about 2-3 minutes, until the butter turns golden brown.
- Remove the butter from the heat, pour it into a small bowl, and stir in the lemon juice. Let it rest and slightly thicken for a few minutes while the fish finishes baking.
- Arrange the baked fish on a serving platter. Pour the brown butter sauce over the fish, garnish with parsley and lemon slices, and serve.
Notes
- White fish lacks fat and can become dry easily, so it's important to avoid overcooking it.
- This dish will only be as good as the fish you use. Try to find fresh, high-quality fish. If the fillets smell fishy in their raw state, the dish won't be very good when cooked.
- Brown butter burns easily. It goes from golden to brown to dark brown in a matter of seconds, so keep a close eye on it.
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can reheat them covered in the microwave. However, I don't like to reheat them as this makes them dry and fishy, so I flake them and add them cold to a salad.
Nutrition per Serving
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Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Karen Gomes says
Does the fish have to be a thick white fish? Meaning I cannot use a fillet of Sole fish
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Karen,
I prefer to pan-fry thin white fish - check out this recipe for sole meuniere.
If you prefer baking, the fish should be ready after 8-10 minutes.
Emily says
Easy to prepare, I did it in a skillet with the spices and it was excellent, poured brown butter over when done.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Wonderful, Emily! I'm so glad you enjoyed the flavors. Thank you very much for the review.
Karen Gomes says
Thanks Emily, I will use a skillet also. I save the oven for winter.