Feel confident making a baked whole fish with these simple instructions. See for yourself just how easy it is to serve a flavourful dinner!
Cooking a whole fish can seem intimidating, but it’s actually quite simple to do! If you buy a whole fish that’s gutted and scaled, all that left for you to do is adding delicious flavors. I used sea bream, but you could also go for sea bass or branzino.
Here you’re going to make it with a compound garlic butter with fresh herbs, simply seasoned with a bit of salt and pepper.
Step by step photos
This compound butter is what you’ll stuff inside the cavity of the fish, alongside a few juicy lemon slices and a handful of rosemary sprigs.
Drizzle with olive oil and season with a bit more salt.
Place the fish in a roasting tin, bedded on fresh thyme, extra lemon and a few garlic cloves.
25 minutes in the oven later, you have an incredibly flavorful yet simple dinner on the table.
Honestly, I almost didn’t post this because I forgot to slash the sides of the fish. I think you’ll forgive me when I remind you that I have two incredibly hungry, fish-loving bear cubs in the kitchen with me at all times.
Serving suggestions
We enjoy it in a pretty purist fashion, with a briny caper, olive and dried tomato salsa, a simple seasonal salad (something like this Shopska Salad) and maybe a slice of crusty French bread on the side. I never feel the need to add a starchy side dish.
More fish recipes
PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.
Printable recipe
Baked Whole Fish with Lemon, Herbs and Garlic Butter
Recipe details
Ingredients
For the fish
- 2 large whole fishes such as sea bream, sea bass or branzino
- 1 heaping tablespoon softened butter
- 1 head garlic 2 cloves minced and the rest left whole
- 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary plus extra sprigs for stuffing
- 1 tablespoon thyme leaves plus extra sprigs for baking
- salt + pepper
- 1 lemon sliced and then cut into triangles
- Olive oil
For the salsa
- 4 large sun-dried tomatoes chopped
- 1 heaping tablespoon capers chopped
- 2 tablespoons green olives stoned and chopped
- 1 handful parsley leaves chopped
- Olive oil
Instructions
- If the fish hasn’t been gutted and scaled, do so.
- Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Prepare a roasting tin.
- Mix the butter, 2 minced garlic cloves, chopped rosemary and chopped thyme very well. Season well with salt and pepper.
- Spoon the compound butter into the fish cavities. Stuff the inside of the fish with lemon triangles (you will probably not be able to fit all of them into your fishes) and rosemary sprigs. Drizzle the fish with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. You can slash the fish two to three times if you like.
- Place the fish in the prepared tin, along with the extra thyme, garlic and remaining lemon slices. Bake for 20-25 minutes (a large sea bream takes about 25 minutes, branzino is probably ready after 20).
- In the meantime, mix the chopped tomatoes, capers, olives and parsley. Add enough olive oil to create a nicely dispersed condiment. Serve with the hot fish.
Diana Sharpe says
I added 2Tblsp lime juice to the salsa, which was even better
Neda Sestan says
Best fish ever, comes out perfect every time…thank you
Y says
I cooked with 2 medium sea bream for friends gathering and it was so so yummy!
Paul Rockman says
I see absolutely no temperature on this recipe. I’m going to try it out on 350 but you should put a temperature on your recipe….
Nora says
Hello Paul, it’s in step 2 in the recipe card: “Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Prepare a roasting tin.” Hope this helps.
Tony Ramos says
Fantastic recipe! I used fresh caught black drum. We will certainly do this again. Thanks for sharing.
Caroline says
Yummy and easy. Thank you!
Nora Rusev says
I’m so glad to hear it, Caroline!
T says
Loved this! Thank you!
Nora Rusev says
Glad you liked it!
Martha E Felgar says
So nice to fine this recipe! I chose whole tilapia thinking it was filets. (In a hurry, better price!!??) Used your recipe and it turned out great. So quick, easy, and tasted so good. Thank You
Nora says
I’m so happy to read this, Martha! I’m glad the fish turned out so well for you. And thanks for leaving a recipe review – I appreciate it!
janice simon says
I have spent many weeks in the Adriatic on Islands. I agree I had to get past picking a fresh fish from a platter that was just fished from the sea. For a while I was the American who said remove the head please. Not any more, I have grown up and enjoy the sea life and what comes from the sea.
Hopefully you’ll go back.
Thanks for your recipe. Try baking the fish on potatoes also…really good.
Nora says
Thank you so much for sharing your story, Janice! We go back every year, and now the fresh whole fish is the thing I most look forward to. And I will definitely try baking the dish on potatoes sometime, thanks for that suggestion.
Sara says
This recipe sounds delicious and can’t wait to cook it for Easter dinner, I was wondering if I could replace the fish with red snapper? Thank you for sharing!
Nora says
Hi Sara! Yes, you absolutely can. Hope that helps 🙂
Gwen Johnson says
Beautiful story and the he recipe sounds good and easy. Thanks for sharing?
Nora says
Thank you for your sweet comment, Gwen!