If you’re intimidated by fish, this Easy Oven Baked Fish with Tomatoes is a great place to start. Baking the fish in a mixture of tomatoes, garlic, and herbs infuses flavor, helps keep it moist as it bakes, and reduces the chances of over cooking the fish. It’s simple and totally yum! I love serving this fish with some crusty bread for dipping in the tomato sauce, and a nice simple green salad on the side.
This is actually a remake of one of my old recipes from back in 2014, Baked Tilapia with Tomatoes, that I had been wanting to revisit for quite some time. It was one of my favorite recipes because it’s so crazy easy, yet totally flavorful. But it desperately needed some new photos and I wanted to highlight the fact that it can be made with more than just tilapia.
What Type of Fish Should I Use?
This recipe is great with any type of mild white fish. Think cod, halibut, tilapia, pollock, or grouper (there are more, those are just a few common varieties). I feel like fish with stronger flavors, like salmon, would probably compete too much with the flavors in the dish.
I used Cod fillets for my Baked Fish with Tomatoes. The cod fillets were twice as expensive as the tilapia, but I’ve heard some horror stories about tilapia farming, so I opted for the line-caught MSC certified cod fillets instead. Sustainability labeling on seafood can be confusing, IMHO, but I feel better know that I’m at least trying!
Baking Time will Vary
Fish fillets come in all shapes and sizes, which will affect the baking time. If your fish came packaged, check the directions on the package for guidance, but it’s best to use an instant read thermometer (affiliate link) to make sure the internal temperature of the fish reaches 145ºF. I am baking cod fillets with a medium thickness, so if you’re baking thin, flat fillets, you’ll likely need to reduce the baking time slightly.
If you need some garlic bread to go along with your fish, check out my Homemade Garlic Bread!
Easy Oven Baked Fish with Tomatoes
Servings 4Ingredients
- 1 15 oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes ($1.00)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced ($0.16)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.23)
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- freshly cracked pepper ($0.03)
- 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice ($0.06)
- 1 lb. white fish (four 4oz. fillets) ($4.95)
- chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional) ($0.11)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Drain the excess liquid from the can of diced tomatoes. Combine the diced tomatoes in a bowl with the garlic, olive oil, oregano, salt, some freshly cracked pepper (about 10 cranks of a pepper mill), and lemon juice.
- Spread about 1/3 of the tomato mixture in the bottom of a casserole dish big enough to fit all of your fillets without overlapping. Lay the fish fillets over the tomato mixture, then spoon the rest of the tomatoes over top, completely covering the fish.
- Bake the fish for about 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 145º and the fish easily flakes. Serve hot, with a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley on top.
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Nutrition
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How to Make Baked Fish with Tomatoes – Step by Step Photos
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Drain most of the liquid from a 15oz. can of fire roasted diced tomatoes. Combine the tomatoes in a bowl with 2 minced cloves of garlic, 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1/4 tsp salt, some freshly cracked pepper (about 10 cranks of a pepper mill), and 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice. Stir until well combined.
Spread about 1/3 of the tomato mixture in the bottom of a baking dish that is big enough to fit your fish fillets in a single layer without overlapping.
These are the cod fillets I used, which are about 4oz. each. If you’re using frozen fillets, make sure to thaw them completely first.
Place the fish fillets on top of the tomato mixture…
Spoon the rest of the tomato mixture over the fish. It should cover the fish completely.
Bake the fish in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 145ºF. The total baking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of your fish fillets. Garnish the fish with some chopped fresh parsley, if desired.
Serve the Easy Oven Baked Fish with Tomatoes while it’s hot, and don’t forget those yummy juices from the baking dish!
This was quick and easy to make, and tasted great! I used frozen cod filets (thawed before preparing). Will definitely make this recipe again!
This recipe is easy, healthy, and delicious! I made it this week to bring for lunch, alongside your roasted veggie couscous. They go perfectly together and I will definitely be making them again!
I just made this recipe with flounder fillets and regular diced tomatoes. It was great, but I think I’ll double the sauce next time (I served it with pasta). Thank you!
I have a question about the tomatoes. (being in Germany) I don’ t have access to more exotic items like fire roasted canned tomatoes, so I don’t actually know what they taste like. Would normal canned chopped tomatoes work, or would it be better if I broiled some tomatoes and just mushed them up after?
Yep, regular canned diced tomatoes will work just fine. :) My original version of this recipe actually used the plain canned diced tomatoes.
Is there enough tomato mixture to cover a 5th piece of fish? I’m looking for recipes for when my no meat, no dairy (fish and eggs ok) sister visits in a few weeks, and there will be 5 of us.
Hmm, maybe, it’s kind of hard to say for sure.
I think if you added the step of pureeing the tomatoes, it would extend the sauce a bit more.
Beth, You are AWESOME! I am a huge fish guy and I am gonna do this with some nice rockfish I had my butcher fillet the skin off. I really prefer the rockfish, as it has a slightly firmer texture and flavor, but I don’t think that will interfere with the other flavors. If it does, I’ll just double up the herbs and garlic next time.
Omg. I just cooked this with cod and it was AMAZING! And it actually took less than 30 minutes from opening the fridge to putting it on the table. I forgot to drain the tomatoes, but I actually really liked the extra sauciness that I mopped up with bread. Not super cheap with cod, but definitely delicious, and not many other ingredients.
As a Nutritionist, I must say this is quite a healthy recipe. I’m a big fan of salmon or fresh fish and you just hit all of them approximately. Thanks for sharing this list!
This was very good, but the tomatoes I used were more chunky and not very “saucy” so next time I will try not draining the juice from the tomatoes and mashing them a bit so it’s more like a chunky sauce.
So, my in-laws have a neighbor that fishes the heck out of the rive by his house. He catches way too much to eat himself, so he gives them to his neighbors, including my in-laws. They then give a bunch to us because they can’t eat them all. (Personally, I think this guy should put up his pole for a while. Or at least catch and release. Not my business though, so the best I can do is make sure some of this fish doesn’t go to waste. )
Long story short: I’m looking for better ways to cook this fish (all trout). Do You think this recipe will work for trout? If not, do you have any ideas? Thanks in advance! :)
I’m not very familiar with the flavor of trout, so I can’t say for sure, but I think the flavors in this dish are very universal and will likely go with many types of mildly flavored fish.
Beth – what store did you shop in for the fish? I made a similar recipe this week that has potatoes and onions as well and the cod was $25 for 1.25 pounds! Tasted delicious but it makes this a special occasion meal.
This was from Aldi and it was $9.89 for a two pound bag. :)
Yum! I bake cod in salsa, but I like the idea of using diced tomatoes and making your own sauce.
That’s sounds really good and easy. Do you just put salsa down, fish on top, top with salsa and bake until done?
Yep, just like that. After following this recipe, I like it with salsa better. Much more flavorful
This is such a silly question but are the enamel pans you bake with easy to clean? The struggle to keep sheet pans is real and I just want to find something that doesn’t require foil or parchment paper!
I do find that they are a bit easier than traditional “non-stick” coated baking sheets. When there is something that is really tough, I use a bit of Bar Keeper’s Friend liquid scrub and that stuff gets ANYTHING off. :)
This feels like a dumb question, but as I’ve recently discovered that there are some types of fish that I LIKE, I’d like to try incorporating more into my diet. Does this smell really fish-y as it bakes?
Mine didn’t smell very fishy at all. :) It might depend a lot on the freshness or quality of your fish, too.
Your comment about the fishy odor was quite relatable. Local markets in my area only sell “fresh previously frozen” and frozen fish and I’ve found that whether baked, poached, or fried, all leave a lingering fishy smell in my house. If you can find truly fresh fish- never frozen – it will help. BTW Beth’s recipe is wonderful…worth opening a few windows and turning on the fan :-)
You’re not going to find fresher than the “previously frozen” because it’s flash frozen on the boat right after they catch it. “Fresh” fish is actually less fresh because it’s brought to port and then shipped to you.
This dish looks delicious!!! I should talk to my sister and see if we can make this for dinner…