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.
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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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Equipment
- Meat Thermometer
- Measuring Cups Spoons
- Small Roasting Pan
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!
I’m excited to make this! Has anyone tried making this with frozen fish? I’m the worst about remembering to thaw things before hand and don’t have enough time to thaw the frozen filets I have 😂
It takes 10 minutes to thaw the frozen fish filets under cold running water. I use that time to set the table and figure out what else we’re eating :) This recipe is a winner!
Do I cover while baking
Nope :)
I had some canned corn that needed using, so I decided to make a tex-mex inspired version :) Made the sauce as written, but then added the corn, some cumin and strong paprika (I used passata instead of fire roasted tomatoes because those aren’t available here). It turned out really good!
My hubby absolutely loved this, he ate three helpings! I love it too and I especially love the fact that it really is so so easy to make. I doubled the amount of fire roasted tomatoes because we just love a lot of “sauce”. I used Italian seasoning instead of just oregano because it was what I had on hand and it turned out great!
Will definitely be a keeper recipe for me!
My semi-picky 5 year old was hesitant at first but after being told he wouldn’t get bedtime snack if he didn’t eat the fish he decided, “I actually really liked it.” High praise.
Prepared it as directed, and it was great.
this reminds me of a dish my grandmother made that had bread cubes pressed on top of the fish and was covered with seasoned tomatoes. as i child i despised fish, but loved this dish! am going to try to duplicate using this recipe.
Was your grandma’s recipe kind of like this:
https://www.mutti-parma.com/au/recipes/baked-white-fish-with-bread-cherry-tomatoes-olives-and-capers-by-silvia-colloca
A neighbor gave us some plum tomatoes from his garden and I had a piece of haddock for dinner so I decided to give this a try. I sprinkled basil on top after cooking instead of parsley since that’s what I had. It was easy to make and everyone enjoyed it.
I made this with sea bass and it was lovely. Had some salad on the side, would go well with so many options.
I found this recipe yesterday, made it, and was shocked at how quick it was. I’m now currently making it again for a second day in a row. So, so good. This time, I’m adding even more garlic. Great recipe!
Please never stop what your doing, keep making these amazing recipes, it keeps my stomach and taste buds happy!!!
This was good! I don’t think I drained enough liquid off of the tomatoes though. I also would echo what another poster said about mashing bigger tomato chunks with a fork. Next time, I think I’ll do that and maybe even precook the tomato mixture for a little. I felt like mine needed more time to lose the bitterness. Served with balsamic green beans and bread.
Good to know Ashley. Thanks for being honest and sharing!
Excellent and easy. I have made this three times in the ladt month, so it’s safe to say that this recipe is a keeper!
Happy to hear it Mary Ellen!
Just made this tonight! It was wonderful! Definitely use the roasted tomatoes, if you can find them! I also added a TBSP or so of capers that needed using up. Will make this again for sure!
This earned a solid place in our kitchen. Fish is so delish!
I really liked this recipe! I will definitely make this again. Easy prep and taste delicious! I made it with halibut, but I will try cod next time to keep it a little less expensive.