This easy Mediterranean baked fish recipe may sound fancy, but it’s easy enough for weeknight dinners and perfect for entertaining. The Mediterranean-inspired topping of tomatoes, capers, and olives which imparts delicious flavor on a mild white fish like cod or tilapia and also look beautiful. Plus, cooking fish in parchment paper makes for super easy clean-up. Prep + cook this simple dinner in just 20 minutes.
This method of cooking fish is nice and easy to prep AND for clean-up, try grilled tilapia in foil or grilled salmon in foil for a similar prep.
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Table of Contents
- What is Mediterranean Fish?
- What You’ll Love About Fish Baked in Parchment
- Mediterranean Fish Recipe Ingredients
- How to Make Fish in Parchment Paper
- Storage Instructions
- How to Serve Mediterranean Fish Recipe to the Whole Family
- What to Serve with Mediterranean Baked Fish Recipe
- More Easy Fish Recipes
- Helpful Tools to Make Mediterranean Fish
- Pin this Mediterranean baked fish recipe for later!
What is Mediterranean Fish?
Fish recipes Mediterranean style can mean a few different things, but this one is bursting with classic Mediterranean flavors (think garlic, tomatoes, olives, capers, lemon….SO good).
What You’ll Love About Fish Baked in Parchment
- Takes just 10 minutes to prep
- Dinner is ready in 20 minutes
- Made with simple ingredients
- Elevated flavors
- Nutritious weeknight dinner
Mediterranean Fish Recipe Ingredients
This baked cod in parchment paper comes together with less than 10 ingredients:
- Olive Oil – Use a high quality olive oil as it imparts important flavor to the dish.
- Garlic – Use fresh garlic for best flavor.
- Tomatoes – Grape or cherry tomatoes are great here and good year-round!
- Olives – The recipe calls for kalamata olives which is delicious, but if those are too strong for you, castelvetrano olives would be fabulous or even standard black olives.
- Capers – Capers give this dish a nice burst of flavor.
- White Fish – I’ve used cod, but you can use any flaky white fish like snapper, halibut, tilapia, grouper, flounder, or haddock.
- Lemon – This adds great flavor to the dish, don’t skip it.
- White Wine – Optional, if you don’t use it, you can skip it completely.
- Fresh Basil – Optional garnish, but definitely helps elevate this fish parcel recipe.
How to Make Fish in Parchment Paper
This Mediterranean baked fish recipe may look fancy, but it’s easy enough for a weeknight dinner. Here’s how to make it:
- Make tomato mixture. In a skillet over medium heat, cook garlic, tomatoes, olives, and capers. Saute for a few minutes, until ingredients soften and season with pepper to taste. (And salt if you need any!)
- Prep fish parcels. Place a fish fillet in the center of each piece of parchment. Arrange a lemon slice on top of each fillet and divide the tomato mixture on top. Drizzle with olive oil and white wine.
- Make tent for steamed cod parcels. Fold the parcels by folding the sides of the foil together, creating a tent, ensuring there are no gaps as you fold the paper together.
- Bake Mediterranean cod fish. Place parcels on a baking sheet and bake for until fish flakes easily with a fork. Sprinkle with basil leaves and serve.
Storage Instructions
Store this Mediterranean baked fish recipe in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
How to reheat
Reheat the fish in a 350 degree F oven or a hot skillet for best results.
Can you freeze Mediterranean fish?
Given the sauteed toppings, I don’t recommend freezing the fish after cooking.
How to Serve Mediterranean Fish Recipe to the Whole Family
I get it, feeding kids can be tough! But following the Division of Responsibility and knowing your job and your child’s job makes it SO much more enjoyable. You’ll be able to feed your kids any meal, which will help ensure that they are eating a variety of nutritious foods – with plenty of play food sprinkled in. 😉
Panko salmon is a favorite kid-friendly fish at our house, but if your kids will be freaked out by the olives and capers, just skip them, or even better, let everyone make their own fish parcel. They can add the flavors and seasonings they want.
All of my articles on feeding kids can be found here and if you want a FULL list of all of the videos I have with hacks, tips, scripts, and ideas for feeding kids, check out my instagram or tiktok page.
What to Serve with Mediterranean Baked Fish Recipe
Wondering what sides go with baked fish?
I’d recommend some veggies and a whole grain like brown rice or quinoa on the side. And some white wine, you’ll need to open a bottle for the fish anyway! 😉 Here are a few dinner side dish ideas:
More Easy Fish Recipes
If you like this baked fish in parchment paper, you might also like some of these other easy seafood recipes:
It’s 5pm. Are you still trying to figure out what’s for dinner?
Menu Plans by My Everyday Table can help you out.
The plan addresses three major issues when it comes to weeknight dinners: having a plan, time, and one family meal.
You’ll save time, save money, waste less food, and feel calm when 5pm hits because your dinner is already planned.
Helpful Tools to Make Mediterranean Fish
- Flaky Sea Salt – Finish this parchment paper fish recipe with a dusting of flaky sea salt to taste.
- Extra Large Sheet Pan – Use this sheet pan to bake this white fish parcels recipe.
Baked Mediterranean Fish Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Description
This Mediterranean baked fish recipe may sound fancy, but it’s easy enough for weeknight dinners. Prep + cook in 20 min.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut 4 large squares of parchment paper.
- In a skillet over medium heat, add 1 Tablespoon oil. Add the garlic, tomatoes, olives and capers.
- Saute for 3 minutes, or until the ingredients begin to soften. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Place a fish fillet in the center of each piece of parchment. Arrange a lemon slice on top of each fillet and evenly divide the tomatoes, olives, and capers among the fish parcels. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt and pepper. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil and 1 Tablespoon white wine.
- Wrap each parcel by folding the sides together and creating a tent, ensuring there are no gaps as you fold the paper together.
- Place the parcels on a baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily and the flesh is opaque. Sprinkle the opened parcels with basil leaves, and serve immediately.
Notes
Recipe reprinted with permission from Marissa Hermer and her An American Girl in London cookbook.
Keywords: Mediterranean fish recipe, Mediterranean baked fish recipe, fish in parchment paper
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Photo Credit: All photos in this post were take by Loren at Sweet Rustic Bakes
Pin this Mediterranean baked fish recipe for later!
Mercedes
Love this idea for dinner! I know Marissa from Ladies of London (guilty pleasure!!) and I bet her book is really fun!
Emily
I might need to watch it, if it’s on Bravo I probably like it. 🙂
Mercedes
Also, your photos are particularly gorgeous Em!
Emily
Thank you. 🙂 🙂
sarah k @ the pajama chef
this sounds so good! i really should have fish more often.
Emily
I know, I feel the same!
Robyn
I usually buy grilled fish for Good Friday but as there will be 22 of us it gets a bit expensive, so I’m thinking of cooking it myself. I’m looking at this recipe but just wondering if you could recommend another one for the not so fish lovers
Emily
Hi Robyn, this salmon is a favorite among my meal plan group and readers: https://myeverydaytable.com/baked-panko-salmon/ Might be worth a try! Or using this topping on a white fish if you are using something like cod.