This lightly spiced oven baked fish is coated in ras el hanout and cooked until flakey. It's served with a light and fresh cucumber and shallot salad for an easy and delicious summer meal!
This is my dream summer dinner 🐟
I love easy fish dishes like this. Fish cooks so quickly but still manages to be super impressive so you can definitely serve this recipe for guests (whenever you're allowed to have them again!) as well as for an easy weeknight family dinner.
I used ras el hanout to coat the fish which is one of favourite spices. It's a Moroccan spice blend and the name translates as 'head of shop' which refers to the expensive spices normally included in it.
If you don't have ras el hanout this recipe would work with another spice blend of your choosing or you could throw together your own mixture of spices commonly used in ras el hanout including cardamom, cumin, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, allspice, dry ginger, chili peppers, coriander seed, peppercorn, sweet and hot paprika, fenugreek, and dry turmeric.
Why we love this recipe...
It's such a quick and easy recipe to throw together which you can easily serve on a weeknight with your choice of side and a cold glass of white wine.
It's also impressive enough to serve to guests while taking the stress out of entertaining and giving you more time to hang out with your company.
You can use whatever spices you like on the fish whether that's just one, a mixture you make yourself o a blend you buy ready prepared.
It's a healthy recipe especially when it's served with the light and zesty cucumber salad on the side.
Ingredients
Firm white fish: I used hake because we got it on offer but cod, halibut or tilapia would all work well.
Spice mixture: The fish is coated in ras el hanout, crushed garlic and olive oil before baking then finished with a sprinkling of lemon zest after cooking.
Cucumber salad: Sliced cucumber, lemon juice, sliced shallot and coriander are all tossed together with a pinch of salt and served on the side of the fish.
How to make it
Prep the fish: Mix the garlic, ras el hanout and olive oil together. Put the fish on a foil lined baking sheet and coat in the spice mixture. Sprinkle with salt.
Roast the fish: Bake the fish for 8-10 minutes until flakey. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with lemon zest.
Make the cucumber salad: Toss together the sliced cucumber, shallot, lemon juice and chopped coriander with flakey sea salt and serve with the fish.
FAQs
How long should I cook my fish in the oven?
An average size fish fillet takes about 8-10 minutes to bake in the oven. You can test whether the fillet is cooked by using a fork to gently flake the fillet. If it flakes easily then it's cooked.
What is the best temperature to bake fish at?
For this recipe I had the oven at 220°C. This allows the skin to get nice and crispy while the flesh remains moist and doesn't dry out.
What is the best fish to bake?
Personally I like to go for a firm white fish fillet for this kind of baked fish recipe. I used hake to make mine but cod, tilapia, haddock or sole would all work well.
Can I meal prep this recipe?
You could make the cucumber salad the day before and store it in a sealed container in the fridge. In fact, I think it would taste even better if it had a little time to sit and allow the flavours to meld. The fish tastes best if you eat it straight after cooking, however.
Want more? Try these other fish recipes!
- Baked Cod with Potatoes & Chickpeas
- Smoked Salmon Pasta with Asparagus
- Honey Soy Salmon with Noodles & Pickled Cucumber
- Tuna Burgers with Smoked Paprika Mayo
- Tuna Salad with Garlic Toasts
- Harissa Roasted Salmon with Potatoes
- Salt Baked Branzino
Recipe
Spiced Baked Fish with Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 1 clove Garlic crushed
- 1 teaspoon Ras-el-Hanout
- 3 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 fillets Hake or other firm white fish
- Salt
- ½ Lemon zest grated, juice squeezed
- ½ Cucumber sliced
- 1 Shallot thinly sliced
- Small Bunch Coriander chopped
Instructions
- Heat oven to 220°C/435°F. Mix garlic, ras-el-hanout and olive oil in a small bowl. Line a baking sheet with foil and rub the fish fillets with the spiced oil and place on the baking sheet. Season with salt. Place skin side up and bake for 8-10 minutes until fish is tender. Sprinkle the lemon zest over the fillets when you remove them from the oven.
- Squeeze the juice of the lemon into a bowl and add the cucumber, shallot and coriander. Season with salt and combine.
- Serve the fish with the cucumber on the side.
Notes
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Sandhya's Kitchen says
Refreshing Cucumber Salad is a great accompaniment to most meals.
Mahy says
The fish looks absolutely delicious. I can't wait to make this recipe, so the only thing I need is to organize a shopping run. Can't wait.
Anita says
I need to use more of this Ras-el-Hanout spice in my cooking. The fish was delicious and it was so easy to prepare.
Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness says
Wow this looks amazing!! I love a good baked fish, and this one looks too good. Bookmarked for later!
Denay DeGuzman says
This 5-star recipe for delicious baked fish is well deserved. It was easy to make and enjoyed by our whole family. This healthy recipe's a keeper!
Dannii says
What a lovely light and fresh fish dish. I can't wait to try.
Charla says
This is such a great summer recipe that I could see myself making for quite awhile. Thank you!