Crumbed Baked Fish with Parmesan, Lemon & Garlic

Crumbed Baked Fish with Parmesan, Lemon & Garlic is so simple and quick (it can be on the table in less than 30 minutes), you won’t believe just how delicious it is!

Fillets of fish such as haddock or cod are baked with a coating of buttery breadcrumbs flavoured with Parmesan, lemon and garlic. Into the oven and 10-15 minutes later you’ve moist, perfectly baked fish with a crispy crumb topping.

This is an updated version of a post first published in 2020

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It was so wrong of me not getting this recipe on the blog sooner for at least FOUR reasons.

1. Although I eat fish or seafood at least twice a week, there’s nowhere near enough recipes for them on my blog.
2. It’s incredibly simple.
3. Super-quick to put together and cook.
4. Most importantly, Crumbed Baked Fish with Parmesan, Lemon & Garlic is SO good, it’s bordering on criminal that I haven’t shared the recipe before.

Once you’re familiar with the dish, I reckon you can get it on the table in less than half an hour. That’s roughly 10 minutes prep time and 10 – 15 minutes in the oven. Perfect for an easy dinner served with your favourites sides.

CRUMBED BAKED FISH WITH PARMESAN, LEMON & GARLIC

You can use any quick-cooking fish you like for this dish. My favourites are cod, hake, and haddock, especially naturally smoked haddock. If I have large fillets like the one below, I’ll cut it into smaller portions. Depending on appetites, you’ll want around 150-200g of fish per person.

Note: you’ll find a recipe card at the end with ingredient amounts and full instructions.

Want to know which fish is sustainable? Take a look at the Marine Conservation Society’s Good Fish Guide

After greasing a shallow ovenproof dish with butter, you simply add the fish pieces and season them with a little salt and pepper. If using smoked fish you may not need any salt.

Although you can buy breadcrumbs, I turn odds and ends of bread into crumbs and freeze. You can also freeze slices of bread so you have the option of making crumbs or Homemade Croutons depending on what you need.

To make the topping, you mix the crumbs with melted butter, a little olive oil, plus your choice of seasonings. And that’s where the fun starts. For this recipe, I’ve used lemon zest, finely grated Parmesan cheese, garlic granules (use fresh if you prefer) and black pepper.

If you want to experiment with other flavourings, try:

• smoked paprika
• curry spices
• chilli flakes
• cumin
• dried herbs such as oregano or rosemary

Once you’ve flavoured the breadcrumbs, press them onto the tops of the fish. As I like plenty of crispy crumb, if I’ve made more than can fit on the fillets I scatter them on anyway.

I cook the fish quite high and quickly: you’ll find the oven temperature to use in the recipe card at the end. This ensures the crumb gets good and crispy without overcooking the fish. Depending on the thickness of your fillets, this should only take 10 – 15 minutes.

To see if it’s done, poke a knife in the thickest part. If the fish is cooked, the flesh should have turned from raw and translucent to opaque and flaky.

SERVING CRUMBED BAKED FISH WITH PARMESAN, LEMON & GARLIC

You’ll want to serve the fish straight away while the crumb is delectably crispy. I like a scattering of fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice over the top.

No doubt you have your own favourite accompaniments for simple fish dishes like this. And I’ll bet for lots of you it will be some form of potato plus peas. Homemade chips? Baked wedges? Creamy mash? All these are good, but for a real treat I like mini skin-on roast potatoes with bacon and melted cheese!

For me, that good old standby frozen peas also often features. But mushy peas are great too, the crispy crumbs a lovely contrast to the soft peas.

However you eat this lovely fish dish, crunchy on the outside, moist within, I think you’ll agree it makes an incredibly quick, easy and delicious dinner.

Have you made this recipe? I’d love to know what you thought, so please leave a comment and rating.

5 from 3 votes

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Crumbed Baked Fish with Parmesan, Lemon & Garlic

So simple & quick: fish in a buttery, crispy coating flavoured with Parmesan, lemon & garlic or your own favourite seasonings (see Recipe Notes for suggestions).

Course Main Course, Fish

Cuisine British, European, World

Keyword quick, easy

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 2

Author Moorlands Eater

Ingredients

• 1 knob butter (for greasing the baking dish)
• 2 fillets skinless, boneless fish (150-200g each) (eg. cod, hake, pollock, haddock, smoked haddock)
• salt (to taste)
• black pepper (to taste)
• 40 g breadcrumbs
• 20 g Parmesan cheese finely grated
• 2 tsp garlic granules (or 1 large clove of garlic very finely chopped)
• 1 small lemon, zest only (finely grated)
• 25 g butter (plus extra for greasing)
• 1 tsp olive oil
• ½ tbsp parsley, finely chopped (optional)
• squeeze of lemon (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 220°C /200° Fan /Gas 7 /425° F with a shelf just above the middle.

   Grease the bottom of a shallow baking dish with the knob of butter.

2. Season the fish lightly with salt and pepper (you may wish to omit the salt if using smoked fish) then put in the baking dish in a single layer.

3. In a bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, garlic, lemon zest and some black pepper.

4. Put the butter and olive oil in a small saucepan over a low heat until the butter is melted, or microwave in a suitable bowl.

5. Stir the melted butter and olive oil through the breadcrumb mixture until well combined.

6. Press the breadcrumbs all over the tops of the fish. Scatter any remaining crumbs of the dish.

7. Bake in the oven until the fish is cooked all the way through and the crumb topping is crispy (10 - 15 min).

   Check to see if the fish is done by inserting a knife into the thickest part and pushing apart a little and looking inside: the flesh should have turned from raw and translucent to opaque and flaky.

8. Serve straight away, with a sprinkle of chopped parsley and a squeeze of lemon if liked.

   Chilling or freezing not recommended.

Recipe Notes

Other flavourings for the breadcrumbs you might like to try include: smoked paprika, cumin, curry spices, chilli flakes, dried herbs such as oregano or rosemary.

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