This Baked Fish recipe comes with a Lemon Cream Sauce and is made in ONE baking dish! Yup, just throw it all in one pan, bake it, and you end up with a tender juicy fish in a creamy lemon sauce. The the juices of the fish mingles in with the sauce while it’s baking, as if made from the best fish stock!
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
Baked Fish
If the idea of baked fish conjures up the words pale, colourless and bland, then this one’s going to be a game changer for you!!
It’s an effortless 15 minute recipe one pan recipe where fish is baked with a creamy lemon sauce. It’s the sort of recipe you can make no matter how hectic your household is, or on a lazy Sunday night because it’s this easy:
Mix butter, cream, garlic, mustard and lemon;
Pour over fish; and
Bake – no flipping required.
And out comes this – tender baked fish fillets with a beautiful lemon cream sauce that’s perfect with fish!
This recipe will work for most fish, but is especially great for white fish fillets
When you bake fish, you just can’t get colour on it like you can with pan frying, and this means loss of flavour. So I like to either have a flavoured crumb, like I do for my other Emergency Fish recipe, Parmesan Crusted Fish (10 minutes, no messy dredging!) or a Sauce.
The Lemon Cream Sauce for Fish
This recipe really is all about that Lemon Cream Sauce for fish which is made in the same pan while the fish is baking. It’s a simple sauce which actually tastes pretty unimpressive when you first mix it up.
But once it’s baked and the fish juices mix in with it, it transforms into an incredible sauce. It’s basically like making a sauce with real homemade fish stock – just like fine dining restaurants do!
What this tastes like
The recipe name implies that the sauce is rich but actually, it is not! I describe it as kind of light and fresh, yet a bit creamy. You will be thankful there is a decent amount of sauce because it’s perfect for mopping up with bread or spooning over mashed potato!
What you need
Not very much!
White Fish fillet – any fairly flat white fish fillet is fine here, about 2 cm/ 4/5 ” thick or less. Any thicker, and the fish will take longer to bake which will thicken the sauce too much so you’ll need to thin it with a splash of water.
Escallot/French onion – those small onions, they’re more delicate than normal onions so they work well in a quick fish recipe like this. Use the white part of green onions as a sub, or really finely minced normal onion.
Dijon Mustard – sauce thickener. Can sub with other non seedy mustards.
Garlic – goes in almost everything in my world!
Cream – use heavy / thickened cream if you can, to help with sauce consistency. Low cal sub – evaporated milk. It’s not quite the same, but I’ve been known to use it when I’m trying to be “healthier” 😂
Butter – there is no substitute! 😂
Lemon – lime would work in an emergency situation. Sub: 1/3 cup white wine simmered to reduce to 2 tbsp, use in place of lemon in recipe.
Really QUICK Baked Fish Fillets
I say this is a quick recipe – and I mean it. It takes longer to heat up the oven than it does to prepare this recipe! Watch the video and see!
Dinner on the table in just 15 minutes. Tender, juicy fish with a creamy lemon sauce. A really fantastic way to make baked fish – it’s so, so good! – Nagi x
Try these on the side:
Everyday Cabbage Salad, big juicy Greek Salad
Fresh Garden Salad with Balsamic Dressing, French Dressing or Italian Dressing
Potatoes au Gratin, Easy Creamy Potato Casserole or Mini Potato Gratin Stacks
And more fish recipes:
Watch how to make it
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
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Baked Fish with Lemon Cream Sauce (One Baking Dish!)
Ingredients
- 4 x 150- 180g / 5 – 6 oz fish fillets , about 1.5cm / 1/2″ thick, skinless and boneless (Note 1)
- 50g / 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup cream, heavy / thickened (See Note 2 for sub options)
- 1 – 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- Salt & pepper
- 1 1/2 tbsp eschallots (French onion) , finely chopped (Note 3)
- Fresh parsley and lemon slices , to serve
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C / 390°F (all oven types).
- Place fish in a baking dish – ensure the fish isn’t crammed in too snugly. See video or photos in post. Sprinkle both sides of fish with salt and pepper.
- Place butter, cream, garlic, mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a microwave proof jug or bowl. Microwave in 2 x 30 sec bursts, stirring in between, until melted and smooth.
- Sprinkle fish with shallots, then pour over sauce.
- Bake for 10 – 12 minutes, or until fish is just cooked. Remove from oven and transfer fish to serving plates. Spoon over sauce, and garnish with parsley and lemon wedges if using.
Recipe Notes:
- salmon (too fatty, sauce splits)
- very thin delicate fish like flounder, Dover Sole
- small whole fish like sardines or mackerel
Nutrition Information:
Originally published October 2016, updated with much needed new photos, brand new video and updated writing. No change to recipe, it’s a firm reader fave that I wouldn’t dare change!
Life of Dozer
Yesterday was a day of experimenting with slow cooked curries. So there was plenty of downtime spent doing THIS!
And from when I originally published this recipe in October 2016:
From a little camping trip last weekend – getting smashed in the waves at beautiful Jimmy’s Beach, NSW Australia. He’s a sucker for punishment, that one. I really have to keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn’t get swept away by a rip!!
Hi! Can you cook this using a stove? I don’t have an oven
Hi Miko, sure can – just follow the steps the same but cooking the fish in a pan rather than in the oven 🙂 N x
Made this tonight. For me, a PERFECT low carb, keto friendly recipe that was ready in no time! Thanks!
2 words – simple and yummy
Awesome Cindy!! N x
This is fabulously easy, quick and delicious. Will now be a regular weeknight dinner
Tried this tonight as an easy recipe to try and win over my mum who doesn’t like fish, and it was a winner! She loved it, but I would say it took a little longer in the oven to cook through 25-30min just as a heads up for slightly thicker fillets of fish
Hi Georgia, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Yes – anything thicker than stated in the recipe will take longer to cook. N x
So delicious and tasty! Made it with a side of rice and coleslaw 🙂
Sounds great Julia!! N x
Another delicious recipe! My husband said it’s his new favourite. A must try!! Thanks Nagi 🙂
Simple and delicious!
That’s awesome Victoria, thanks so much for letting me know! N x
Seasoning and cooking fish can be so hit or miss…not with this dish! Very good! Thanks, again…
WOOT! That’s great to hear Elamie! N x
Hi Nagi! Is there a dairy-free sub for the cream?
Hi Yasmine, try lactose free cream 🙂 N x
Thank you so much, Nagi! This recipe was amazing! We live in the Pacific NW and eat fish often. We just made this recipe for Good Friday and will continue to make it for many, many years to come. I will definitely pass your recipe blog on to my friends and family. I look forward to reading your blog and trying more of your recipes!! This was our first one!
I hope you try more and love them Susan 🙂 N x
Magnificent!! This is my new favourite white fish recipe, we absolutely loved it. Beautiful light delicate flavour. Thanks Nagi!!
Cooked this baked fish with lemon cream sauce tonight & we all loved it! Subbed sour cream for the cream & it was lovely! Thank you! Will be making it again soon 😊✅
Wahoo, that’s great to hear Ann! N x
We just make this with hake, and that sauce is wonderful. Thank you so much for this recipe.
Same! The sauce added moisture and flavor to the hake. And my husband said the sauce could work on chicken breast…can’t wait!
This was so delicious and super easy to make. My toddler who is a picker eater loved it too!
Wahoo, that’s awesome Keiko! N x
This is so good! Next time I will double the sauce just so I can eat it’s with a spoon!
I know the feeling – I love things saucy!! N x
Another winner! Served with mashed potato and pan fried green beans and baby corn, and with the sprinkle of parsley and lemon slices, it looked as impressive as it was delicious and easy to make.
Yum! Sounds like you nailed it Susi! N x
This is the easiest and best tasting fish ever! Thanks Nagi! You’ve done it again.
WOOT! I’m so happy you loved it! N x
Just made this today, and it was amazing. Everyone enjoyed it, especially my Dad (who can be fussy with my cooking 😅). I used aioli mayonnaise instead as I didn’t have mustard sauce 👍🏽
Awesome Zara! I’m so glad it was a hit!
Such little effort and for such big taste and it only takes a half an hour. A definite keeper. Thanks again Nagi.
You’re so welcome Sherry!!
I doubled this as I was making it for four adults. I used tilapia. It was AMAZING!!! We are big fish/seafood eaters and this sauce brought fish to the next level!!! Everyone went back for seconds. I love your recipes, they are quick, easy and delicious. Can’t wait to try the next one. Thank you!!
I’m soiled it was a hit Melanie, that’s great to hear!! N x