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!!
This is my go to recipe for white fish. I know you mention in the notes it’s not great for flounder but I’ve made it several times, with frozen fish too, and it’s still awesome! I usually use finely chopped onions instead in eshallotts, because that’s what i have, and full fat coconut milk from a can, just the thick part. We love it every time! And i became other veggies on the same pan and use some sauce for them. Yum!
Thank you!!
Sounds great Heather, thanks so much for letting me know ❤️
I tried this recipe last night with corvina (white sea bass). It was delicious and easy. Thanks for posting it. I found it on Pinterest and will be looking at the rest of your recipes to see what other goodies there are! Linda, Jama Matal, Ecuador
Thanks so much Linda, I’m so glad you loved it ❤️
Made it with corvina sea bass and served with broccoli and baked acorn squash. Sauce was awesome on every thing. Definitely a keeper.
Sounds amazing Sharon!
I love this recipe and so many more so thank you.
My hubby l8ves coconut milk how do you think it would go replacing the cream
Delicious recipe! Easy, fool proof, quick. Thank you so very much!
You’re so welcome RH!
Made this last night and as you said it was so easy so tasty and not too rich the family loved it and it will remain on the family easy to do recipes thank you again I absolutely love your recipes and how easy it it is to follow your my go to girl when ever I don’t know what to cook or want to impress!!!
Thanks so much Diane!
My first time baking with an oven and my whole family loved this dish. So simple and so delicious. Thanks Nagi!
I’m a newbie… would parrot fish (Bahamian Grouper) fillets work with this recipe?
Wahoo, perfect Alison!
I’ve just made this for dinner. It’s so easy and absolutely delicious. I used frozen white fillets and it tasted like fresh. Definitely making it again.
That’s awesome to hear!
Family loved this -Amazing! So easy as well!
Yes! I love easy meals, I’m so happy your family loved it as well – N x
Hi Nagi! The lemon cream sauce is sooooo delicious ❤️
Wondering if this sauce would go with prawns as well…?
( Not to cook them in a oven, maybe cook them in a frying pan then add this sauce?)
I’d eat this sauce on anything to be honest! 😂
Hi Nagi!
I made the lemon cream sauce but rather than using fish, I made this with shrimp. I used lemon garlic Dijon mustard which was made with white wine (Maille is the brand) & I added dill. OMG SO GOOD!!!!!!
Sounds great Deborah!!!
Wow, very good! Will definitely make again.
Loved this dish and even my fussy non fish daughter said she likes fish now. Winning!!! Absolutely looovove all your tips and tricks for substitutions and what causes the dish to change. Thank you!!!
Nagi she absolutely loved it. thank you so much. now, for a roast beef recipe.
cross fingers Nagi im cooking this for a non fish eater. wish me luck
You’ve converted her Erana, that’s the BEST compliment! ❤️
Love your recipes, tried quite a few of them, lovely.
All the best,
Mike.
390 degree oven? is that the right temp?
Hi Megan that’s 200 C / 390 F (all ovens).
Made this tonight. Oh my goodness. Unbelievably simple to make and so delicious I couldn’t stop eating it straight out of the dish.
I hear ya Tina! (who needs a plate anyway 😂)
Made this tonight It was amazing. Tasted like I was cheating on my diet.
I’m so glad you loved it Barbara ❤️
would like to try this tonight… you think hake would work well or no?
Hi Nicole, it will be great! I hope you enjoy it and let me know what you think – N x
I love this recipe and the sauce is so delicious.
Wahoo, that’s great Cris!
Cooked this last Friday and cooking it again this Friday. It’s delicious, 10 out of 10
Wahoo!