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–+ servings
cherry tomato sauce over white fish fillets
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5 from 9 votes

Baked Fish Fillets with Cherry Tomato Sauce

A mildly spicy, citrusy cherry tomato sauce with just a few ingredients turns baked fish fillets into a delicious jazzed up dinner in about 20 minutes.
Prep Time6 mins
Cook Time12 mins
Total Time18 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings (change as needed): 2 (or 3 smaller portions)
Author: Cheryl

Ingredients

  • 1 pound (450g) cod fillets, skinned, Note 1
  • salt, pepper, thyme
  • 2 teaspoon olive oil

Cherry Tomato Sauce

  • 1 1/2 cups (300g) cherry tomatoes, cut in half (or chopped plum tomatoes)
  • 1/2 large orange (zest and juice)
  • 1/2 large lemon (zest and juice)
  • 2 tablespoon Sweet Thai chili sauce, for mild-moderate spiciness (or more to taste)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil (or 1/2 tbsp oil and 1/2 tbsp butter at the end)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoon chopped parsley

Instructions

  • HEAT OVEN OR TOASTER OVEN to 425F/217C.
  • BAKE FISH FILLETS: Line a pan with parchment or foil, sprayed with oil (for easy clean up). Rub oil over fish and generously sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme. **see Tip below** Bake fish for 8-10 minutes (figure 10 minutes per inch (2.5 cm) of thickness) just until fish is cooked through, separates easily with a knife but still slightly translucent on the inside. Temperature of fish with instant thermometer should be about 130-135F for medium.
    ** If fish is not even thickness, cut into pieces, separating thick and thin. Cook the thicker pieces for a few minutes before adding the thinner pieces which will take less time to cook.
  • MAKE THE SAUCE: While fish is baking, heat 1/2 tbsp oil on medium in a saucepan. Add all other sauce ingredients (except parsley) and cook for about 5-7 minutes just until tomatoes start to break down. Use the back of a large spoon or spatula to smash them a bit if needed. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt, a pinch of sugar, more chili sauce, etc. Stir in 1/2 tbsp butter (if desired) and the parsley.
  • PLATE: Transfer fish to a plate. Spoon over cherry tomato sauce and serve.

Notes

  1. Cod substitutes: Instead of cod, you can use haddock, pollock, tilapia, black cod, grouper, seabass, mahi-mahi. Even salmon would be good. Just be sure to cook the fish for more or less time, depending on its thickness. If your fish has a fishy smell (most have some), squeeze some lemon on it to remove smell  - or soak it in milk for 15-20 minutes.
  2. Other substitutes: Instead of cherry tomatoes you can chop up fresh ripe tomatoes. Or use diced canned tomatoes in a pinch. Herbs: Instead of parsley in the sauce, try basil, dill, cilantro or thyme. 
  3. Cauliflower rice side dish (optional): If you want to serve the fish over cauliflower and spinach 'rice' as pictured - made in 10 minutes - try our recipe for lemon herb cauliflower rice stir fry. Place 2 large handfuls of fresh baby spinach in food processor along with the cauliflower when chopping to 'rice', then stir fry together for about 4 minutes. 
  4. Make Ahead: The sauce can be made a few days ahead of time. Don't let the cherry tomatoes break down fully as they will finish cooking when you are reheating the sauce before serving.
 
Nutrition values are estimates based on cod fillets. 
Calories: 363kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 889mg | Potassium: 1299mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 1054IU | Vitamin C: 65mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 2mg