Baked Branzino
From The Kitchen · Proteins
Branzino is the elegant one — sweet, delicate, restaurant-worthy, and almost impossible to overthink. A little olive oil, lemon, garlic and herbs, fifteen minutes in the oven, and it flakes into something beautiful.
Scaled from the original recipe — sizing up or down is proportional, so taste and adjust the salt, acid & spice.
Ingredients
- 4 branzino fillets (about 5–6 oz each)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 lemon (half juiced, half thinly sliced)
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp fresh thyme
- Salt and pepper
I keep a generous hand with the olive oil — especially on the vegetables, where it helps them roast up golden rather than steam. The amounts here are a starting point; pour to your taste.
Method
- Heat the oven to 400°F and lightly oil a baking dish.
- Pat the branzino dry and lay the fillets skin-side down. Season with salt and pepper.
- Scatter the garlic and thyme over the fish, lay a slice of lemon on each fillet, and drizzle with the olive oil.
- Bake 12–15 minutes, just until the fish flakes with gentle pressure.
- Squeeze the reserved lemon over and shower with parsley.
Gina’s tip
Fresh branzino should smell clean, like the sea — not fishy. Pat it dry before baking for a clean, silky texture rather than a steamed one.
Lean, elegant, quick — the fish to reach for when you want dinner to feel special without any fuss.
Serve With
- Roasted potatoes
- Sauteed greens
- A crisp green salad
- Lemon wedges
I hope this one finds a place in your kitchen. Enjoy.
— Gina