Crispy Oven-Baked Fish

Recipe Ingredients

This baked fish is so easy to make, it’s no wonder it only takes a handful of ingredients.

Fish: For this oven baked fish, we recommend boneless, skinless tilapia or catfish fillets. These are both mildly flavored white fish which should be easy to find in most grocery stores. You can also buy frozen fillets. Just thaw them in your refrigerator before using.

Bread Crumbs: We like to use Italian-style bread crumbs for this recipe, because they add a touch more flavor to the mild white fish.

Egg: A whole egg or an egg white, lightly beaten with a little water, helps the bread crumbs stick to the baked fish fillet.

Other Ingredients You’ll Need: Lemon pepper seasoning and a little garlic salt both add flavor to the fish. Cooking spray, spritzed over the top of the breaded fish, gives the crust added crispiness.

Cookware You’ll Need

No special equipment needed to make our popular baked fish recipe. Just a few items you likely already have on hand.

Shallow Bowls: A couple of shallow bowls are needed for dredging the fish in the egg mixture and seasoned bread crumbs. If you don’t have any bowls, you can substitute with pie plates or even baking pans.

Sheet Pan: You can use a large, rimmed sheet pan or flat metal cookie sheet for this recipe. Metal heats up fast, which gives the already quick-cooking dish a kick start.

Foil: Lining the sheet pan with foil makes clean up a breeze.

How to Make Baked Fish Fillets

Here’s how to make our quick and easy baked fish.

1. Oven and Pan Prep

Heat the oven and cover the pan (including sides) with foil. Lightly spray the pan with cooking spray to prevent the fish from sticking.

2. Prepare the Coating Mixture

Using 2 shallow bowls, ideally large enough to fit the entire fish fillets, mix together the egg and water in one and the bread crumbs and seasonings in another.

3. Coating the Fish

Dip the fish in the egg mixture. This will help the bread crumbs to adhere. Then, dredge in the bread crumbs to coat completely.

4. Baking Fish

Bake the fish, turning them over halfway through, until it flakes easily when poked with a fork. Place on a serving platter, and make sure to serve lemon wedges on the side!

Possible Variations

This recipe is so versatile. Here are a few ways to mix it up a little.

Other White Fish: We heard from our readers that they also like to use flounder for this baked fish recipe. Keep in mind that if the fish is thicker or thinner than what is recommended in the recipe, the timing will need to be adjusted.

Different Bread Crumbs: Try using panko crumbs instead of regular dried bread crumbs for an extra crunchy crust. If the crumbs are unseasoned, you can add your favorite dried herbs, too.

Make it a Stovetop Meal: Pan frying fish can make it ultra crispy.

Serving Baked Fish Fillets

Turn our baked tilapia into a fish and chips experience by pairing it with our air fryer French fries, or give it a twist with our easy oven roasted potatoes.

To bring in a bite of freshness, we like to serve this dish with a crisp, green salad. And of course, we think every meal is better with our Pillsbury crescent rolls.

Storing and Reheating

To enjoy our oven baked fish at its best and because it’s so quick and easy to make, we suggest you assemble and bake the dish just before you plan to serve it. If you do happen to have any leftovers, here’s what we recommend.

Fridge

You can store your leftovers in an airtight container for up to 1 day.

Freezer

Because thawing can make the crust soggy and fish mushy, we don’t suggest freezing.

Reheating

Reheat on a baking sheet in a 300°F oven for 2 to 4 minutes, until it reaches an internal temperature of at least 165°F.

Why Pillsbury Users Love This Recipe

We know we love this baked fish dish, but we also love hearing that you do, too! Here’s what our readers are telling us.

They enjoy the crispiness of the fish and how much flavor it gets from the lemon pepper and garlic seasonings. One reviewer said, “Crispy and tasty. Used garlic powder instead of garlic salt as the lemon pepper has enough salt in it for me! Also fits into my WW plan. Will make again.”

Our users also like how quick and easy it is to make and—even better—to clean up! No dish pan hands with this recipe.

However, their favorite thing about our popular baked fish recipe is how much their families love this less heavy version of fried fish. It’s definitely kid-approved!