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The Easiest Mediterranean Fish Dinner: Tuscan baked fish is one of those recipes that feels elegant but couldn’t be easier to make. Tender white fish bakes in a rich, tomato sauce with onions and capers – it’s super simple and incredibly flavorful, and even my picky kids like it!
I designed this recipe to be light but satisfying, packed with flavor, and perfect for busy weeknights or casual dinner guests. Everything bakes together in one dish, which means less cleanup and more time to enjoy a meal that transports you to the Mediterranean! This Tuscan Baked Fish Tastes Like Italy, with a simple rustic onion, caper, and tomato sauce.
Don’t want all the extras in a recipe post? We provide a skip to recipe button in the top left corner, as well as a clickable table of contents, just below, to help make this page easier to navigate.
At Sweet C’s, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. My goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.
Table of contents
How to Make Tuscan Baked Fish
This Tuscan baked fish features flaky white fish simmered in a briny caper onion tomato sauce with herbs. Easy, flavorful, and baked in one dish, it’s a Mediterranean-inspired dinner that’s perfect for weeknights or entertaining.
Simple Ingredients for Tuscan Baked Fish
To make this recipe, we will need the following ingredients:
- Olive oil – Forms the base of the sauce, adding richness and helping soften the aromatics.
- Onion – Adds sweetness and depth as it cooks, creating a flavorful foundation for the dish.
- Diced tomatoes with oregano and basil – Provide brightness, acidity, and classic Tuscan-style herb flavor, forming the heart of the sauce.
- Boneless, skinless white fish fillets (cod, tilapia, or similar) – The tender, flaky star of the dish that absorbs the savory tomato flavors while baking.
- Capers – Add briny, tangy pops of flavor that balance the sweetness of the tomatoes and richness of the olive oil.
- Salt and pepper – Enhance and balance all the flavors in the dish.
Baked Tuscan Fish, Step by Step
Once you’ve gathered all our ingredients, we will use the following process:
Mix Sauce
Our simple sauce is just a few ingredients – add tomatoes, onion, capers, and any herbs to pan and mix.
Add Fish
Add fish and season generously, drizzle with olive oil.
Bake
Toss some of the sauce mixture over the fish and bake at 400F for 10-12 minutes, until fish is bright white, flaky, and opaque – or 140F internal temp.
Serve & Enjoy!
Serve with loads of the sauce with rice or crusty bread, garnish with parsley or cilantro, and enjoy!
Tips for Perfectly Flaky Baked Fish
Pat fish dry before baking for better texture.
Don’t overbake. Fish cooks quickly and should be removed as soon as it flakes.
Use fresh herbs if possible for brighter flavor.
Let it rest a few minutes before serving so the sauce thickens slightly.
Serve with bread or rice to soak up the sauce.
Why This Tuscan-Inspired Flavor Combo Works
Tuscan flavors aren’t just about creamy sauces — in fact, many traditional Tuscan dishes lean heavily on tomatoes, olive oil, herbs, and briny accents like capers. This tomato-caper combination is deeply rooted in Mediterranean cooking, where simple ingredients are layered to create bold, balanced flavor.
The sweetness and acidity of tomatoes form the base, giving the dish brightness and depth. Olive oil adds richness, while onion builds natural sweetness as it softens. Capers bring that signature briny pop that cuts through the richness and balances the tomatoes beautifully. When flaky white fish bakes in this mixture, it gently absorbs all those flavors without being overwhelmed. The result is light but satisfying, rustic yet elegant- exactly what Tuscan-style cooking is known for.
How Long To Bake Fish
One important note- the cooking times listed for baking the fish in here might be way off, depending on the size and shape of your fish filets.
This application is great for so many types of fish- but that means it might take longer or shorter time in the oven to cook.
When is Fish Cooked
Fish is done baking in the oven when:
- It flakes easily with a fork
- It turns opaque throughout
- Internal temperature reaches 145°F
Be careful not to overcook — fish goes from perfect to dry quickly.
How Long to Bake Fish in the Oven
A good rule of thumb is to bake fish for 10 minutes per inch of thickness.
General Timing Guide For Fish in the Oven:
- Thin fillets (½ inch thick): 8–10 minutes
- Medium fillets (1 inch thick): 10–12 minutes
- Thick cuts (1½ inches): 14–16 minutes
What Temperature to Bake Fish
400°F (205°C) is the sweet spot for most baked fish.
It’s hot enough to cook the fish quickly and evenly without drying it out.
You can also use:
- 375°F for slightly gentler cooking
- 425°F for thinner fillets you want to cook quickly
What to Serve With Tuscan Baked Fish
For our complete side dish recipe archives, please click here.
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5 Ingredient Tuscan Baked Fish
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with oregano and basil, or add your own herbs
- 4 6g small cod or tilapia filets
- 2 tbsp capers, drained
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Add diced tomatoes, onions, herbs (if you aren't using herbed diced tomatoes add some basil and oregano- about 2 tsp each), and capers and mix.
- Add fish to pan, toss a bit of the rustic sauce mix over the fish.
- Pop in oven and bake about 10-15 minutes- until fish is flaky and white. This cooking time depends on the size of your filets and your oven- check after 8 minutes, and then again after 12.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Everything You Need to Know About Tuscan Fish
Cod, halibut, sea bass, or any firm white fish works well.
It’s best fresh, but leftovers reheat gently in the oven.
The fish should be opaque and flake easily with a fork.
Yes – spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, or olives work beautifully.
Since fish filets can vary in size and thickness, you should plan to bake for 10 minutes per inch of thickness.
General Timing Guide:
Thin fillets (½ inch thick): 8–10 minutes
Medium fillets (1 inch thick): 10–12 minutes
Thick cuts (1½ inches): 14–16 minutes
Fish is done when:
It flakes easily with a fork, it turns opaque throughout, and the internal temperature reaches 145°F.
Be careful not to overcook — fish goes from perfect to dry quickly.
What size of can of tomatoes are you using?
its one 14.5 oz can, I updated the recipe to reflect that, thanks for pointing it out!
I entered my name and email and left a question about suggestions for a side dish. I got a message it will not be published. Why?
Hey Thomas, I’m so sorry – sometimes my spam filter catches comments that aren’t spam, I bet that might have happened!
I updated the post with some side dish suggestions, thanks for letting me know that recipe was a bit out of date (I like to add in side dishes into posts now, I appreciate you letting me know so I could update!)
Haven’t tried it yet but will tonight. What is a good side dish if one desires to have one or two?