This simple fish marinade transforms mild white fish into something truly special. Made with fresh lemon, garlic, olive oil, and herbs, it takes just 15-minutes to marinate and works equally well for baking or grilling. Use it with cod, tilapia, swordfish, halibut, or any firm white fish you have on hand.

Overhead shot of a spatula in a white baking dish with white fish in an herb sauce and topped with lemon slices and fresh herbs. Baking dish is surrounded by lemons, fresh herbs, bread, striped towel, and small bowls of chopped herbs and lemon wedges.

5 star review

“Found this recipe a few weeks ago and have been making it minimum once a week. It’s great, easy and quick with maximum flavour 🙂 ”

– Chantel
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A Simple Lemon Herb Marinade for White Fish

Tender, flavorful white fish that makes eating fish easy and fun? Yes, it’s possible! Thanks to the Mediterranean diet, we know that eating fish is important, but to be honest, white fish isn’t always the most exciting fish to eat. But here’s the ticket to actually eating white fish and thoroughly enjoying it: a quick and flavorful marinade that takes almost no effort on your part.

This flavorful fish marinade is truly perfect! It’s not too bold as to overpower the delicate white fish, but it’s still packed with flavors, featuring complementary Mediterranean-inspired ingredients like lemon, olive oil, garlic, and fresh herbs, which taken together truly elevates white fish and takes it to the next level. Lemon is the star ingredient here, so make sure to use fresh juice!  Especially since I use both lemon juice and rind in the marinade, fresh lemon pulls double duty in this recipe. Just make sure to zest the rind before juicing or else it will be hard to zest. Then, additional lemon slices are layered in the baking dish under the fish for so much fresh lemon goodness!

After a quick 15-minute marinade (or up to 30 if you have a bite more time), the fish is baked or grilled for 10 minutes with a pat of butter to add even more flavor and some fat since white fish is very lean (and let’s be real, everything’s better with butter). And the end result is super tender and flavorful filets swimming in light and rich juices that can be deliciously sopped up with crusty bread or fluffy rice.
And, you’re looking for a marinade that works with salmon, my easy salmon marinade uses a similar simple method and comes together in just a few minutes. Or, for a versatile marinade that pairs well with both fish and chicken, my honey soy marinade is another quick option worth keeping on hand.

Welcome to My Kitchen, Let’s Make an Easy Marinade for White Fish

Jump to Recipe Instructions
Overhead shot of the following ingredients: fresh herbs, butter, oil, salt, garlic, pepper, lemon, white fish.
Gather ingredients.
Overhead shot of whisking oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and chopped fresh herbs in a glass bowl. Bowl is surrounded by fresh herbs and lemon halves.
Whisk marinade ingredients.
Overhead shot of a white baking dish with white fish covered in a marinade. Baking dish is surrounded by fresh herbs and lemon halves.
Marinate fish.
Overhead shot of a white baking dish with white fish topped with lemon slices and butter in an herb sauce.
Add butter & lemon slices.
Overhead shot of a white baking dish with white fish topped with lemon slices in an herb sauce. Baking dish is surrounded by lemons, fresh herbs, and small bowls of chopped herbs and lemon wedges.
Bake or grill fish.
Overhead shot of a white bowl with bread, a fork, and white fish in an herb sauce and topped with lemon slice and fresh herbs. Bowl is surrounded by bread, a striped towel, and fresh herbs.
Serve with juices & more herbs.
SIde angle shot of a spatula in a white baking dish with white fish topped with lemon slices and fresh herbs.

Testing Tips for Flavorful Baked White Fish

  • This flavorful fish marinade is good with any firm, non-oily white fish you want to bake. I love the marinade with cod, as you see in these photos, but it would also be excellent with tilapia, snapper, flounder, haddock, halibut, swordfish, or grouper.
  • Fresh fish is always best, but frozen fish also works, just make sure to plan for thawing the fish before marinating.
  • Each ingredient in the marinade is essential, so I don’t recommend leaving any ingredient out or making any swaps. However, you can choose your preferred non-oily white fish, as mentioned above. 
  • And for soft fresh herbs (which really are essential), choose either parsley, dill, or basil, or my favorite, a combination of all 3!
  • Since the acid from the lemon can cook the white fish if marinated too long, it’s important not to marinate the fish longer than 30 minutes.
  • However, you can still get ahead and save time by preparing the marinade ahead of time. Simply mix up the marinade and store in a sealed jar for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Easy peasy!
Close-up overhead shot of a white bowl with bread, a fork, and white fish in an herb sauce and topped with lemon slice and fresh herbs.
Overhead shot of a spatula in a white baking dish with white fish in an herb sauce and topped with lemon slices and fresh herbs. Baking dish is surrounded by lemons, fresh herbs, bread, striped towel, and small bowls of chopped herbs and lemon wedges.
5 stars (3 ratings)

Fish Marinade (for White Fish)

Developed and tested by A woman with long blonde hair, smiling, holds and pours a bottle of oil in a modern kitchen setting.Robyn Conley Downs
Servings: 4 servings
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Marinade Time: 15 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
A simple lemon herb fish marinade for white fish like cod, tilapia, swordfish or halibut. Mediterranean-inspired and perfect for baking or grilling.
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Ingredients

  • 2 lemons
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped soft fresh herbs (recommended parsley, basil, dill, or a combination)
  • 1 ½ pounds firm white fish (such as cod, tilapia, swordfish, or halibut)

To Add at The End

  • 1 tablespoon butter

Equipment

Instructions 

Make Marinade

  • Zest and juice one lemon. Whisk together the lemon zest and the juice along with the olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and herbs in a small bowl until smooth.

Marinate the Fish

  • Pat the fish dry, then check for and remove and pin bone.
  • If gilling: add half the marinade along with the fish to a 1-gallon zip-top bag or baking dish and set the other half aside.
  • If baking, add all the marinade along with the fish to a 1-gallon zip-top bag or baking dish.
  • For both: Toss the fish to coat, then press as much air out of the bag (if using) as possible, or cover with plastic wrap (if using a baking dish). Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes, or up to 30 minutes.

Oven Baked Instructions

  • Heat the oven to 425F.
  • Slice the remaining lemon into rounds. Layer half the lemon slices into the bottom of a baking dish. Add the fish along with the marinade, top with remaining lemon slices, then dot with butter.
  • Bake for 10 minutes per inch of fish thickness, or until the fish just flakes easily with a fork, being careful not to overcook. For example, if the fish is 1-inch thick, cook for 10 minutes, if 1 ½ inches thick, cook for 15 minutes, etc.
  • Serve the fish with any accumulated juices if desired.

Grilling Instructions

  • Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium high heat. Oil or spray with cooking spray.
  • Slice the remaining lemon into rounds. Place the fish on the grill, discarding remaining marinade. Cook on one side about 5 minutes, then flip, top with lemon sliced, and cook an additional 5-10 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
  • Serve the fish drizzled with the reserved marinade, dotted with butter.

Notes

  • White fish can be very difficult to grill, so make sure your grill is properly preheated and oiled to prevent sticking. 
Course: dinner, Main Course, Marinade
Cuisine: American, Greek, Mediterranean

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 (of 4), Calories: 247kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 31g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 81mg, Sodium: 476mg, Potassium: 800mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 337IU, Vitamin C: 34mg, Calcium: 50mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition disclaimer
Did you make this recipe?If you do, be sure to share it on Instagram and tag me at @realfoodwholelife so I can see!

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