Spiced baked fish with avocado salsa is one of the best and simplest ways to enjoy fresh-caught fish. The spice level is mild, with dry spices like smoked paprika, ground cumin and garlic powder. It's flavorful, easy to prepare, and beautiful enough for a company dinner. Ready in 30 minutes!
One of the best parts of living in Hawaii is the fresh fish. I've developed lots of favorite recipes like Thai Green Coconut Milk Mahi Mahi Curry, Parchment-Roasted Salmon Tacos with Crema and Air Fryer Fish Fillets with Harissa Aioli - G F.
Local people insist on fish being fresh enough to eat raw - even if you plan to cook it. Use that principle to choose fish wherever you are, as we have found wonderful fresh and frozen fish at Costco, Whole Foods and other nationwide outlets.
Just be ready to cook fresh fish the day you buy it!
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🫕 Why we love this recipe
- It is full of flavor, yet is not too spicy for small children
- If you prefer a spicy baked fish dish, you could add chili powder if you wanted to kick it up!
- Since it's a sheet pan recipe, it takes very little prep time for an easy fish recipe, and uses very little oil
- It is fancy enough for company yet the easiest fish dinner I know of, and produces the best fish in the shortest time
🌰 🥒What you will need for this recipe
- Pantry spices: cumin, paprika, garlic, salt and pepper
- 1 pound of fresh fish, such as monchong, halibut, flounder, snapper or tilapia
- Good quality olive oil or avocado oil
- Ripe Avocados
- Fresh cilantro
- Apple cider vinegar
- Fresh lemon juice
- Red onion
Steps in making spiced baked fish
Beth's Kitchen Tips for Fish
- Trust your nose - fresh fish will not smell fishy! 2. Pat dry - don't wash. 3. Let the fish sit for at least 15 but no more than 30 minutes to reduce the chill from the refrigerator.
🌰 Recipe Variations
- Make this a spicy baked fish recipe by adding chili powder or even cayenne to the spice rub - to taste
- Substitute white fish fillets like halibut or flounder for the monchong
- If you enjoy tilapia, it is delicious prepared this way - make sure to adjust the baking time as the fillets are usually thin
- Substitute lime juice for the lemon juice
- Double the ingredients and use the leftovers for fish tacos.
Recipe FAQ
It is best not to wash the fish even if it smells very fishy, which it should not when fresh. Washing can spread harmful bacteria to surfaces that won't be sanitized by heat, according to Reader's Digest.
Mild fish fillets benefit from a marinating period so that the flavors go deeper than just the surface. The amount of time you marinate is just about as long as it takes the fish to come to room temperature before you bake it.
The Southwestern spices in this recipe give delicious flavor without overwhelming the fish. Other favorite flavorings for fish include lemon and herbs like thyme and dill, harissa, hoisin sauce and garlic (not all in the same recipe!).
If you bake fish uncovered, it caramelizes slightly rather than steaming and most of the time I bake it uncovered for simplicity. But we also love this Salmon en papillote (in parchment) with herbs recipe.
Monchong is also called pomfret, and was once discarded as bycatch when fishing for ahi tuna. Now it’s gotten very popular on its own. It’s a good source of lean protein and omega-3 fatty acids, according to Hawaii Seafood.org . Monchong is firm enough to grill. It a mild fish that is slightly pink when raw but cooks to a whitish color.
As well as baking in an open pan, you can bake it in parchment (also called en papillote), cook it on the stove, grill it or air fry it. For very fresh fish, you can make ceviche ("cooked" in acid rather than heat, or eat it raw as sashimi.
If you make and love this recipe, please leave a ★★★★★ review! It means so much to me when you try my recipes, and I'd love to know how it goes. Please leave a comment below if you have any questions.
Enjoy,
Beth
Other fish recipes you may enjoy
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Spiced Baked Fish with Avocado Salsa
Equipment
- Stainless Steel Baking Pan
Ingredients
- 1 pound fish fillet such as monchong, halibut, flounder, tilapia or snapper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 avocados seeded, peeled, and diced
- ⅓ cup fresh cilantro leaves minced
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3-4 tablespoons red onion finely chopped
- pink sea salt to taste about ½ teaspoon
Instructions
- Place the fish fillet on parchment or a silicone liner on a baking sheet, skin side up, if it has skin.
- In a small bowl, stir together garlic powder, smoked paprika, ground cumin, sea salt, honey, and olive oil.
- Rub a little bit of the seasoning blend on the skin side of the monchong, then flip it over so that the flesh side of the fish is up. Rub the rest of the seasoning blend onto the fish.
- Allow to marinate for 15 minutes, while the fish comes to room temperature and you preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the flesh flakes with a fork. The amount of time will depend on the thickness of your fillet and how soft you want the inside to be.
- To make the salsa while the fish is baking, in a small bowl combine avocado, cilantro, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, red onion, and salt to taste.
- Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the fish to a platter or serve from the baking pan (our lazy preference).
- Top the monchong with avocado salsa and garnish with extra cilantro. Serve with brown rice or quinoa.
Notes
Nutrition
About Beth
From learning to cook at the age of 13 to teaching food chemistry to high school students, I love preparing and sharing new and familiar dishes. Whether it’s baking, sauteing or making a salad from farmer's market finds, food gets my creativity going. Enjoy my recipes on A Meal In Mind!
What to serve with this dish
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Michelle
I love everything about this recipe! I can't wait to try it.
Beth
Thank you so much, Michelle - enjoy it when you do.
Joanne
My kids aren't huge fans of fish but they just love avocado. I can't wait to try this recipe!
Beth
This spice rub's flavor might keep fishiness from being a problem, especially if the fish is very mild, but the avocado salsa is divine.
Nart at Cooking with Nart
You never fail to impress Beth! I'm not a big fan of fish myself but even I want to tuck into this!!! And the avocado....mmmmm
Beth
There are some fish I don't like either, I always look for some that taste almost like chicken, like monchong and opah ... and yes, the avocado!
Nyxie
This looks and sounds gorgeous. I've never heard of avocado sauce but I'd love to try it!
Beth
Thank you, it is, and the salsa is worth trying as a quicker version of guacamole.
Anindya Sundar Basu
Love fish in any form and this is going to be a blast. Thanks for the recipe
Beth
Us, too, and we are actually thinking of trying with spices that are a bit more on the curry side than the Mexican-food side - will let you know.
Eva Keller
This looks great! We've been trying to eat fish more at home since it has way less calories than other proteins and we're always looking for new ideas so we're not eating the same plain thing every day.
Beth
Hi Eva, this is such a great recipe since you could use it on whatever fish you like best, and it's so easy to put together. I hope you enjoy it!
Roselyn Franke
Looks good and it's an easy recipe; haven't heard of that fish before, but will check around to see if I can find it.
Beth
Roselyn, I'd be impressed if you can find it unless you are near a coast. I plan to try the recipe with snapper or halibut whenever I find either of those.
Sabrina DeWalt
This looks amazing. I will definitely be making it soon.
Beth
Thanks, Sabrina, the best part is that it's so quick to make, Hope you enjoy it!
Alexis Farmer
This is something I’m definitely going to make, thanks for sharing!
Beth
Hi, Alexis, that's great to hear, we think it's quite a treat around here and hope you enjoy it.
Sarah Camp
Yum! We don't have fish very often because my husband isn't a huge fan, but maybe I can convince him with some avocado 🙂
Beth
Hi Sarah, avocado could be the solution - the salsa is so good - but the spice rub really helps with the flavor, too. Good luck!
chad
OMG Beth, this looks soooooo delicious!!! I would loooove to make it, I am actually super excited about it...
Beth
Chad, I'm so glad to hear that, I hope it comes out perfectly, and you enjoy it as much as we do.
judean
I have friends who would live this baked fish dish! I am sharing it with them.
Beth
Hi Judean, how thoughtful of you to share the recipe! I hope your friends enjoy it as much as we do.
Myrka
Would love to go to Hawaii and try some of this fish! I will stick to red snapper for now. It's currently my favorite! Thanks for the recipe!
Beth
Myrka, I hope you get to Hawaii and try monchong and opah, our favorites even though you hear so much about ahi. I look forward to trying the recipe with snapper too!
Angela
All the healthy fats in this fish and avocado recipe is a win for your taste buds and your wellness!
Beth
Angela, you are so right - it's partly why I like to put both on our menus as much as I can.
Emily
Yes please 🙋🏽♀️
Beth
Coming right up! ;))
Carrie Beaton
This looks delicious and healthy too! I looooovvvveeee avocado!
Beth
Carrie, the avocado really is the perfect topping, and we especially like the red onion mixed in with it. Enjoy!
Cindy Mailhot
This looks delicious and could probably be replicated with other fish depending on where you live and what you have access to.
Beth
Cindy, I agree with you, since the seasonings are so simple, I also plan to try it with other fish, soon.
Annette
This sounds delicious!! I have salmon and halibut in the freezer, so I'll have to print this off and add this recipe to my menu this week.
Beth
Annette, it's a great dish and I imagine it will be delicious with either or both fish. Enjoy!
Tara Hallie
I love snapper and since I can't find monchong locally, I'll sub snapper. Your salsa looks divine!
Beth
Tara, I also plan trying with snapper and will share on the post when I do. But I think it should be great - and the salsa sure is.