Cooking fish can seem intimidating, especially if you’re new to the kitchen. One of the most common questions is how long to bake fish at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. The cooking time can vary quite a bit depending on the size and thickness of the fillets. In this article I’ll provide a detailed guide on how long it takes to cook various types of fish at 350°F.
Overview of Baking Fish
Baking fish is one of the easiest and healthiest ways to prepare seafood. The dry heat of the oven cooks the fish gently and evenly throughout. Baking prevents overcooking on the outside while keeping the inside moist and tender.
Compared to frying fish, baking cuts down on added calories from oil or butter. It also allows the natural flavors of the fish to shine through without heavy sauces or seasonings.
When baking fish fillets, setting the oven to 350°F is ideal. This moderate temperature is hot enough to cook the fish through without drying it out. The cooking time varies based on the thickness of the fillets.
How Thickness Impacts Cooking Time
The thickness of the fish is the most important factor in determining baking time. Here’s a general guide to how long different thicknesses of fish fillets take to bake at 350°F:
- 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick: 8-10 minutes
- 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick: 10-12 minutes
- 3/4 to 1 inch thick: 12-15 minutes
- 1 to 1 1/4 inches thick: 15-20 minutes
Thinner fillets under 1/2 inch may only need 5-7 minutes. Thicker steaks or fillets over 1 1/4 inches could take 20 minutes or longer.
When in doubt, err on the side of slightly undercooking. You can always put a fillet back in for a minute or two if the center is still translucent. But overcooked fish dries out quickly.
The best way to tell if the fish is done is to insert a fork in the thickest part. The fish will flake and separate easily when it’s fully cooked.
Cooking Times for Specific Fish
Keep in mind that denser, meatier fish take longer to cook than more delicate types. Here are estimated baking times at 350°F for popular choices:
- Tilapia and trout fillets 1/2 inch thick: 8-12 minutes
- Salmon fillets 1 inch thick: 12-15 minutes
- Halibut and cod fillets 1 inch thick: 15-18 minutes
- Mahi mahi and grouper fillets 1 inch thick: 14-16 minutes
- Snapper fillets 1 inch thick: 10-12 minutes
- Swordfish steaks 1 inch thick: 14-18 minutes
- Tuna steaks 1 inch thick: 10-15 minutes
Again, use a fork to test thicker fillets, especially salmon and tuna. You want these fatty fish to still have a touch of translucence in the center when done.
For whole fish, estimate 15-20 minutes per pound. Turn halfway through cooking.
Should You Flip the Fish While Baking?
Some recipes call for starting the fish skin-side down, then flipping halfway through baking. This helps ensure even doneness between the top and bottom.
But for thinner fillets under 1 inch, flipping isn’t necessary. The heat will penetrate from all sides in just 8-12 minutes.
Flipping is more beneficial for thicker steaks and fillets. If baking a salmon steak over 1 1/2 inches thick, I recommend starting skin-side down for about two-thirds of the estimated cooking time. Then flip and bake for the remaining time.
Preventing Dry, Overcooked Fish
To avoid drying out your fish, take these precautions:
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Brush fish lightly with oil or melted butter before baking. This basting helps seal in moisture.
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Avoid overcrowding the pan. Fish needs space for air flow and steam ventilation.
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Use a pan with low sides like a sheet pan rather than a casserole dish with high edges. This allows moisture to escape.
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Cook fish in a preheated oven rather than starting from a cold oven.
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For thicker fillets, wrap thinner tail ends in foil to prevent overcooking.
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Check fish early and take it out when flakes apart slightly before fully cooked through. It will finish cooking from residual heat.
Cooking Fish En Papillote for Moistness
One excellent technique for keeping fish ultra moist is baking en papillote. This involves sealing the raw fish in parchment paper or foil packets with veggies and seasonings.
The steam created within the closed packets gently cooks the fish in its own juices. En papillote also makes for easy cleanup with no pans to wash!
Aim for 14-18 minutes cooking time at 350°F for one 6-8 oz fish fillet sealed in a packet. Adjust time down slightly for delicate white fish or up for dense tuna or salmon.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
It’s easy for baked fish to go from perfect to overcooked quickly. Watch out for these common errors:
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Baking too long without testing doneness along the way
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Using a temperature higher than 350°F
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Forgetting to preheat the oven fully before baking
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Placing fillets too close together without room to breathe
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Not tenting foil over fish toward the end to retain moisture and prevent over-browning
Tips for Even Cooking
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Place fish on a lightly oiled sheet pan or aluminum foil-lined pan for easier flipping. Parchment paper also works.
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Put thicker fillets toward the center of the pan and thinner pieces around the edges to prevent uneven cooking.
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If baking multiple varieties of fish with different cook times, put the longer-cooking fish on the bottom rack. Place more delicate fish on the upper rack for the last few minutes of baking.
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When checking for doneness, look for opacity and flaking in the thickest portion.
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Let the baked fish rest 3-5 minutes before serving. The temperature will continue gently rising while allowing juices to redistribute.
Sample Recipe and Cooking Times
This simple baked cod recipe takes about 15 minutes start to finish:
Ingredients:
- 4 cod fillets (6-8 oz each), about 3/4 inch thick
- 2 Tbsp olive oil or melted butter
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
- Lemon wedges for serving
Directions:
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil.
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Pat cod dry and brush both sides with oil. Sprinkle evenly with paprika, salt, and pepper.
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Place on prepared pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes until fish is opaque and flakes easily.
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Serve cod warm with lemon wedges for squeezing over the top.
For 1-inch thick fillets, increase baking time to 16-18 minutes. Check frequently to avoid overcooking.
This basic method works well for haddock, tilapia, snapper, and other white fish too. Adjust times based on thickness.
Mastering baked fish means understanding how thickness impacts cooking times. With fish fillets 1/4 to 1 1/4 inches thick, 350°F is ideal for baking without drying.
For accuracy, always use a fork to test doneness in the thickest part. Undercooking slightly helps account for carryover cooking once removed from the oven.
Finally, prevent dry fish by oiling, spacing out fillets, and tenting when needed. Follow these tips and you’ll turn out perfectly cooked baked fish every time.
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A James Beard cookbook taught me that you can heat your pan in the oven while it heats up. That way the fish cooks from the bottom and the top at the same time. Hope this helps.
It looks like too many of the fish recipes on the Times website don’t cook the fish enough. I dont like over done fish, but raw (except for whats meant to be raw) is not appetizing. Also, having to put this back in the oven for another 10 minutes is a pain when you’re cooking for other people. This is 20 minutes cooking time NOT 10. And beware the other fish recipes for the same issue.
Okay, I heat up the oven ahead of time, measure the fish, and make sure it’s room temperature before I put it in my fancy oven. But ten minutes per inch is never enough. Im always taking it out and finding it quite opaque. Does anyone else think the fish needs more time? I’ve tried this with halibut and striped bass more than once. Always the same outcome–back in the oven, generally another five or six minutes depending on the inches part!.
I always bring the fish to room temperature first. First I put it on a very hot Le Creuset griddle on high to get the skin nice and brown. Then I put it in the oven. Great on Salmon.
To make my perfect recipe, I grease a baking dish, lay thin slices of lemon on the bottom, and then put the fish filet on top. I paint the top with mayonnaise and add chopped herbs or two or more lemon slices and a good grind of pepper. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 20 minutes at 350. This is wonderful for salmon which I usually skin, but thats not necessary. Ive done various white fish, too like walleye.
To roast in a 9×11 glass pan, use 1/2 cup of water and sprinkle the fish with olive oil and salt. 30 minutes. Sprinkle with Oregano or spice of choice.
I always start my roasted fish in a REALLY hot cast iron skillet. Just a few minutes on one side, to add some browning, flip, then finish in oven. For fun, throw a bunch of scallions in from the start. Before putting it in the oven, I sometimes add a pat of butter and a splash of white wine to make sure it’s fine and moist. Yum.
Its also so BORING. A little brown butter and capers would actually make it taste like something!
I cook a 1-pound fillet for 12 to 15 minutes, checking on it often after 12 minutes. If the thickness isn’t even, tuck the thinner part under to make it even. In the oven, I heat a ceramic dish with a few tablespoons of grape seed oil so that it doesn’t burn. When the dish is hot, I put the fillet in it. The fish comes out with best of two methods, seared and roasted. For pure roasting preheat the oven to 325 put fillet in pan for 20-25 min.
If the thickness of your fish is really off, fold the thinnest parts under to make them about the same thickness as the rest. Better than dry ends.
I use this technique for salmon as well. First I heat up my cast iron skillet in the oven. Then I lightly oil it and put the fish fillet skin side down in it. I put the pan in a hot oven until the fish is done the way I like it (the time will depend on how thick it is). I also like to place thinly sliced lemon slices on the fish if I have it.
Stick the fish 5 or 6 inches from the flame under the broiler. This is the easiest and safest way to cook fish in the oven. A salmon fillet that is one inch thick and skin-down goes under a hot broiler for six or seven minutes and always turns out perfect. A sauce made of three parts mayo to one part whole grain mustard is easy and tasty to put on top of food. It never misses.
Going rogue on this one. Putting a frozen fillet of Australis Barramundi in my oven at 250 degrees for about 40 minutes is what I like to do. The low temp prevents the delicious oils from burning up. It probably doesnt work with every type of fish, but its shockingly good with this one. Just a little olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon slices, and fresh thyme on top. “Low and slow” method was inspired by Andrew Gruel from Slapfish, and it totally blew my mind.
Make this as written here and dont look back or apologize for its simplicity. It is mild and delicious with cod or haddock which is how it should be. How long it cooks will also depend on the type of fish and how fresh it is, so don’t be afraid to change it to your liking. If you crave more for your palate and have the time, add what you like. I see that someone else likes capers and brown butter. Tonight I had snipped chives, paprika, and fleur de sel. Baked potatoes. No complaints!.
Always preheat your oven before you bake or roast anything. Instead of roasting fish right out of the fridge – let it come up to almost room temp. Season both sides of the fish with salt and pepper, then put it in a hot oven for ten minutes per inch of thickness. This is the only way to make sure the fish is just right every time.
Delicious and Easy! Only 2 of us and we had haddock fillets. Cut the recipe in half and used frozen corn. Definitely a keeper.
When I put white fish or salmon filets in the oven, I check them after eight minutes. If I can see white fat on them, they’re done. I trim them off and plate them. The thicker part is put back in the oven for three to five minutes, or until it also flakes, depending on how thick it is. You can’t just assume that all of the different-thickness filets are ready at the same time; that would be a bad idea.
While the butter was melting, I sautéed some shallots in it. Then I added some chopped thyme and topped the fish with it. Also heated the oven to 425 and preheated the pans.
Heating the pan in the oven works well!
Where are the suggestions for using Chile Crisp? Mentioned in the email but missing in the recipe.
This was so easy and tasty. I added garlic and thyme to the rockfish and didnt quibble about timing. Ten minutes worked for us.
Laid sliced summer squash in pan with fish on top. Olive oil, white wine, capers, salt, pepper
Putting a little olive oil in the pan and heating it up. When the oven is hot and ready, add the fish skin side down and listen for that wonderful sizzle.
RE 10 minutes per inch not being enough time, a 400 degree oven is not hot enough. James Beard’s “Canadian cooking rule” said that the oven should be set to 450 degrees for 10 minutes for each inch of food.
I use this recipe when Im cooking fish and it comes out perfect all the time. The only thing I would add is to put extra tin foil over the thinner parts for a short time. Salmon fillets are often uneven, but this technique helps tremendously.
Too simple a recipe—its flavorless. More egregiously, 10 minutes at 400 degrees doesnt get the job done. I spent years trying different times and temperatures to find the best way to cook salmon fillets and haddock. Here are the exact times and temperatures that always work: salmon fillets (5-oz each): 10 minutes at preheated 450 degrees haddock and other white fish that like it: 20 minutes at 400 degrees
I think your oven isnt hot enough. In my 1976 copy of James Beard’s New Fish Cookery, it says to cook the fish at 425 to 450F for 10 minutes per inch, which is how thick it is. Im not that experienced in baking fish or meat, but this works for me every time, thanks be!.
Used this recipe to make Chilean sea bass filets, and they came out great! I cooked them for 11 minutes at 400 degrees in a convection oven. Used parchment paper on the rimmed baking sheet for easy clean up.
The fillets come out perfectly every time.
Nice simple recipe. Used tilapia and baked for about 15 minutes. Served with a fresh chopped salad of tomatoes, cukes, green onion, red pepper and avocado. Zucchini butter spaghetti on the side. Private notes are only visible to you.
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