Until about a year ago I rarely cooked fish at home, leaving it to restaurants. One afternoon while wandering the grocery store trying to decide what to make for dinner, I ended up in the fish section. The fresh display didn’t look appealing, so I started looking at the freezer cases and noticed a wide selection of individually frozen fish fillets. I was surprised at how many options were available.
Baked fish fillet smothered with salsa
For my first purchase I chose a package where each fillet was individually wrapped and the package included detailed cooking instructions. Since then I buy the looser, less-expensive bags of individually frozen fillets. They cost less and are still easy to work with.
This recipe is almost too simple. After making it dozens of times, I’m still surprised by how quick and straightforward it is.
Frozen fish fillets drizzled with olive oil and kosher salt
Fillets covered in salsa
Salsa-baked fish fresh from the oven (about 25 minutes)
Ingredients:
- 4–5 individually frozen fish fillets (choose cod, haddock, tilapia, swai, catfish, or your favorite)
- 1 (16-ounce) jar of salsa — pick the brand and heat level you prefer
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2–3 pinches of kosher or sea salt (optional)
- 9″ x 12″ Pyrex or similar casserole dish
Instructions:
Total time: about 30 minutes
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
- Drizzle half the olive oil on the bottom of the casserole dish.
- Arrange the frozen fillets in the dish in a single layer. Depending on size, 4–5 fillets should fit; use a second dish if needed.
- Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the fillets.
- Sprinkle salt over the fillets, if using.
- Pour the salsa evenly over the fillets so each is well covered.
- Place the uncovered dish on the middle oven rack and bake for about 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
I usually serve the salsa-baked fish over steamed white rice or rice cooked with a bouillon cube and a few vegetables. If I don’t feel like rice, cheesy grits are a delicious alternative. Steamed vegetables also pair nicely. The result is a light, flavorful meal with minimal cleanup and few ingredients, ready in about 30 minutes.
I still keep my first empty fish package in the freezer so I can check the original cooking instructions when I forget the details.