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    Home » Recipes » Main Dishes » 20-Minute Mediterranean Fish with Tomato Sauce

    20-Minute Mediterranean Fish with Tomato Sauce

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    April 27, 2023 by Amina Al-Saigh

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    This post may contain affiliate links.

    This quick and easy Mediterranean fish recipe is the perfect weeknight meal you need to add to your meal plan. Full of Mediterranean flavours using fresh ingredients and a blend of spices, this perfectly flaky fish comes together in 20 minutes. It's perfect served with fluffy yellow rice!

    light coloured skillet with pieces of fish in a tomato sauce with a platter of yellow rice in a corner, parsley in a small bowl, lemon slices in a small bowl, green napkin in a corner on a white tiled background
    Table of Contents show
    1 Why Fish is Great for Weeknights!
    2 Ingredients You'll Need to Make This Recipe
    3 How to Make This Recipe Step by Step
    4 Frequently Asked Questions
    5 Other Recipes You Will Love
    6 20-Minute Mediterranean Fish with Tomato Sauce

    Why Fish is Great for Weeknights!

    So what's the key to a quick meal that comes together in 20 minutes? You need ingredients that cook quickly and fish is perfect for that! Not only does it cook up super fast, but it also goes so well with all the Mediterranean flavours in this dish.

    Fresh peppers, onions, tomato paste, spices and a hint of pomegranate molasses make for a delicious sauce that gets scooped up over the fish. You can easily serve it with some crusty bread, fluffy Mediterranean yellow rice, or Arabic vermicelli rice.

    Did I mention it's all done in one skillet? Using one pan means all that flavour doesn't get lost anywhere!

    Ingredients You'll Need to Make This Recipe

    Ingredient shot for Mediterranean fish with rainbow trout fillet, garlic cloves and pomegranate molasses on wooden cutting board, with onions and yellow bell peppers in white bowls, with spices on a plate and tomato paste in a little bowl on a white tile background

    For starters you're going to need some quality fish for this Mediterranean fish recipe. My favourite has to be rainbow trout and it's what I use in this recipe. Other white fish like Tilapia will work, along with Salmon.

    The pomegranate molasses in the recipe is optional but it really adds some depth of flavour. It's easy to get from your local Middle Eastern shop, Amazon or the international aisle of many supermarkets. If you can get your hands on it, I highly recommend using it here!

    As for the rest of the sauce ingredients, they are simple and easy:

    • Fresh peppers (I like yellow or red)
    • onions
    • garlic
    • tomato paste
    • spices: Turmeric, paprika, coriander, cumin, salt & pepper

    How to Make This Recipe Step by Step

    First you're going to start off by getting some flavour into that fish. We make a quick marinade with some oil and the spices: cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, salt and pepper.

    a small white bowl with a spice mix and a spoon inside on a light coloured background

    Next, you want to cut your rainbow trout fillet into 4 pieces as equally as you can. Skip this step if your fish is already cut into pieces.

    a rainbow trout fillet on a wooden cutting board being cut horizontally into pieces with a hand on either side

    Slather the marinade all over the fish pieces and coat them well. Set aside about 1-2 teaspoons of the marinade to be added to the sauce.

    a rainbow trout fillet marinated on a wooden cutting board with a knife beside it

    In a non-stick skillet, heat up a neutral oil (such as avocado) and sear the fish pieces on each side for 1 minute, on medium heat. The fish is going to continue cooking in the sauce so it doesn't need to be fully cooked at this step.

    TIP: For perfectly flaky fish make sure you only sear the fish for a minute on each side. It will cook with the sauce later, and this ensures you avoid overcooking your fish!

    a light coloured skillet with pieces of fish with the skin side facing up
    a light coloured skillet with pieces of fish that have been seared

    Remove and set aside the fish. Get started on the delicious pan sauce! Add in the onions and allow them to soften for a few minutes before adding the garlic, the rest of the spice paste and the tomato paste.

    light coloured skillet with cooked onions and yellow peppers with tomato paste and a white spatula
    water being added from a measuring cup into a light coloured skillet with tomato sauce and a white spatula stirring it

    A little hot water gets added to create the sauce (it's going to start smelling so good now!). Cover and simmer it for a few minutes just to get the flavours melding together.

    light coloured skillet with cooked fish pieces in a tomato sauce
    hand with grey sweater sleeve putting lid on light coloured skillet with cooked fish pieces in tomato sauce inside

    Add the fish back in, cover and let it simmer for 8-10 minutes until it is cooked.

    And that is it! So quick and easy, just serve it with some fragrant yellow rice and a salad and your meal is ready!

    light coloured skillet with fish cooked in tomato sauce broken up into pieces.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What other types of fish can I use to make this recipe?

    Any other white firm fish would work well, like Tilapia, Cod, Halibut etc. Salmon also works really well but depending on how thick it is it may take longer to cook!

    Can this dish be made in advance?

    Yes! Just don't over cook the fish, you don't want overcooked fish, especially if it needs to be reheated.

    What else can I serve this with?

    You can serve this Mediterranean fish dish with some crusty bread, any rice dish, or a side salad like fattoush or Lebanese malfouf salad.

    Can I use frozen fish?

    Although not ideal, you could use frozen fish. Make sure it's not too thin or it will fall apart while cooking. For best results though, fresh is best!

    A piece of fish on yellow rice with tomato sauce on a white plate with a fork and a lemon wedge

    Other Recipes You Will Love

    • Arabic Fish in Tomato Sauce
    • Rainbow trout fillet served over a bed of bulgur salad in a white plate, with a serving spoon and basil
      Baked Rainbow Trout Fillet with Bulgur Salad
    • Carrot rice served in a white plate, garnished with almonds and cinnamon sticks
      The Best Carrot Rice Recipe (Iraqi Timman Jizar)
    • A colorful bulgur salad served on a plate with a spoon and a half cut lemon displayed beside it.
      Healthy Bulgur Salad with Easy Dressing

    If you tried these recipes, please consider leaving a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page - I'd love to hear from you! You can also hop on over to Instagram and say hello!

    light coloured skillet with pieces of fish in a tomato sauce with a platter of yellow rice in a corner, parsley in a small bowl, lemon slices in a small bowl, green napkin in a corner on a white tiled background

    20-Minute Mediterranean Fish with Tomato Sauce

    This quick and easy meal is not only healthy but is loaded with flavour! Serve with yellow rice for the perfect weeknight dinner.
    No ratings yet
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dinner, lunch, Main Course
    Cuisine: Mediterranean
    Keyword: Fish, Mediterranean, Mediterranean fish
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 123kcal
    Author: Amina Al-Saigh

    Ingredients

    • 1 Rainbow Trout fillet
    • ½ onion finely chopped
    • ½ bell pepper finely chopped
    • 2 garlic cloves minced
    • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
    • 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses optional

    For the Spice Blend:

    • 3 tablespoon avocado oil
    • 1 teaspoon salt add more per preference
    • 1 teaspoon paprika
    • 1 teaspoon coriander
    • 1 teaspoon cumin
    • ½ to 1 teaspoon turmeric

    Instructions

    • Combine together the spices with the oil and mix well
      a small white bowl with a spice mix and a spoon inside on a light coloured background
    • Cut the fillet into 4 pieces
      a rainbow trout fillet on a wooden cutting board being cut horizontally into pieces with a hand on either side
    • Slather the spice paste all over the rainbow trout. Set aside 1-2 teaspoons of the marinade to be used later.
      a rainbow trout fillet marinated on a wooden cutting board with a knife beside it
    • In a non-stick skillet over medium high heat, sear the fish pieces on each side for 1 minute
      a light coloured skillet with pieces of fish that have been seared
    • Remove and set aside
    • Add in the onions, garlic, and the rest of the spice paste and tomato paste
      light coloured skillet with cooked onions and yellow peppers with tomato paste and a white spatula
    • Cook stirring over medium heat for a few minutes until the onions soften
    • Add 1 - 1.5 cups hot water and mix to create a sauce
      water being added from a measuring cup into a light coloured skillet with tomato sauce and a white spatula stirring it
    • Cover and simmer for 5-7 minutes
    • Add the fish pieces, cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes until the fish is perfectly cooked
      light coloured skillet with cooked fish pieces in a tomato sauce
    • Serve with yellow rice and a salad, Enjoy!

    Video

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 123kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 0.1mg | Sodium: 616mg | Potassium: 124mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 572IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg
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    ABOUT ME

    Hi friend! I'm Amina, a wife and busy mother of two. And I know you're super busy too. I'm here to help you figure out dinner for your family with my easy, quick, and Middle Eastern inspired recipes. Hope you enjoy your stay - and please - have a look around and get in touch!

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