Greek Whole Roasted Branzino
This recipe for Greek roasted branzino is perfect for a simple and healthy weeknight meal that requires almost zero clean up! Full of bright lemon and earthy oregano, this dish will transport you to a seaside taverna in Greece.
The best part about food is the story that it tells. That of course is one of my reasons for blogging. Anyone can write up a recipe and tell a person how to make it…but the story… the story gives food heart.
We all connect with each other through the power of delicious food but the story…that story is what bonds us. Whether it is a warm Italian red wine sipped along the Tuscan hillsides, fresh lobsters eaten oceanside of a Caribbean hut or classic New York style pizza eaten at one of many of the New York pizzerias; the stories make food nostalgic.
This particular roasted branzino has a great story. It features a very good friend of mine, Chrissy.
Chrissy colors my hair. We chat and catch-up for 2-3 hours at a time every 4-6 weeks and gab about everything from pop culture, to love, to politics and food. One of those times, I came by and her mom fed me her delicious Greek chicken that inspired my very popular One Pot Greek Chicken and Potatoes.
Chrissy happens to be Greek. Born here in the states but as all first generation Greeks that I know, is fluent in Greek and travels to her home land at least once a year. She is also extremely well travelled. She has been all over Europe, Dubai and hit almost every part of North America there is. Chrissy loves traveling on a whim. One day she is expertly and lovingly blonding up my hair and the very next day she texts me that she is flying to Jamaica in 2 days and needs hotel recommendations. After her travels Chrissy always comes back and tells me about the sites, the people and of course, the food.
We were chatting up, waiting for the blond to take over my brunette roots and Chrissy started reminiscing about her trip to Greece last summer and as always we ended up talking about the food.
“We were sitting for hours in this little seaside restaurant for hours Mila, in Mykonos, just eating salads sipping wine and inhaling the fish. Oh the fish. It was amazing Mila. Lavraki…” She said “lavraki” in her typical Greek pronunciation pausing to reminisce the flavor that this fish must have left on her palette and forever ingrained her mind.
“Chrissy, what the hell is lavraki? Is this a fish straight out of Zeus’ pond or something?” I questioned her sarcastically.
“OMG you have never had “lavraki”. What?!? That’s it we are going now. It’s in season and I know a little Greek place that serves it. Get your bag we are getting Greek food.”
Of course she knows a little Greek place that “happened” to be serving this fish. The Greeks are similar to the Russians, we always know “someone”.
We showed up to a hole in the wall basically, that is the back of a fish warehouse. Turned out this Greek “someone” was the someone that distributed fresh fish and seafood to most of the restaurants in Chicago. And he happened to serve this exact same fish in this tiny restaurant with paper napkins, communal seating, chalkboard menus and free garlic aromas.
The place was packed. It was 3 pm on a Saturday afternoon and there was a line out the door and not an empty seat to be seen. Naturally, as soon as the owner saw that one of their “own” ahem a Greek (Chrissy) was standing in line, he came over greeted her in Greek, nodded at me and ushered us in to the front of the line, leaving us with evil glares being thrown like daggers at our backs. Oh well…sometimes the early bird gets the worm…sometimes the Greek bird gets the fish.
Chrissy chatted with the owner and they both pointed to the menu, nodded in agreement and ordered. I was not consulted in this decision making process and I was glad, because regardless how picky I am, I doubted there was anything on this menu I would not find enjoyable. We sat down and were almost immediately greeted with Greek bread, fruity olive oil and a flaming order of saganaki, the Greek flaming cheese. Next we were served a gigantic Greek salad and our entrees. I sat and stared at the feast laid out in front of us.
A photo posted by Mila (@girl_and_the_kitchen_) on
“Chrissy! This is roasted Branzino!” I exclaimed when I saw the gorgeous fish.
“No Mila, it’s Lavraki. It’s Greek.”
“Chrissy, it’s a Mediterranean sea bass, it’s not Greek. The Italians call it Branzino and the Greeks clearly call it Lavraki…but it’s all the same…it’s sea bass.”
“Whatever, Greek style is best Mila. Greek Style or no Style! Now eat!” We both giggled and dug in.
I can still so clearly remember the sigh of enjoyment that escaped our bodies as we sat in this sun filled room full of incomprehensible chatter and for a moment I felt like I had escaped Chicago and was transported to the salt scented beaches of Greece.
I have found this Branzino (Lavraki) at a local supermarket and purchase it frequently for our weeknight dinners and dinner parties. It is extremely mild in flavor and has a very sweet flesh due to the shrimp that it feeds on. But the most important part about this fish is that it truly is best roasted whole. Which, helllllllo?!? How great is that for clean-up?
Choosing Fresh Fish
When purchasing and preparing roasted branzino or any whole fish there are a few important things to remember:
- When choosing fresh fish, it should smell like the seawater, anything “fishier” smelling and you do not want it. Trust me.
- The eyes should be clear, never foggy or falling our of the socket, yuck.
- The flesh should be firm not slimy or super spongy.
- Ask the fish monger to leave the head and tail on, clean the scales, trim the fins and completely clean the inside.
- Before roasting the fish, slice into the skin a bit, careful not to go too deep into the flesh. This will help the skin crisp up and it will allow for some seasoning to permeate the inside.
- Keep it simple! The best fish tastes pretty great on its own and just needs to be enhanced with simple and classic flavors. Sometimes salt, pepper and lemon is all you will ever need.
- Do NOT over cook the fish. I typically broil these fish (about 1.5 pounds each) for 18 minutes and the bones pull away super easily from it and the flesh flakes just so perfectly. When fish is cooked perfectly the bones peel away from it and there are minimal bones left behind in the flesh.
I made roasted branzino just last night and was compelled to finally share it. I paired it with a super simple sautéed garlic and lemon spinach adorned with a few sprinkles of feta cheese…how Greek am I now huh Chrissy?
It honestly could not have been easier to prepare this roasted branzino. It was all done on a sheet pan covered in parchment paper so the mess was practically non existent. I quickly sliced the fish with little slits on the outside, drizzled both the sides and the inside with super fruity extra virgin olive oil*, stuffed the cavity with some oregano stems from my garden, a few cloves of minced garlic, plenty of salt and pepper and some lemon slices. That’s it! Into the oven it went to broil for 18 minutes. In the meantime I sautéed some garlic with lemon juice and olive oil and tossed in some baby spinach until it wilted. Roasted branzino dinner was complete and utterly delicious in under 20 minutes.
So my darling friend, Chrissy, thank you for reminding me of this wonderfully delicious fish, introducing me to an incredible hole in the wall and most importantly importantly being a dear friend.
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Greek Whole Roasted Branzino
- Total Time: 17 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
This recipe for Greek roasted branzino is perfect for a simple and healthy weeknight meal that requires almost zero clean up! Full of bright lemon and earthy oregano, this dish will transport you to a seaside taverna in Greece.
Ingredients
For the fish
- 2 branzino (about 3 pounds total, lavraki or sea bass)
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil * (fruity kind)
- 4 garlic cloves (minced finely on a microplane)
- 4 sprigs of fresh oregano
- 1 lemon (you want the slices to be half moons so they fit into the fish easily, cut in half and sliced thinly)
- salt and pepper to taste
For the spinach
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 bag of spinach (an 8 oz package)
- 3 garlic cloves (minced on the microplane)
- juice of half a lemon
- 1/2 cup of water or chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons feta cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For the fish
- Place the oven on highest broil setting
- Place parchment paper onto a sheet pan large enough to fit the two fish.
- Slice 3-4 slits into the fish, parallel to the fish’s head, going with the direction of the scales.
- Pour the olive oil all over the fish, ensuring both sides and the insides are covered.
- Slather the garlic mixture into the cavity of the fish evenly.
- Place the oregano stems into the cavities of the fish.
- Place the lemon wedges into the cavity of the fish.*
- Place the sheet pan into the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until the fish flesh is flaky and white. Serve with extra lemons
For the spinach
- Right when the fish has come out of the oven, place a large pan over medium heat.
- Add olive oil and garlic to the pan. Allow to sweat about 2 minutes, without getting any color on the garlic.
- Add the spinach, water and lemon juice to the pan and toss with tongs until the spinach is wilted. This will take about 2 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with feta and serve alongside the fish.
Notes
When purchasing and preparing branzino or any whole fish there are a few important things to remember:
When choosing fresh fish, it should smell like the seawater, anything “fishier” smelling and you do not want it. Trust me.
The eyes should be clear, never foggy or falling our of the socket, yuck.
The flesh should be firm not slimy or super spongy.
Ask the fish monger to leave the head and tail on, clean the scales, trim the fins and completely clean the inside.
Before roasting the fish, slice into the skin a bit, careful not to go too deep into the flesh. This will help the skin crisp up and it will allow for some seasoning to permeate the inside.
Keep it simple! The best fish tastes pretty great on its own and just needs to be enhanced with simple and classic flavors. Sometimes salt, pepper and lemon is all you will ever need.
Do NOT over cook the fish. I typically broil these fish (about 1.5 pounds each) for 18 minutes and the bones pull away super easily from it and the flesh flakes just so perfectly. When fish is cooked perfectly the bones peel away from it and there are minimal bones left behind in the flesh.
I like using a very fruity and fragrant olive oil for this recipe. It just gives it an incredible flavor profile. Typically, Greek olive oils tend to be a bit more fruitier. But as long as you get an extra virgin olive oil that is first press, you should be golden.
As the garlic cooks inside the fish, a chemical reaction may occur and it may turn bluish green. This is totally normal and just a reaction of the sulphur compounds. Regardless of the color, it’s delicious none the less.
Do not put the garlic or the lemons into the slits you have made on the fish. This may prevent the skin of the fish from crisping up.
If you want a truly crispy skin on both sides, feel free to roast this on a roasting rack. However I am perfectly fine with one side crispy without adding on a second pan for me to clean 🙂
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Seafood
- Cuisine: Greek
“Free garlic aroma,” Ha! That’s great. Just look at this beauty, wow. Great post and the fish looks killer Mila. Well done and happy weekend!
Awwww thanks Kevin!!! I was really happy with these photos as well…It’s always refreshing to see that something came out as great on photos as it tastes 🙂 Happy weekend to you too my darling friend.
I love it! Lost in translation, right? But by any name, this fish looks AHHMAZING!!!! There is something so sexy about sitting down to a whole fish. I love the aromatics here too…perfection.
Thank you honey!!!! Totally lost in translation!!! And yes this while dining experiencing was very sexy 🙂
Looks great! In the directions you mention slathering on the garlic mixture but I don’t see what the garlic mixture consists of. Thank you!
Hi Lefkie! The garlic mixture is the garlic, oregano, olive oil, salt and pepper. Hope this clears things up a bit for you. Let me know how it turns out!
I wish you would include what the garlic mixture is as a step. I missed the salt and pepper in there. It’s now in the oven
🙁 I’ll add some afterwards and see how it turns out. Thanks!
My parchment paper caught fire.looked at the manufacturers hand they say do not broil with parchment,the fish was fantastic anyway , skin was burnt but flesh was wonderful.next time I will use foil.
Wow you have one strong broiler!!!! But I’m so glad your fish turned out yummy 🙂
Fantastic. Came out great on my first try. Highly recommended…
So glad to hear it Steve!!!!! This is def a family favorite
Can you please update the recipe to include the garlic paste? Like the previous comment, I too was confused by the omission, as will anyone who tries to follow the recipe be.
Hi Lane, I am not sure what you mean by the omission, the garlic paste is the minced garlic on the microplane. Sorry that this was confusing to you! Hope it worked out!
Very nice! I put a tiny slivers of butter and garlic into each of the slits. I had no oregano so I used some dry ground Italian parsley and savory – it worked out quite well but I’m really looking forward to trying the oregano! Made a sauce from some Dijon mustard, some olive oil based mayo, salt, pepper, and a splort of Chardonnay. That turned out to be very nice so I thought I’d pass it on!
Some how my rating messed up, This was a 5 star for sure!
Thank you!
Ohhhhh Ralph you are so fancy!!!!!! That sounds really wonderful!
Silly question…Can you please explain, when serving do you plate the 2 whole fishes by cutting in half. To sever for four.
You open it up and then you can take out the bone easily along with the head! And it gives you two fillets 🙂
My parchment also caught fire and the fish was done and starting to blacken at 10 minutes, so watch your cook time carefully and maybe use foil but it tasted great.
Wow! Mine has never caught on fire! Sounds like you have an awesome oven 🙂
my parchment paper caught fire also Very dangerous
I did not see the temperature to the fish. ?
Wow. I have had it burn but never catch on fire. Next time maybe put it on your middle rack since your oven is powerful!
Delicious! I keep wanting to make this every week. Makes me feel like a fancy chef. I used fresh thyme instead of oregano.
Hahaha well isn’t that the goal!!!!! I’m glad you feel fancy!
If I had fish filleted, can I still prepare this way? Saw your recipe after fish was cut…
Sure!!!
Can this recipe be made with the fish head removed? I want to make some fish stock, so I will need the heads for that. Thank you!
Yes of course!
Can’t wait to try but what do you mean by clean the insides before roasting?
Rinse it out with water 🙂
I would LOVE to know the name of the restaurant you went to, as I live in Chicago as well! Attempting my first whole branzino today, except tackling it on the grill! Thanks 🙂
Hi Kelly!!!!
So it was the very original Boston Fish Market in Des Plaines. They have a new fancy one in Wheeling, but this was the original location!
This recipe was fantastic! I usually grill my branzino and use a few different italian herbs, but I love this simpler oregano, lemon, and garlic recipe much better. It really allows the delicate flavor of the fish shine. I did have an issue with the parchment paper as well and am glad I saw other comments about the paper catching fire because just as I read them, I jumped up to check my fish and just a couple minutes into the cook time, the paper was BLACK! I have a gas oven and am wondering if gas vs. electric makes a difference with the broilers’ intensity? Anyway, glad I caught it in time- ended up baking on 400° for several minutes and at the very end flipped the fish and broiled on 425° (Instead of 500°) for about 3 minutes to get the other side crispy.
Sorry for the delay this went to junk! I am go glad you guys enjoyed!
I love this recipe! I didn’t have white fish so made it with salmon, fresh oregano and lemon from the garden. It was served over steamed rice, which the sauce flavored nicely.
Look at you modifying it so brilliantly!! Good on you!!!!
So delicious! Think it would be just as good broiled, for those of us who live in places where we can’t grill year round.
Sadly I live in one of those places too 🙂
Both the preparation and presentation look fantastic! The sides are paired well and the portions look perfect. Great job! Looking forward to reading more of your posts.
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed it! It always is such a hit for the family!
Great from description to image. I am excited by your post. I will definitely try this dish. Thanks you.
So simple, yet so incredible! Served it with a greek salad, yummy!
I love that!!! So glad you enjoyed!
Made this on the grill using a disposable aluminum pan. It was excellent.
Ohhh that sounds fantastic!
I don’t like fish and I don’t usually leave reviews but this was amazing! Thank you. I can now really appreciate this fish!
Oh WOW ! I am so so happy that you loved it! What a fantastic post!
I don’t have broil setting. What temperature should it be on bake setting?
It depends on the strength of your oven, but typically I do 425 for 15-25 minutes. Again depending on the strength of your oven and the size of the fish.
This is perfect. I’ve made it twice, once with imported branzino and once with striped bass I caught and it’s totally yummy. Thank you!
Oh yes! It is such a staple!!!
Can I use skin on filets, I don’t have whole fish?
Absolutely! But it will cook faster if you just use filets!
I already made it and it was fabulous.
Oh yay!!! So glad you love it!!!!
Hi there, I just tried this recipe with four small branzino that came out to about 3 lb. I followed the instructions and put the broiler on high and put it on the top rack. However, my wife discovered that 14 minutes into the cook time the fish was completely blackened and my parchment paper was burnt :(. Should I have put it on the second rack?
Sadly some broilers are just SUPER powerful! That is not a bad thing! But now you know and yes I would definitely put it on the second rack.
Where is this little restaurant you speak of in Chicago? The one in the back of a fish market? I’m from Chicago and I would love to go!! Btw, have you been to andros taverna? 🙂 great for great greek fish!
I haven’t been! But the restaurant was the original Boston Fish Market in Park Ridge…