Easy Baked Sea Bass with Olives and Cherry Tomatoes
Easy Baked Sea Bass with Olives and Cherry Tomatoes is a quick and delicious Mediterranean-inspired dinner. After making this many times, I’ve discovered the secret to perfectly crispy skin and tender, flaky fish. Jump to the recipe card or keep reading for my best tips. If you love recipes like this, you’ll also enjoy Creamy Garlic Mushroom Stuffed Shells for Easy Dinner and Easy Gnocchi Broccoli Bake with Creamy Cheese Sauce.
Why This Easy Baked Sea Bass with Olives and Cherry Tomatoes Is Pure Comfort
- Crispy skin with tender, flaky fish inside
- Burst of Mediterranean flavors from olives and tomatoes
- Ready in just 20 minutes, better than takeout
What You'll Need for Easy Baked Sea Bass with Olives and Cherry Tomatoes
Choosing the right ingredients makes a big difference, but this recipe is forgiving enough to work with what you have.
- Sea bass fillets
- Cherry tomatoes
- Green olives
- Garlic
- Red onion
- Fresh parsley
- Lemon
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Red pepper flakes (optional)
- Optional: Feta cheese (for serving)
- Optional: Lemon wedges (for serving)
📝 Ingredient Notes
- Sea bass fillets: You can also use cod, halibut, or snapper.
🛒 Tools & Equipment I Recommend
- Stainless Steel Baking Sheet — Even heat distribution for perfect crispy skin → See on Amazon
- Good Quality Olive Oil — Enhances the Mediterranean flavors → See on Amazon
How to Make Easy Baked Sea Bass with Olives and Cherry Tomatoes
- Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Prepare the fish: Pat the sea bass fillets dry with a paper towel. Season both sides with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using).
- Cook the vegetables: In a large oven-safe skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the cherry tomatoes, olives, garlic, and red onion. Cook until the tomatoes start to burst and the garlic is fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Bake the fish: Nestle the sea bass fillets into the skillet among the vegetables. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and the skin is crispy.
- Serve: Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with lemon wedges and crumbled feta cheese (if using).
Cook's Tips for Perfect Easy Baked Sea Bass with Olives and Cherry Tomatoes
- : To prevent the skin from sticking, make sure your skillet is very hot before adding the fish.
- Common mistake and fix: If the fish isn't crispy, it might be because it's not dry enough. Pat it dry with a paper towel before seasoning and cooking.
- : For a one-pan meal, you can cook some couscous or quinoa in the same skillet before adding the fish.
Storing & Reheating Easy Baked Sea Bass with Olives and Cherry Tomatoes
Short-Term Storage
Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Make-ahead tip: You can prepare the vegetables and season the fish ahead of time, but don't bake until ready to serve.
Freezing Easy Baked Sea Bass with Olives and Cherry Tomatoes
Freezing is not recommended for this dish.
How to Reheat Without Drying It Out
Oven: Reheat in the oven at 350°F (180°C) for 5-7 minutes. Microwave: Reheating in the microwave may cause the skin to lose its crispiness.
Recipe Notes
- Chef tip: For a spicy kick, add some red pepper flakes to the skillet.
- Best substitution: If you can't find sea bass, cod or halibut make great substitutes.
- Make-ahead: See storage notes above.
- Scaling: This recipe is easily scalable. Just adjust the number of fillets and vegetables accordingly.
- Troubleshooting: If the skin isn't crispy, it might be because the pan wasn't hot enough or the fish wasn't dry enough. See pro tips above.
Want to level up this recipe?
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Easy Baked Sea Bass with Olives and Cherry Tomatoes
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- Sea bass fillets
- Cherry tomatoes
- Green olives
- Garlic
- Red onion
- Fresh parsley
- Lemon
Seasonings
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Red pepper flakes (optional)
Optional Toppings
- Feta cheese (for serving)
- Lemon wedges (for serving)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Prepare the fish: Pat the sea bass fillets dry with a paper towel. Season both sides with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using).
- Cook the vegetables: In a large oven-safe skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the cherry tomatoes, olives, garlic, and red onion. Cook until the tomatoes start to burst and the garlic is fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Bake the fish: Nestle the sea bass fillets into the skillet among the vegetables. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and the skin is crispy.
- Serve: Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with lemon wedges and crumbled feta cheese (if using).
Notes
- Chef tip: For a spicy kick, add some red pepper flakes to the skillet.
- Best substitution: If you can't find sea bass, cod or halibut make great substitutes.
- Make-ahead: See storage notes above.
- Scaling: This recipe is easily scalable. Just adjust the number of fillets and vegetables accordingly.
- Troubleshooting: If the skin isn't crispy, it might be because the pan wasn't hot enough or the fish wasn't dry enough. See pro tips above.
Storage
- Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Freezing is not recommended for this dish.
- Oven reheat: Reheat in the oven at 350°F (180°C) for 5-7 minutes.
- Microwave reheat: Reheating in the microwave may cause the skin to lose its crispiness.
- Make ahead: You can prepare the vegetables and season the fish ahead of time, but don't bake until ready to serve.
Nutrition Per Serving
- Calories: 270
- Protein: 30g
- Fat: 12g
- Carbs: 10g
- Fiber: 2g
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Cholesterol: 70mg
- Sat. Fat: 2g
Nutritional values are estimates only. Actual values may vary by brand and portion size.
Easy Baked Sea Bass with Olives and Cherry Tomatoes FAQs
While you can prepare the vegetables and season the fish ahead of time, it's best to bake the fish just before serving to keep the skin crispy.
The fish might not be dry enough or the pan might not be hot enough. See pro tips above.
Yes, you can use cod, halibut, or snapper as substitutes for sea bass.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. See storage notes above for reheating instructions.
Yes, this recipe is naturally gluten-free.
A Warm Final Note
I can’t wait for you to try Easy Baked Sea Bass with Olives and Cherry Tomatoes and see how effortlessly it comes together. When you make it, pop back here and leave a rating or share how it turned out — I love hearing from you!
