Crispy Baked Fish With Tartar Sauce

By Ali Slagle

Published March 18, 2023

  • David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
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Total Time
25 minutes
Rating
4(2,171)
Comments
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Charming fish shacks and salty sea air aren’t a weeknight possibility for most of us, but thankfully, this recipe is. It features a clever technique from recipe developer Molly Kreuger: Creamy tartar sauce is spread on the fish to add flavor, keep the fillets moist during cooking and help the bread crumbs adhere to the fish. (Feel free to use your favorite tartar sauce in place of the one below.) The fish is baked until nearly cooked through, then broiled to toast the breadcrumb topping. The end result is crispy, creamy, tangy and moist, all of which is achieved without having to deal with a big pot of oil. Eat with more tartar sauce and a squeeze of lemon.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 1 cup mayonnaise

  • 5 tablespoons capers, drained and coarsely chopped

  • ¼ cup finely chopped pickles (such as cornichons or half sour)

  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped tarragon, dill or parsley

  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire or soy sauce

  • 1 small garlic clove

  • 1 large lemon

  • Salt and black pepper

  • ½ cup panko bread crumbs

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing

  • 4 (6-ounce) thick white fish fillets, such as halibut or cod (skin on or off)

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

10 grams carbs; 222 milligrams cholesterol; 877 calories; 18 grams monosaturated fat; 29 grams polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 57 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 1236 milligrams sodium; 78 grams protein; 1 gram sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 400 degrees and set a rack in the upper part. In a medium bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, capers, pickles, herbs and Worcestershire sauce. Using a Microplane, finely grate the garlic into the bowl, then grate in the zest of the lemon. (Hold on to the lemon; you’ll use the juice later.) Stir to combine and season the tartar sauce to taste with salt and lots of pepper.

  2. Step 2

    In a small bowl, stir together the panko and olive oil; season with salt and pepper.

  3. Step 3

    Pat the fish dry on all sides and season lightly all over with salt and pepper. Transfer to a lightly greased or foil-lined sheet pan. Coat the top with a thin layer of the tartar sauce (a scant tablespoon per fillet). Sprinkle the panko evenly on top (about 2 tablespoons per fillet), pressing gently to adhere.

  4. Step 4

    Bake the fish on the top rack until almost cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes for fillets ½- to ¾-inch thick (though you should check earlier, if using a thinner fish). An instant-read thermometer should read 125 to 130 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the fish.

  5. Step 5

    Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon juice from the lemon to the tartar sauce and cut the remaining lemon into 4 wedges for serving.

  6. Step 6

    When the fish is nearly cooked through, switch the oven to broil. Broil the fish on the top rack until the bread crumbs are golden and the fish flakes easily and registers 140 degrees in the thickest part, 2 to 3 minutes. Eat with a spoonful of tartar sauce, more black pepper and a squeeze of lemon. (Any extra tartar sauce will keep for up to a week in the fridge.)

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Ratings

4 out of 5
2,171 user ratings
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Comments

Mel Harte

I do something similar, but more basic: toss the 1/4-1/3 inch thick skinned fish chunks in a little lemon juice, then mayo, spread in a broiler pan, sprinkle w Italian herbs then bread crumbs/panko/crushed roasted almonds, and broil in the countertop around 400 for 5-6 minutes. The more mayo the more moist the results. My 'tartar': 1/2 C each lowfat yogurt and mayo, a T of dried dill, optionally add granulated garlic.

Kara

Toast the panko first on the sheet pan. Extra 5 to 10 minutes but makes all the difference in getting a nice crispy crust. No need to broil at the end.

Audrey

I have been making this (my own idea) for a while....I use rock fish and a great tartar sauce from the jar; I mix finely grated parmesan into the panko along with salt, pepper, dried thyme and some garlic powder. I mix olive oil into the panko mixture to hold the crumbs together and bake at 350 until almost done and then up the temp to 400 to get the topping golden. Yum! I make extra as it makes great leftovers.

Lulu

Misleading recipe title. This is clearly tartar sauce with baked fish. I loathe tartar sauce but I’ve got a nice hunk of lingcod fresh from the fisherman’s pole and I want to keep the prep simple—roasted, with crispy bread crumbs and some fresh herbs. This will not do!

Mainer

This was really good! I used two beautiful cod loins and I pretty much followed the instructions as written, with the exception of toasting the panko with the olive oil ahead of time so the panko stayed crunchy. Next time, I might put the fish on a rack in the baking pan; they exuded a fair amount of liquid. The tartar sauce was excellent, even with the bread and butter pickles my husband mistakenly bought.

Josie

I just used mayo and lemon juice and italian seasoning, with panko and about half a cup or more of grated Parmesan. It was delicious and moist with fairly thick halibut, but needed more time to get really golden and crispy. Maybe pan fry the panko? Or try the full tartar sauce recipe?

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