Description
This Tomato Braised Fish is an easy and quick dinner with simple ingredients and the best cozy tomato flavor. It is healthy enough for meal prep yet special enough for a weeknight dinner or holiday table. The tender fish simmers in a rich sauce with garlic and herbs so you get fresh ideas for serving it with rice and bread or vegetables.
Ingredients
- 4 fillets about 6 ounces each white fish fillets
- 1 can 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 medium thinly sliced yellow onion
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon divided kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon divided black pepper
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Pat the 4 fish fillets dry then season both sides with part of the salt and black pepper. The surface should look matte with tiny specks of seasoning clinging unevenly. Lay the fillets with natural spacing so they do not touch in a perfect pattern. This first step gives the fish a seasoned surface before it meets the sauce.
- Cook the sliced onion until it turns glossy and bends into loose strands. Add the garlic so it scatters through the onion instead of sitting in one pile. The mixture should look softer and more relaxed than the raw slices. Some onion edges can look slightly translucent while the garlic stays pale and unevenly mixed.
- Stir in the tomato paste then add crushed tomatoes and broth with paprika oregano red pepper flakes and the remaining salt and pepper. The sauce should shift from separate ingredients into a deep red mixture with darker tomato streaks. The onion strands should still be visible through the sauce. Nothing should look perfectly smooth because the best texture comes from small tomato pieces and uneven herb specks.
- Place the 4 seasoned fish fillets into the tomato sauce so each piece is partly surrounded but not fully buried. Spoon a little sauce around the edges while leaving the tops mostly visible. The sauce should move around the fish and form uneven red pools. This step changes the dish from sauce alone into the actual braise.
- Add the halved cherry tomatoes around the fish and simmer until the fish turns opaque and flakes at the edges. The sauce should thicken and cling to the fillets while some tomato halves soften and collapse. The fish should shift slightly as it cooks and the sauce bubbles around it in uneven patches. The finished skillet should look rustic with non uniform red tones and tender flaky fish.
- Transfer one fish fillet to a white plate and spoon the thick tomato sauce around it. Add a few softened cherry tomato halves and onion strands so the portion looks saucy but not buried. Finish with lemon juice and parsley. The plate should show a single homemade portion with flaky fish edges and uneven sauce texture.
Notes
Pro Tips:
- Choose firm white fish so the fillets stay intact while they simmer gently in the thick tomato sauce.
- Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer because hard boiling can break the fish into small uneven flakes too soon.
- Taste the sauce before adding the fish so the tomato base is balanced and the fillets need less handling later.
- Serve right after braising so the fish stays tender and the tomato sauce still looks glossy and fresh.
Storage: Store leftover Tomato Braised Fish in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Keep the fish covered with sauce so it stays moist while chilling. Reheat gently in a covered skillet over low heat until warm. Avoid hard simmering because cooked fish can break apart quickly. For meal prep make only the tomato sauce ahead and store it separately for up to 4 days. Add fresh fish when you are ready to cook for the best texture. Freezing is not ideal because the fish can turn watery after thawing. If needed freeze only the sauce and cook fresh fillets later.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Dishes
- Cuisine: Mediterranean Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 fish fillet with sauce
- Calories: 285
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 620mg
- Fat: 10g
- Carbohydrates: 16g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 34g
- Cholesterol: 78mg