Our Favorite Simple Baked Flounder
This recipe offers a super simple, incredibly delicious, and healthy way to make dinner in barely 20 minutes. Featuring flaky, tender flounder with simple seasonings, it's easy enough for a weeknight but feels special enough for company, proving that cooking fish at home can be foolproof.
Equipment
- Baking dish Large enough to hold fillets in a single layer
- Small bowl Two needed
- Parchment paper Optional, for easy cleanup
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 4 5-oz Flounder fillets Fresh or thawed frozen, patted dry
- 1 tbsp Unsalted butter melted
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice Freshly squeezed is best
- 1 tsp Smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- 1 tsp Sea salt
- 0.5 tsp Black pepper Freshly ground is good
Instructions
- First things first, preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). While it heats up, grab a baking dish big enough to hold your flounder fillets in a single layer. For super easy cleanup, you can line it with parchment paper – trust me on this one!
- Next, take your beautiful flounder fillets and gently pat them really dry with paper towels. This helps them cook up nicely and not steam.
- Now, let's make our magic sauce! In a small bowl, whisk together the melted unsalted butter, olive oil, and fresh lemon juice.
- In a separate small bowl (or you can just sprinkle directly if you're careful), mix together the smoked paprika, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper. Give it a little stir.
- Place your patted-dry flounder fillets in the prepared baking dish.
- Brush or drizzle the butter and oil mixture evenly over the fish fillets.
- Now, sprinkle the spice mixture evenly over each fillet. Make sure they get a nice coating!
- Pop the dish into your preheated oven. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fillets. Flounder is thin, so it cooks fast! You'll know it's done when the fish is opaque throughout and flakes easily with a fork.
- Carefully remove from the oven and serve immediately. That's it! See? Told you it was easy!
Notes
Tips for Success:
- Pat the fish fillets very dry before cooking to ensure a flaky texture.
- Don't overcook the thin flounder fillets; they are done when opaque and flake easily with a fork.
- Lining the baking dish with parchment paper makes cleanup much easier.
- Serving Suggestion: Serve with rice, quinoa, a green veggie, or a side salad, with an extra squeeze of fresh lemon. Storage: Let leftovers cool completely, transfer to an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or flake cold over a salad.
- Pat the fish fillets very dry before cooking to ensure a flaky texture.
- Don't overcook the thin flounder fillets; they are done when opaque and flake easily with a fork.
- Lining the baking dish with parchment paper makes cleanup much easier.
- Serving Suggestion: Serve with rice, quinoa, a green veggie, or a side salad, with an extra squeeze of fresh lemon. Storage: Let leftovers cool completely, transfer to an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or flake cold over a salad.