My easy and light baked flounder is a fantastic combination of tender flounder fillets and a crispy Panko and Parmesan breadcrumb topping! It's a delicious dinner that you can have in the oven, baked to perfection, and served in 20 minutes!
Baked flounder is a crispy, light, and incredibly flavorful dinner!
Crispy baked flounder is a perfect light weeknight dinner! It’s simply seasoned and topped with an amazing Panko breadcrumb and Parmesan cheese mixture that creates a flavorful and crunchy topping.
This seafood entree is perfectly light but filling too! Pair it with some light side dishes or a salad and you’ve got a perfect meal!
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Flounder is such a delicious, healthy fish! The flounder fillets are baked, instead of pan-fried, which makes it so much better for you while still being super flavorful!
It’s also readily available frozen in most places, which makes it so easy to have an amazing fish dinner in no time!
❤️ Why You'll Love This Recipe!
It’s Quick! My baked flounder only takes 20 minutes from start to finish! That’s perfect for weeknights!
It’s a Favorite! Who doesn’t love flaky fish covered in a crunchy, tasty topping? This is a meal anyone will love!
It’s so Light! Even with the crunchy Panko topping, my baked flounder is so light and fresh—it’s something you’ll feel great eating!
🥘 Ingredients
My baked flounder fillets are so easy and delicious to make! You can easily find frozen flounder fillets—but if you have access to fresh caught, feel free to use!
- Flounder Fillets – Flounder is tender, flaky, and buttery! You should thaw these in your refrigerator or under cold running water if you’re using frozen.
- Panko Breadcrumbs – Panko breadcrumbs are super crispy Japanese breadcrumbs made from the inside of the bread. They’re very light, and perfect for this dish!
- Parmesan Cheese – I like a good, aged Parmesan that I grate myself for this recipe—but you can use whatever you prefer!
- Olive Oil – Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is the perfect healthy oil to get the breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese crisp.
- Salt & Pepper – This is optional but recommended for a little extra seasoning on the fish! You can add according to taste.
- Lemon Wedges –An optional garnish! This just adds a bright finish to the flounder fillets and lemon always complements seafood.
🧂 Substitutions
If you don’t have extra virgin olive oil, you can use any healthy oil you have on hand. You can also use melted butter for extra richness.
📖 Variations
If you’d like, you can add a little minced garlic or chopped fresh herbs to the breadcrumb mixture for some added flavor!
Not a fan of flounder? My delicious crispy topping would work just as well on cod, haddock, or halibut!
🔪 Step-by-Step Instructions
Step-by-Step Instructions
My baked flounder recipe is so easy to make! It takes just about 20 minutes from start to finish for a delicious fish dinner!
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- Prep. Start by preheating your oven to 425°F (218°C) and then covering a baking sheet with parchment paper. If you do not have parchment paper, you can use aluminum foil, lightly brush on some olive oil or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Then, place 2 pounds of flounder fillets on the prepared baking sheet (that have been pat dry with paper towels).
- Make the breadcrumb topping. In a small mixing bowl, combine ½ cup of Panko breadcrumbs, ½ cup of grated Parmesan cheese, and ½ tablespoon of olive oil. Mix until well combined and the olive oil is evenly distributed.
- Bake flounder fillets. Sprinkle the Panko mixture generously over the flounder fillets. Then place the baking sheet in the middle of your oven’s center rack and bake at 425°F (218°C) for 15 minutes or until the flounder reaches an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C).
- Serve! Remove the flounder fillets from the oven when done and serve with lemon wedges.
My easy, amazing baked flounder makes for such an incredible lunch or dinner! It’s the perfect filling but light meal, so serve it with something equally light—such as my sautéed broccolini! Enjoy!
💭 Tips & Recipe Notes
You can cook the flounder to your desired level of doneness, but the safe internal temperature according to the USDA is 145°F (63°C).
- White-fleshed fish should typically be cooked until it is opaque and flaky! This is especially important if you are using freshly caught fish.
Fish can quickly become dry, make sure not to overcook it!
- You want to make sure you don’t cook the flounder past the safe internal temperature listed above – otherwise it may dry out and have an unpleasant texture!
If you’re using frozen fish, make sure is defrosted properly!
- You’ll want to either defrost the flounder fillets in your fridge overnight or in a bowl under cold running water for about 10 minutes (depending on thickness).
- Once you’ve defrosted the fish, pat them dry with paper towels to make sure the Panko mixture adheres well and doesn’t get soggy.
You want to make sure the breadcrumbs are fully moistened by the olive oil!
- This way, the Panko mixture will be perfectly crispy! It should look slightly wet (but not drenched or obviously wet) when the olive oil has been thoroughly mixed in!
- I like to add lemon zest for the best breadcrumb topping ever!
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Since these flounder fillets have a crispy breadcrumb topping, they will not freeze well—but they will keep for a day in your fridge if you have any leftovers! Be sure to place in an airtight container and try not to crowd the container if you have more than one fillet.
Reheating Baked Flounder
Do you have an air fryer? If so, reheating this crispy baked flounder in an air fryer is the best way to make it crispy again!
Start by preheating your air fryer to 350°F (175°C). Then place the leftover flounder in the basket and air fry for about 6 minutes or until the flounder is crispy again on top and fully warmed through.
You can also this in the oven, but it will take longer and might dry out the fish a bit. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and put the leftover flounder on a prepared baking sheet. Then, bake for about 15 minutes or until the flounder is fully heated through.
🐟 Other Great Fish & Seafood
Check out all my seafood recipes. Here are just a few favorites that you're sure to love!
❓ FAQ
Flounder should be tender and flaky—never mushy! If your flounder is mushy, it could either be the flounder you’re purchasing, or it may be somewhat over or under-cooked! I recommend buying good quality flounder fillets and using a thermometer to make sure the internal temperature is where it should be.
While the Panko breadcrumbs should stick to the flounder well (especially if you’ve patted the fish dry). If you find the breadcrumbs do not stick as they should—try brushing on a thin coating of mayo before applying the Panko mixture to the fish. The mayo will help keep the fish moist and make sure the breadcrumbs stick well!
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📋 Recipe
Baked Flounder
Ingredients
- 2 lbs founder fillets (thawed if from frozen)
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
- 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin)
- each, salt & pepper (optional, to taste)
- lemon wedges (optional - zest half your lemon if desired)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C) and pat the flounder fillets with paper towels to thoroughly dry all surfaces.
- Place flounder fillets on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and season with salt and pepper.2 lbs founder fillets
- In a small mixing bowl combine the Panko, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil until the breadcrumbs are slightly moistened. Sprinkle the Panko mixture over the fillets.½ cup Panko breadcrumbs, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil, each, salt & pepper
- Bake at 425°F (218°C) for 15 minutes or until the flounder reaches desired doneness.
- Remove from oven and serve immediately with lemon wedges.lemon wedges
Notes
- Zest half the lemon if desired, it adds a wonderful tangy flavor to the breadcrumb topping!
Nutrition
Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma's kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!
Jana says
I tried this recipe as my husband likes fish. (I do not.) He really liked it and amazingly, so did I. First time ever that I have eaten a whole piece of fish. This says a lot. Hubby said this is a keeper recipe. I agree!