This baked monkfish is easy-to-cook, nutritious, and sure to impress all of your dinner guests with how delicious it is. It truly does have a flavor that is reminiscent of lobster, which is why it is so popular. Pair it with my lemon butter sauce or drawn butter for a quick seafood dinner.
If you've never heard of monkfish before, it is a firm and sweet white fish that is strikingly similar to lobster. They have both a texture and flavor that are very comparable to one another.
However, monkfish is much cheaper! If you want to learn more about this delectable fish, check out my article that can answer the question: what is monkfish?
🥘 Ingredients
You may not be able to find monkfish at your local supermarket, so check out specialty grocery stores or a seafood market.
- Monkfish - 1 pound of monkfish.
- Olive Oil - ½ tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.
- Salt & Pepper - ½ teaspoon of both salt & pepper.
- Paprika - ½ teaspoon of paprika.
- Onion Powder - ¼ teaspoon of onion powder.
Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!
🔪 How To Bake Monkfish
This fish is extremely forgiving if you accidentally cook it a hair too long, so it's extra easy to make! To get started, make sure you have a baking sheet and some measuring spoons.
If you want more than 4 fillets of monkfish, you could always get more than one pound of fish!
- Preheat. Preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prepare the fish. Rinse the 1-pound monkfish, then pat your fillets dry using paper towels. Lightly coat the fish on all sides with ½ tablespoon of olive oil. Season with ½ teaspoon each of salt, pepper, and paprika, and ¼ teaspoon of onion powder.
- Bake. Bake in the middle of your oven's center rack at 400°F (205°C) for 12-15 minutes, depending on your monkfish fillet thickness (*see note).
- Serve. Once the fillets have cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 145°F (65°C) remove them from the oven and serve immediately.
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🥗🥘🍲 Best Served With
I love to pair my baked monkfish with some equally nutritious side dishes for a well-rounded, tasty, and healthy meal. Add my amazing lemon butter sauce or dip it into drawn butter for a delightful dinner.
Pair it with some honey-roasted acorn squash and cauliflower mac and cheese for a delicious combination. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- If your monkfish fillets vary significantly in size, make sure to check the smaller fillets for doneness while cooking so that they can be removed from the oven while the large ones finish cooking.
- To store: Place any leftovers into an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. I don't recommend freezing cooked monkfish.
- To reheat: When reheating fish, it's important to use a low temperature to keep it from drying out. Bake your monkfish in a preheated oven at 275°F (140°C) for roughly 15 minutes.
❓ Recipe FAQs
To put it simply, it tastes a lot like lobster. It is a firm, white meat that has a mild and slightly sweet flavor. Truly, it is delicious!
Monkfish is incredibly healthy. To start, it is low in both calories and fat while still being a great source of lean protein. Additionally, it contains many essential vitamins and minerals like selenium and phosphorous.
No! There was a rumor that monkfish are poisonous due to an incident in which puffer fish were being mislabeled as monkfish and sold to the public. If you aren't aware, pufferfish can be extremely toxic if it is not prepared correctly.
However, actual monkfish is not toxic at all!
🐟 More Tasty Fish Recipes
- Grilled Swordfish
- Grilled Mahi Mahi
- Baked Tuna Steaks
- Grilled Grouper
- Salmon With Dill Sauce
- Crab Stuffed Salmon
- Leftover Lobster Recipes
- Budget Friendly Dinners To Make
- Best Good Friday Meals: Easy Recipes For Your Day Of Fasting
- Hot Imitation Crab Dip
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📖 Recipe Card
Baked Monkfish With Lemon Butter Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 lb monkfish
- ½ tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C/Gas Mark 6) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Rinse the 1 lb monkfish, then pat your fillets dry using paper towels. Lightly coat the fish on all sides with ½ tablespoon olive oil. Season with ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon paprika, and ¼ teaspoon onion powder.
- Bake in the middle of your oven's center rack at 400°F (205°C/Gas Mark 6) for 12-15 minutes, depending on your monkfish fillet thickness.
- Once the fillets have cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 145°F (63°C) remove from the oven and serve immediately.
Notes
- If your monkfish fillets vary significantly in size, make sure to check the smaller fillets for doneness while cooking so that they can be removed from the oven while the large ones finish cooking.
- To store: Place any leftovers into an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. I don't recommend freezing cooked monkfish.
- To reheat: When reheating fish, it's important to use a low temperature to keep it from drying out. Bake your monkfish in a preheated oven at 275°F (140°C) for roughly 15 minutes.
Tom says
Very simple, very delicious. Can’t beat that.
Anonymous says
Next time I will cook it slightly shorter. Delicious, but too chewy as it cooked too long.
Richard Adams says
Dear Angela;
I am a HOME CHEF.......for my Wife Diane. She loves Lobster, but I'm not buying Lobster tails at $24.99 lb.
She doesn't like fish, SOOOOOOO I need her to keep an open mind.
I just cooked your receipt at 7:30 am on 11/16/23. Nobody is home.
IT'S GREAT!
I am taking some samples to work, for my co-workers.
I have a Wholesalers Contract with a local Fish Warehouse and the minimum amount I can by is 10lb at $5.99 per/lb!
I also salute a 6 oz piece in EVOO, butter and minced garlic with 10 shrimp! I nailed both dishes! I will do asparagus and white wine!
Thanks
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Sounds wonderful Richard, thanks for sharing!
Katherine says
Fan or conventional oven ?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Always conventional oven unless noted as convection (I do have both). Thanks for asking!