Whole Roasted Fish with Crispy Skin (Printable)

Stunning whole fish roasted to perfection with crispy skin, aromatic herbs, and bright citrus flavors.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Fish

01 - 1 whole fish (sea bass, snapper, or branzino), approximately 2.6 pounds, cleaned and scaled with head and tail intact
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 ½ teaspoons coarse sea salt
04 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Aromatics & Stuffing

05 - 1 lemon, sliced into rounds
06 - 4 sprigs fresh thyme
07 - 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
08 - 2 cloves garlic, sliced

→ Garnish

09 - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
10 - 1 lemon, cut into wedges

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
02 - Pat the fish completely dry inside and out using paper towels. Make diagonal cuts through the skin 3–4 times on each side to help crisp the skin.
03 - Rub the entire fish with olive oil, including the cavity. Season generously with sea salt and black pepper on all surfaces.
04 - Fill the cavity with lemon slices, thyme sprigs, rosemary sprigs, and sliced garlic.
05 - Place the fish on the prepared baking sheet. Arrange so the skin remains exposed and not submerged in oil or juices to maximize crispiness.
06 - Roast in the center of the oven for 20–25 minutes until the skin is golden and crispy and the flesh flakes easily when tested with a fork.
07 - Let the fish rest for 2–3 minutes before transferring to a serving platter. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The crispy skin becomes almost addictive, like the best potato chip you have ever tasted
  • Whole fish stays incredibly moist because the bones protect the delicate flesh during high heat cooking
  • This recipe looks impressive but requires surprisingly little hands on time
02 -
  • Drying the fish thoroughly with paper towels is the secret to shatteringly crispy skin, any moisture left on the surface will create steam instead of crisp
  • Do not be afraid of high heat, a blazing hot oven creates the contrast of crispy skin and tender flesh
  • The fish is done when the internal temperature reaches 63°C (145°F) or when you can easily insert a fork into the thickest part and the flesh flakes
03 -
  • Let the fish come to room temperature for 20 minutes before roasting so it cooks evenly
  • If the skin starts to brown too quickly, loosely tent with foil for the last few minutes
  • The fish will continue cooking slightly as it rests, so pull it from the oven when just barely done

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