Beef Free Whole Roasted Branzino with Lemon and Herbs
Whole roasted branzino is one of those showstopper meals that looks far more impressive than the effort it actually takes. The fish gets stuffed with fragrant rosemary, thyme, parsley, garlic, and bright lemon slices before hitting a screaming-hot oven, so every bite is layered with herby, citrusy flavor. A touch of turmeric in the spice rub gives the skin a gorgeous golden hue and a subtle warmth that pairs beautifully with the delicate, flaky flesh. Scoring the skin before roasting is the small but crucial step that lets all those seasonings really sink in and helps the fish cook through evenly. Since the whole dish is built around fresh fish, olive oil, and pantry herbs, there's nothing here to second-guess — it's naturally free of any red meat and completely satisfying on its own. Serve it straight from the oven with a squeeze of lemon and maybe a simple salad, and dinner feels genuinely special without a lot of fuss.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 4 whole branzino (about 1 lb / 450g each), cleaned and scaled
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 2 lemons, 1 thinly sliced into rounds and 1 cut into wedges for serving
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 8 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 450°F (230°C). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and brush with 1 tbsp of the olive oil.
- 2
Pat the branzino thoroughly dry inside and out with paper towels. Using a sharp knife, cut 3 shallow diagonal slashes through the skin on each side of each fish, spacing them about 1 inch apart — this helps the fish cook evenly and allows the seasoning to penetrate.
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