Pescatarian Whole Roasted Branzino with Lemon and Herbs
Whole roasted branzino is one of those showstopper meals that looks like it came out of a coastal Mediterranean restaurant but comes together with surprisingly little effort. The fish gets stuffed with lemon rounds, rosemary, thyme, parsley, and sliced garlic before hitting a screaming-hot oven, so every bite is fragrant and deeply flavored from the inside out. A light rub of olive oil and turmeric gives the skin a gorgeous golden color and a subtle warmth that pairs beautifully with the bright citrus finish. Scoring the skin before roasting is the kind of small step that makes a real difference — it helps the seasoning penetrate and ensures the flesh cooks evenly all the way through. Since the whole dish is built around fresh fish, herbs, and pantry staples, there's nothing hidden to worry about and no complicated substitutions to navigate. Serve it straight from the platter with lemon wedges alongside and let the crispy skin and herb-scented steam do all the talking.
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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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