Coconut Fish and Tomato Bake Recipe (2024)

By Yewande Komolafe

Coconut Fish and Tomato Bake Recipe (1)

Total Time
20 minutes, plus 15 minutes’ marinating
Rating
5(6,819)
Notes
Read community notes

A coconut-milk dressing infused with garlic, ginger, turmeric and lime coats fish fillets in this sheet-pan dinner. Accompanying the fish are bright bursts of tomatoes which turn jammy under the broiler and relinquish some of their juices to the pan sauce. This sauce is silky enough to coat a spoon and packed with flavor. It pairs well with anything from snapper to flounder and even salmon, so choose the fillets that look best at the market. You’ll want to sop up the sauce with thick slices of grilled or toasted baguette, or spoon it over steamed rice.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • ¾cup unsweetened coconut milk
  • 1(1-inch) piece fresh ginger, scrubbed and finely grated
  • 1garlic clove, finely grated
  • ½teaspoon ground turmeric
  • ½teaspoon red-pepper flakes
  • 1tablespoon honey
  • Kosher salt
  • 2limes
  • ½cup chopped cilantro
  • 4(6-ounce) fish fillets, such as snapper, haddock, striped bass, fluke, sablefish or salmon, skin on or off
  • 2pints cherry or grape tomatoes
  • 3tablespoons olive oil

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

407 calories; 22 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 17 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 10 grams sugars; 38 grams protein; 1031 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Coconut Fish and Tomato Bake Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, ginger, garlic, turmeric, red-pepper flakes, honey and 1 teaspoon salt.

  2. Step

    2

    Zest and juice 1 lime directly into the coconut milk mixture. Stir in ¼ cup chopped cilantro. Add the fish fillets and turn to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes.

  3. Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position. Arrange another rack in the position closest to the broiler heat source. Heat oven to 425 degrees.

  4. Step

    4

    Place the tomatoes on a large sheet pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, season with salt and toss to coat. Place the marinated fish between the tomatoes and spoon all the marinade from the bowl over the fish. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil over the fish. Transfer the pan to the lower-middle rack and roast until the surface of the fish is opaque but the center is not cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes, depending on thickness of the fish. The fish should not flake easily with a fork. Remove the pan from the oven and heat the broiler to high.

  5. Step

    5

    Move the pan to the broiler and finish cooking, rotating the pan once, until the fish is tender and the tomatoes are just beginning to brown in spots, 5 to 6 minutes, depending on thickness of the fish. Slice the remaining lime into wedges.

  6. Step

    6

    Divide the tomatoes and fish among dishes and tip the pan juices over the fish. Garnish with the remaining ¼ cup cilantro and serve with lime wedges for squeezing.

Ratings

5

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6,819

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Cooking Notes

Quix36

Excellent. Only thing I would do differently next time is to cut the tomatoes in half. Roasting them whole, the little buggers exploded all over the inside of my oven.

Shari Gresh

My grandmother had been cooking this kind of fish with coconut milk/turmeric 40-50 years ago since I was born. This is also a very common way to cook fish in southern Thailand. If the fish is a fresh catch, or whole, you can simply use this coconut/turmeric mixture to marinate or brush on fish for grilling. Less sauce but flavor will be absorbed. Serve golden grilled fish with spicy sea food dipping sauce made of fresh chilly/garlic/lime juice/sugar/a little fish sauce, and you'll be in heaven.

Ben

For a leafy green side-dish without any extra clean up, add some spinach at the broiling phase. The leaves soak up all the wonderful marinade and tomato juices. Pairs well with crusty bread. Delicious!!!

adjustments

This was delicious as written! The only thing I’d do differently next time is to cook it in a smaller baking dish instead of a sheet pan. For me, the sauce burned a bit in the areas where it was spread thin. It was also difficult to spoon the sauce up from the sheet pan.

Lynn

Question re sheet pans and roasting tomatoes...is the author of the recipe using aluminum pans which is not recommended? I see this so often in recipes lately with the sheet pan craze. Stainless steel pans are very expensive. Just wondering if there is some trick that can be done to mitigate any damage roasting acidic things on aluminum pans might do?

Juliet Jones

I was happy to see this instruction: "1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, scrubbed and finely grated". In the past, I've watched my sister in England use ginger and she never peeled it, whereas most recipes in the US call for peeling the ginger. No more peeling for me from now on!

T

WOW!!! I have made several of the NYT'S fish preparations, and I have to say, this one is AMAZING! I used halibut, and let the cherry tomatoes get a head start with 10-12 mins in the oven before adding the fish. I did not cut them in half, and there wasn't any splatter. I also did not broil at the end, as my Le Crueset and casserole pans say not to broil or use high heat above 450. I don't like to use a sheet pan for things with sauce as it spreads, and hard to get all the luscious sauce after.

Mama Glik

This was outstanding and I used some of the milk mixture to make rice. I used the whole can of coconut milk and after I whisked in the ginger, garlic, turmeric etc., I put a cup of the milk mixture as half of the liquid for making basmati rice in a rice cooker. Other half water. Fabulous rice! I didn’t have cilantro by the way and the dish was still amazing.

Jenny

Thoughts I got from others: * Delicious. * Serve on fresh spinach, which will wilt (could also be roasted broccolini or other). * Too sweet; less honey. * Use all coconut milk; extra (milk w/ ginger, garlic, turmeric, etc.) is part of rice dish. * Give tomatoes 5-12 minutes’ head start. * Halve tomatoes to avoid bursting on oven walls 😬. * Roast cauliflower as a side. X

bonnie

Excellent. Made with thick cod fillet, took a little longer. Used parchment paper, so skipped broiling and raised oven temperature to 500 and moved pan to bottom shelf for last few minutes. Served with jasmine rice.

maggie

Agree with Sheila. This is delicious. Another great recipe from this author. Appreciate the clear directions on baking and broiling. We used halibut, and it was perfectly cooked.

Sarah Coates

As a hesitant fish-eater, this was delicious! I used arctic char and served with spinach and brown rice. I followed the advice of others and used a glass baking dish instead of a sheet pan. I threw in some spinach with the tomatoes before broiling, but I think it worked just as well and was simpler to put fresh spinach underneath the fish when serving and the spinach wilts under the hot fish

GaleC

I made this tonight using striped sea bass fillets and it was WONDERFUL! Served with brown rice and roasted broccoli. Heavy duty foil on sheet pan was easy clean-up. No need for that 3rd Tbsp oil on fish- plenty of moisture and fat from the coconut milk marinade. Watch closely when in the broiler, only needed about 4 minutes for beautiful browning and blistering of tomatoes. Thank you for another delicious fish recipe!

corinnell

Loved this! Very easy, used striped bass and it was delicious. Personally, it was a little on the sweet side, so I would not use a whole tablespoon of honey next time. Maybe just one or two teaspoons, max.

Susan

Regarding the aluminum sheet pan. I always put a silicone sheet on the pan (no burning mess on the pan either), which takes care of a multitude of issues. You could use parchment paper, too, but it might burn under the broiler.

LCH

This is a big win for our family and any guest that comes over. I’ve only made it with salmon but would like to venture into another fish. It is DELICIOUS!

my notes

Good for fish. Works well with trout, picks up marinade flavor well. serve over fresh spinach, rice optional.

ksm

Left skin on red snapper, don’t need 2 pints of tomatoes, followed recommendations to cook tomatoes before adding fish. Used remaining coconut milk with line zest and juice for cooking rice.

David DeByle

I made the fish without the tomatoes, and it is amazing how tasty the marinade is just by itself!! I used cod and probably the best fish dish I have had in my life! Made a mix of jasmine rice and quinoa with garlic bread. Sooo Good!

kbell

Easy, good - could add curry paste to switch it up. mild but good with sambal

DB

A total favorite of all of us in the family, even the fish skeptic. Wonderful sauce. Would go with rices, breads, roti, naan.... Loved it.

Sherry

I made it with Snapper fillets without changing a thing. This was absolutely delicious. Three of us happily ate five big snapper fillets with a side salad.I think the marinade will also make a wonderful soup base.

Sarah

Cooked fish for 8 minutes broiled for 4 minutes

matt

Made broth with 1 can coconut milk and doubled all broth ingredients. Roasted 1 spaghetti squash (cut into 1-inch rings, rubbed with EVOO on both sides) and 1 tub cherry tomatoes at 425 for 40 mins. Marinated 1.5 lbs cod in 1/2 broth for 20 mins. Grilled 3 minutes on side.Put spaghetti squash (sans peel) in skillet with tomatoes & 1 container spinach and added reserved broth; heated until spinach wilted & broth was warm. Served fish on top of “spaghetti” mixture.

Lee

BEST weeknight recipe - ever. Easy, delicious, healthy, and comforting. A rare combo.

gretchen

Made this with fresh haddock (live in Maine) and it was, hands down, one of the best recipes I’ve ever made. Served over jasmine rice. Followed recipe exactly, just kept a close eye during broiler phase, not sure it was a whole 5-6 mins. Delicious!

Erin

Excellent. If you’re wondering if light coconut milk works, it does! It’s all I had. Sauce is no doubt more luscious and thick with the full fat, but we still loved it. Directions and cook time were on point. I did make in a 9x13 and personally I think it was a touch too small. Will go for the sheet pan next time. I was also out of cilantro and subbed basil, which worked well if you’re in a pinch. Served with jasmine rice and sautéed kale.

Christy

So good and easy. Based on others' comments, I just put the sauce in a Pyrex baking dish, added the fish and tomatoes, and baked it all together (I don't bother with the final broil). I make the full amount of sauce but less fish, and its nice to have the sauce for rice. After making this a couple times I stopped marinating in advance and there's no difference. (I've read that marinating does very little). I think this would work great with tofu instead of fish. Aleppo pepper is great in this.

wow! love this

Made this with fresh Salmon. Perfection! It does set the smoke alarm off with the olive oil at that temp even on regular bake not convection but it’s worth it. Added fresh basil and it was really good with the burst tomatoes

Goldensparkles

I poke the tomatoes with a thin blade and have not had any explosion problems :)

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Coconut Fish and Tomato Bake Recipe (2024)
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