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My Buttery Baked Flounder Recipe Melts In Your Mouth
I enjoy most kinds of white fish, but this flounder recipe was a happy accident when I couldn’t find halibut one day. I knew that they’re in the same family, so I gave this one a chance — and was so happy with the decision. Here’s why:
- Delicate and flaky, with a mild flavor – My baked flounder recipe is light, buttery, and a little sweet. The small, delicate flakes practically melt in your mouth! And the flavor is milder than other whitefish (like baked halibut, cod, snapper, or haddock) — perfect if you don’t like a strong fishy taste.
- 6 simple ingredients – Plus salt & pepper. I like to let the natural flavor of the fish shine, and don’t want too many strong flavors overpowering the mild taste.
- Quick and easy – This is one of the easiest flounder recipes I’ve ever seen. Not only is it a solid choice for weeknight meals, I actually prefer this cooking method because this delicate texture can fall apart when flipping.
If you love a delicate, flaky fish like I do and want an affordable option, this one’s for you. Make it with me!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my baked flounder recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Flounder Fish – You can use fresh flounder fillets if you can get them (I’m jealous!). I usually have to buy frozen ones, but the upside is they cost less. Thaw them in cold water, or in the fridge overnight, before cooking.
- Olive Oil – I used regular olive oil, but extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil work, too. I always have all 3 on hand, and use them pretty interchangeably.
- Butter – While many of my fish recipes use only olive oil, I opted for a combination of olive oil and melted butter for this flounder recipe. Since it’s a leaner, milder fish than most, I find it benefits from a little buttery flavor! My butter was unsalted, but you could use salted and just reduce the amount of added salt a bit. If you need to avoid dairy, feel free to just use 2 tablespoons of olive oil instead of 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil.
- Lemon Juice – For a light and bright touch. Lime juice also works, but I prefer lemon here.
- Spices – Smoked paprika (or regular is fine), garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper. If you like, you can add dried or fresh herbs, like thyme or oregano, but I find that too many spices easily overpower flounder.
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How To Cook Flounder
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Brush. Pat the fish fillets dry with paper towels and place them on a rimmed sheet pan or in a baking dish, without overlapping. In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, olive oil, and lemon juice. Brush the butter mixture onto both sides of the flounder.
- Season. In a separate small bowl, stir together the paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Season both sides liberally with the seasoning mixture.
- Bake. Cook the flounder recipe in the oven until it flakes easily with a fork. You can serve it as-is, but I like to garnish with lemon wedges and a sprinkle of fresh parsley.
My Recipe Tips
- Don’t crowd the pan. Make sure to leave space between the fillets, so that they cook evenly. Crowding will increase the baking time, but even worse, leads to uneven cooking.
- Pre-mixing the seasonings saves time. I mix the seasonings together and sprinkle them onto the fillets all at once for this flounder recipe. This method is more convenient, because you don’t have to split each individual spice amount in two (for each side of the fish). But, it’s an extra dish to wash, so oftentimes I just sprinkle on the seasonings directly. Once you get the hang of the amounts, you can even eyeball them.
- Use a meat thermometer for moist, flaky results. Baking time can vary depending on the thickness of the fish. I always check the thickest part with a meat thermometer, usually after 10 minutes. The ideal internal temperature is 135-140 degrees F. You can cook it to 145 degrees F, but in my experience it starts to get dry by then. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can test for doneness by flaking with fork — just don’t wait until it looks dry.
- Remove the fish from the pan gently. Since flounder is so delicate, it can fall apart easily. I recommend using a fish spatula like this to transfer it to plates for serving.
- Add a sauce if you want to get fancy. I don’t think it absolutely needs it, but I still can’t stop thinking about the time I drizzled lemon butter sauce over this baked flounder recipe. So amazing!
Baked Flounder Recipe (Easy, Flaky, Fast!)
By
My baked flounder recipe makes flaky, buttery fish in 20 minutes! You only need a few simple ingredients: olive oil, butter, lemon, & spices.
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C). Pat the fish fillets dry with paper towels and place on a rimmed baking sheet.
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In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, olive oil, and lemon juice. Brush the butter mixture onto both sides of each fish fillet.
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In a separate small bowl, stir together the paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Season both sides liberally with the seasoning mixture.
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Bake flounder in the oven for 12-15 minutes, until the fish flakes easily with a fork or reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees F (60 degrees C). (You can cook to 145 degrees F if you like, but it’s more moist and tender at 140 degrees F.) Time can vary depending on the thickness of the fish, so check at 10 minutes.
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 flounder fillet
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get evenly cooked, flaky flounder every time, remove it from the pan without tearing, and a seasoning shortcut.
- Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can warm them up again, or use them as your protein on fish tacos or my taco bowl.
- Reheat: When reheating, I like to bake flounder at 325 degrees F until warm, as the lower temperature is less drying. The microwave at low power works okay, but dries it out more easily.
- Freeze: You can keep cooked flounder in the freezer for up to 3 months, or raw for up to 12 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Baked Flounder Recipe
Serving Ideas
Since the flavor is so mild and neutral, my baked flounder recipe goes with just about any side dish! Here are some easy ideas I make often:
- Vegetables – You can roast veggies that cook at the same temperature together with this flounder recipe, and just swap the positions of the pans as needed. My oven roasted asparagus takes almost the same amount of time, so that’s my favorite option. You could also roast broccoli or roast cauliflower, which take a little longer than the fish (so just get them started first), or air fry cauliflower for a faster side. If you want to make your side in parallel with the fish, my mixed sauteed vegetable recipe can use whatever you’ve got!
- Starches – For a more filling meal, serve the fish over a base of rice or a baked sweet potato. I make cauliflower rice or cauliflower mash more often, which satisfy the craving for me.
- Salads – Baked flounder pairs well with just about any salad for a light meal. I recently loved it over my Cobb salad (instead of chicken) after I tried a similar combo at a restaurant. It’s also yummy alongside light, fresh spring and summer salads, like my Mediterranean salad, strawberry spinach salad, or burrata salad.
More Baked Fish Recipes
Baking fish makes the perfect weeknight meal. Here are more of my easy ways to serve it:
85 Comments
Anna K
0This is amazeeeee!!! My sister generally doesn’t like fish much, but I made this, and she LOVES it!!! Thank you so much for this easy and delicious recipe! <3
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Anna! I’m so glad even your sister who doesn’t like fish loved this recipe. Hope you make it again soon!
Debbie Dudley
0This is the most awesome flounder recipe I have ever used. The filets were medium in size and only had to cook them 10 minutes. They were at 143 degrees, moist and the seasoning was awesome. I give this a 5 star rating and would advise anyone to try it if you like spicy taste.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Awww, I’m honored to hear it’s your favorite, Debbie! Enjoy!
Tammy
0My husband and his father loved this recipe. It was very easy to make. Just have to be sure all sides are finished and serve straight from the oven. It is best hot and cools very quick.
Julie Ervin
0Excellent!
Lynda Kolbenheyer
0This was so easy, light and delicious. I’d prefer a firmer fish like yellow snapper or even mahi. I’d make this again for sure.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
1I’m glad you liked it, Lynda! You can make this recipe with other fish next time if you like, too.
Shauna
0This recipe salt level is perfect if use unsalted butter and then use salt sparingly on one side of fish. Make sure not to use garlic salt if choose to use a garlic powder. This recipe is very good if done with a little thought and follow the recipe.
Jeremiah White
0What if you don’t have unsalted butter? Will the dish not be as good?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jeremiah, I use unsalted butter in most of my recipes to better control the salt, plus sea salt separately is usually better quality than the salt they put in salted butter. You can totally use salted butter, though. You could use a tiny bit less sea salt in the recipe, but honestly since it’s only a tablespoon of butter, it won’t be a huge difference either way.
Julia
0This dish was easy and delicious. The fish was moist and very flavorful. I had whiting, it was great, I think the flavors will work on any fish. It will definitely make the dinner rotation. Thank you!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Julia! Yes, this recipe would work great with most types of fish. Enjoy!
Shelly
0Turned out pretty yummy! I normally bake tilapia with sweeter flavors but wanted a change of taste. This had me at smoked paprika LOL The flavors were phenomenal. I did use less lemon juice than called for because i didn’t have enough on hand, but it turned out to be the perfect amount for my taste. Thanks Maya!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
1Thank you, Shelly! This recipe is for flounder, but I’m glad you liked it with tilapia. Agree, smoked paprika is the best!