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My Easy Baked Grouper Recipe Has The Creamiest Red Pepper Sauce
Ingredients & Substitutions
How To Cook Grouper In The Oven
Maya’s Recipe Tips
Baked Grouper (With Red Pepper Sauce) Recipe card
What To Serve With Grouper
Recipe Reviews

My Easy Baked Grouper Recipe Has The Creamiest Red Pepper Sauce

After my 2nd year living in Florida and ordering grouper at every turn, it felt overdue to have a grouper recipe of my own! I already have plenty of basic fish recipes, though, so I wanted this one to feel like the kind of seafood dinner that fits right in at the local restaurants here — and still easy enough to make at home. Here’s why this baked grouper checks all the boxes:

Tender, flaky fish with mild flavor – Grouper is a white fish with a slightly sweet flavor, a lot like halibut, sea bass, red snapper, mahi mahi, and cod, if you like those. But it also has a firmer texture than many white fish, which holds up really well underneath a sauce. Which brings me to…
Rich roasted red pepper sauce, plus a little crunch – Unlike more basic fish dishes with oil and lemon, I topped this grouper recipe with a super easy blended red pepper sauce. The combination of roasted red peppers, garlic, cream, and Parmesan turned out so decadent, but also came together in minutes. Toasted pine nuts are the perfect finishing touch.
The sauce locks in moisture too – This came as a nice surprise! I noticed that baking grouper with this red pepper sauce on top made it extra moist and flaky compared to baking it plain.
Easy enough for a weeknight, special enough for guests – The fish needs just 10-15 minutes in the oven, the prep is fast, and everything goes in one baking dish. But that colorful sauce makes this baked grouper look a little more special than your everyday baked fish, so I’ve also served it for company.

Living in Florida has definitely made me appreciate grouper, and making it with a sauce that’s a little different has made me feel like I’m eating out, without the price tag. Make this grouper recipe with me to bring some seafood-restaurant vibes to your kitchen!

Flavorful baked grouper in a baking dish and garnished with pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and parsley.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for my grouper recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.

Grouper Fillets – I have a few tips below to help you buy them. If you can’t find grouper at all, the other types of white fish I mentioned in my introduction above will work in this recipe too!
- Fresh vs. frozen: I’ve been lucky enough to find fresh ones, since it’s so common in the Florida area, but frozen are totally fine if you thaw them first.
- Fillet size: This time I used 6-ounce fillets. I’ve also made this grouper recipe with slightly smaller 4 or 5 ounce ones, which worked fine. Thickness matters more than actual weight.
- Thickness: I always look for fillets of similar thickness for even baking. Thicker fillets, about 1 inch thick, are more forgiving and less prone to overcooking. Thin tail pieces can finish before thicker center-cut fillets, so I recommend keeping similar sizes together and checking the thinner pieces sooner.
- Skin: I used skinless fillets and prefer them here, because the skin stays soft underneath the fish rather than getting crispy. But if your fillets have skin on one side, just place that side down and spread the sauce over the flesh. You can also remove it if you prefer.
Roasted Red Peppers – These are the main flavor in my sauce, giving it a sweet, slightly smoky taste. I use roasted peppers from a jar most often, but you can also use my recipe for roasted red peppers if you want to make your own. I measured them packed into the measuring cup for my testing, so make sure you do the same to get the right amount. Also, drain off any liquid or oil before measuring, so the sauce doesn’t get too runny or oily.
Parmesan Cheese – Adds savory, cheesy flavor. The shelf-stable, finely grated kind from a can is fine for blending into the sauce, but for the optional topping, I recommend freshly grated Parm. It has a much nicer texture than the canned kind sprinkled on top.
Heavy Cream – Just a little to make the sauce creamy and smooth. I don’t recommend replacing it with milk, which would make the sauce much thinner.
Garlic – I prefer the flavor of fresh garlic cloves here, and they still turn out smooth since we’re blending the sauce. You can also swap in 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder.
Lemon Juice – A splash to balance the sweetness of the peppers and richness of the cheese.
Olive Oil – For brushing on the fish before seasoning. Avocado oil works too. You can even use melted butter, because the sauce on top of the grouper will protect it from burning.
Italian Seasoning, Sea Salt & Black Pepper – For the fish itself and the sauce. If you don’t have the herb blend, you can add individual dried herbs instead like dried basil or oregano. For a spicier option, add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce before blending.
Toasted Pine Nuts & Fresh Parsley – Optional, but I recommend these for topping this grouper recipe! Mine looked a little plain without them, plus they added a nice balance of crunch and freshness.

Labeled recipe ingredients: grouper fillets, roasted red peppers, Parmesan cheese, heavy cream, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, Italian seasoning, sea salt, black pepper, toasted pine nuts, and fresh parsley.

How To Cook Grouper In The Oven

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.

Blend the sauce. In a small blender or mini food processor, combine the roasted red peppers, garlic, heavy cream, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth. Don’t worry if it looks a little grainy from the cheese — it’ll smooth out later when it bakes.
Prepare the fish. Arrange the grouper fillets in a large baking dish with space between them. Pat dry with paper towels. Brush both sides with the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Add the red pepper sauce. Spoon the sauce over each fillet and spread it across the top. I leave just a little of the fish visible around the edges, so you can tell what it is when serving, but that’s totally up to you.
Bake the grouper. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Check the thickest part of the fillet for doneness (see my tips below for more on this).
Garnish and serve. Sprinkle the baked grouper with freshly grated Parmesan, toasted pine nuts, and parsley. I like to add lemon wedges on the side, too!

Baked grouper recipe topped with pine nuts, parmesan cheese, and parsley.

Maya’s Recipe Tips

Adjust the sauce consistency before spreading if needed. It should be fairly thick. If it looks thin, add a little more Parmesan. If it’s chunky, add a little more cream.
The grated Parmesan may make the blended sauce look a little rough. That’s expected! The cheese melts as it bakes, making the sauce smoother.
For moist, flaky results, I recommend cooking grouper to 135-140 degrees F. I insert my instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the fish, pull it at that temp, and then let it rest for 5 minutes (the temperature rises a bit more at this point). While you can just check that the fish flakes with a fork, that’s less reliable.
Don’t cover the baking dish. The fish bakes uncovered, so the sauce stays on top instead of collecting too much steam. You may still see some juices in the bottom of the dish, which is normal.
Double the sauce if you want some for your sides. If you’re serving this grouper recipe over potatoes or pasta, you can double the red pepper sauce and add a little extra cream. Pour the extra into the dish and spoon it over everything when you serve.

Grouper Recipe

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What To Serve With Grouper

The roasted red pepper sauce adds plenty of flavor, so I like to keep the sides simple. This grouper recipe goes well with:

Vegetables – My roasted green beans or roasted asparagus make a great match. Both are easy to cook while you’ve got the grouper in the oven.
Potatoes, Rice, or Pasta – These are especially good when you make a little extra sauce to spoon over the top. I also like cauliflower rice for a lighter base.
Fresh Salads – My cucumber tomato salad adds a cool, crisp contrast to the warm, creamy fish. Lately I also enjoyed this fish with my kale Caesar salad, with fresh Parm generously grated over both!