25 baked whole fish recipes

Whole trout or salmon baked on a bed of sliced vegetables with bacon draped on top. Just four ingredients and 30 minutes for a no-fuss fish dinner with built-in sides.

A whole fish sealed in a salt-and-egg-white crust with fresh thyme, then baked until the flesh is impossibly moist and seasoned to the bone. Crack, reveal, devour.

Individual meatloaf portions baked in muffin tins with Italian sausage, applesauce for moisture, and whole wheat breadcrumbs for fiber-rich kid-friendly dinners.

Baked whole tilapia roasted over ginger, scallion, and whole star anise, allspice, and peppercorns. The aromatic bed steams the fish as it bakes, then strains into a wine-butter pan sauce.

Greek fish baked in grape leaves with lemon-thyme-fennel marinade and anchovy butter. Whole small fish wrapped and oven-baked for moist, herbed, Mediterranean-style flesh and dramatic presentation.

Whole red snapper baked in foil with rosemary, raisins, pine nuts, and a sweet red wine vinegar glaze. A Sicilian-inspired fish dinner with an agrodolce twist.

Mud-baked fish encases a fresh-caught whole fish in river clay and cooks it directly on hot coals for three hours. Traditional Australian bushcraft cooking method.

Whole rainbow trout stuffed with butter-toasted bread, mushrooms, marjoram, and lemon juice. A classic baked fish dinner with a golden, herbed filling.

Whole roasted trout brushed with Worcestershire and lemon, topped with bacon strips and baked until the bacon crisps and the fish flakes. Classic camp-fire-style preparation.

Sole fillets baked in Sauterne wine with whole mushrooms, then glazed with a reduced wine and egg yolk cream sauce. A classic French fish dish with elegant simplicity.

Whole cold glazed salmon baked in wine with fresh herbs, chilled overnight and finished with fish aspic and turnip flower decorations. A stunning centerpiece for buffets and celebrations.

A New Orleans masterchef classic: whole redfish wrapped in puff pastry, layered with salmon and spinach mousses, sculpted into fish-shape, baked golden, and served with beurre blanc.

Tender, flaky baked cod draped in melted butter and bright lemon juice. Just 5 ingredients and 30 minutes for an easy weeknight fish dinner the whole family will love.

Whole rainbow trout baked with fennel fronds, lemon slices, and white wine, then drizzled with a nutty brown butter sauce. A French-inspired fish dinner ready in 30 minutes.

Whole baked trout in white wine with marjoram, parsley, thyme, and butter. A simple oven-poached fish with delicate herbs in the cavity and a wine-butter pan sauce.

Whole baked snapper roasted with white wine, olives, jalapenos, tomato sauce, and fresh fennel. A Mediterranean-meets-Latin one-pan main that lets a beautiful fish be the star.