After a long day of working, there’s nothing better than a quick and easy dinner, and this recipe is just that! This oven Baked Barramundi is a healthy meal with few ingredients and can be on the dinner table in a flash! The fish is super tender and juicy from being baked in a parcel, a technique known as “en papillote“. Whereas the simple Thai sauce adds sweet, sour, savoury elements, and is filled with flavourful, roasted herbs and spices such as ginger, garlic, and coriander.
Just pour the sauce over the fish, wrap it in baking paper (parchment paper), and whip up some rice and veggies while it is baking in the oven. I made this for my mum, and she absolutely loved it!
Why this is the BEST Baked Barramundi
- Uses less than 10 ingredients to make super TASTY flavours!
- It is quick, easy to make, and can be ready in just 30 minutes!
- Requires only one tray – but it’s wrapped in baking paper, so minimal clean up!
- Uses everyday ingredients you’ll easily find at the supermarket.
- Is budget-friendly – as it cost me roughly AUD$9.8 (USD$6.66), but it can be cheaper!
- Overall, it is quite a light and healthy meal.
What is barramundi?
Barramundi, also known as Asian seabass, belongs to the sea perch family of fish. It is a firm fish with white and pink flesh. It is very popular in Australia and one of the more economical choices for white fish.
Taste wise, barramundi is quite mild and has a soft, meaty texture when cooked. However, it takes on flavour from sauces and marinades very well. Barramundi tastes amazing when baked in the oven with simple ingredients, making it the perfect fish for this dish!
Benefits of barramundi
Barramundi is a great, healthy fish to include in your diet because:
- Is a great lean source of protein, which are made of building blocks called amino acids. These amino acids are used to build and repair our body tissues and bones and make various hormones and enzymes.
- Is naturally low in fat.
- Contains omega-3 fatty acids, which make the structural membranes of our body cells and are important for eye health, brain function and hormone production.
- It has a decent amount of vitamin B3 (niacin), which is part of many chemical reactions that help our bodies convert food into usable energy (our fuel).
- It also contains vitamin D, which increases calcium absorption from our guts and is important for maintaining strong bones, muscle and nerve function and supporting our immune systems to fight off infections.
Recipe suitability
On its own, this Baked Barramundi recipe does not have a lot of dietary fibre. Pair it with brown rice and vegetables to increase the fibre in the dish. However, it is high in protein, with 24g per serve. This recipe is low in fat (including saturated fat) and cholesterol (when paired with sides) but not low in sodium. It also uses low GI ingredients and is low in carbohydrates, making it a diabetes friendly recipe. This Baked Barramundi recipe is also gluten-free.
Ingredients for Baked Barramundi
- Garlic – Because everything is better with garlic. Current research suggests that garlic has both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and may help reduce cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and other risk factors for heart disease.
- Ginger – Fresh is better for this recipe. Ginger contains a chemical called ‘gingerol’, which has strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It is also well documented that ginger can be effective in relieving nausea and vomiting.
- Fresh coriander/cilantro – A classic herb in Thai cuisine.
- Red cayenne chilli – Adds a pop of colour, and heat if using the seeds.
- Lime juice – Gives the sour and slightly sweet elements of the Thai sauce. Being a citrus fruit, limes are loaded with vitamin C, a nutrient needed to form collagen, a fibrous protein used to make blood vessels, cartilage, scar tissue and bones. Vitamin C also improves the absorption of plant-based iron.
- Fish Sauce – An essential part of Thai cooking. However, fish sauce Is EXTREMELY high in excess sodium, as it is made from anchovies. I used the Niulife Cocomino Vegan Fysh Sauce, which is available from Woolworths. While it is not the cheapest, it has 30% less sodium than regular fish sauce.
- Rice wine vinegar – Balances out the lime and fish sauce.
- Barramundi – I used a frozen barramundi fillet, which I believe is a whole side that you can get from both Coles and Woolworths.
How to make Baked Barramundi
OVEN BAKED
- Preheat oven to 200°/390°F.
- Add the garlic, ginger, coriander/cilantro and rice chilli to a bowl. Pour in the lime juice, fish sauce and red wine vinegar, and stir to mix.
- Using some paper towel, pat dry the barramundi fillet on both sides.
- Place a piece of baking/parchment paper in the centre of a large baking tray.
- Lay the barramundi fillet lengthways in the centre of the baking paper. Spoon the chunky Thai sauce over the barramundi fillet, ensuring the herbs cover most of the flesh. Then, pour any remaining sauce over the fillet.
- Wrap the barramundi fillet in the baking paper to create a sealed parcel. Place the baking tray in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the tray from the oven, allow the fish to rest for 5 minutes, and then carefully move the baked barramundi parcel to a serving dish.
- Open the parcel and serve the baked barramundi while hot with some vegetables and rice! Enjoy!
How to fold the Baked Barramundi parcel
- Place the barramundi fillet lengthways in the centre of the baking paper. Pull the top of the baking paper over the fillet and create a fold at the edge of the fish. Repeat with the bottom edge.
- Brush some oil on the top and bottom edges of the baking paper, then add the Thai sauce to the fish. Pull the oiled top and bottom edges of the baking paper together above the centre of the barramundi fillet.
- Fold the joined top and bottom sides of baking paper together to create a seam or envelope. Continue to fold the baking paper down until the seam is laying flat against the barramundi fillet, the folds made in step 1 are at the edge of the parcel, and the fish is snug in the parcel.
- Lift one of the sides of the parcel towards the centre of the barramundi fillet and fold the edge of the baking paper going away from the fish. Continue folding until just before you reach the fish, and tuck the fold under the parcel. Repeat this step with the other side. Your barramundi parcels are now ready to be baked in the oven.
Making the parcels can be quite fiddly and may require some patience, but don’t worry about it being perfect. Putting oil on the edges can help the paper stick together. I found folding the paper towards myself easier than folding it the other way for the centre seam.
If you’re not the patient type, stick with foil, it will be much easier and will give the same result.
Other ways to cook Baked Barramundi
BBQ/GRILL
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Follow the recipe from steps 2-6, but instead of using baking paper, wrap the sauce-covered fish in aluminium foil.
AIR FRYER
Preheat the air fryer to 180°/350°F. Follow the recipe from steps 2-6. Place the barramundi parcel in the basket/tray of your air fryer and cook for 15 minutes.
Baked Barramundi FAQ
You can make the Thai sauce ahead, but do not marinate the fish. The lime will cook the fish if left for a long period of time, which will likely make your barramundi overcooked and mushy after baking it in the oven.
No. Barramundi is one of the few fish that doesn’t lose any flavour once frozen. It is as nutritious as fresh, is a more budget friendly option and still tastes great when baked in an oven.
Yes, that should work just fine.
Yes, but I would double the sauce. Cut all the fins off the barramundi and make 3 slashes down to the bone on both sides. Drizzle the chunky sauce inside and outside the cavity and inside the slashes. Cover the barramundi in foil and bake in the oven at 200°C for 25-30 minutes or until the flesh flakes away from the bone and the internal temperature has reached 58°C/135°F. Let the fish rest for 5 minutes, then serve the baked barramundi.
Yes, you can, but you will need to divide the sauce and wrap the fillets separately. Reduce the cooking time to 12-15 minutes or until the flesh is white and flakes.
Absolutely! Aluminium foil will work just as well as baking paper for this baked barramundi.
No, if your Barramundi still has a shade of pink, then it is raw, and I would advise against eating it.
The FDA recommends that fish should be cooked to an internal temperature of 63°C/145°F, in which the fish should be opaque (white) and flake with a fork. This would be considered medium-well done. However, barramundi is a very forgiving fish. Even if you cook it to well done, it will still be moist and tender.
Serve with
Serve this baked barramundi with:
Storage
Once cooked, the baked barramundi fillet will last in the fridge for 3-4 days.
I do not recommend freezing this dish. It will likely result in mushy fish once thawed and reheated.
To reheat, place the fish in a microwave safe container and heat it for 30 seconds in the microwave. Alternatively, you can put the fish on a plate, cover it with paper towel and heat it in the microwave.
Substitutes & variations
- Other fish – This recipe will work with other firm white fish like barramundi, such as Nile perch, snapper, cod, tilapia, grouper, halibut, sole, haddock, hoki, monkfish, ling, striped bass or pollock.
- Fish sauce – If you cannot find Niulife Cocomino Vegan Fysh Sauce, this recipe also works with just regular fish sauce. Otherwise, vegetarian fish sauce, coconut aminos, or 50/50 reduced salt soy sauce with vinegar could work.
- Chilli – If you want your fish to be spicy, leave the seeds and membrane in when dicing up your red chilli. Or if you’re a big fan of heat, swap the Cayenne chill out for 3 or 4 Birdseye chillis.
Other Thai style herbs that would be perfect for this dish include:
- Lemongrass – I think 1-2 teaspoons, finely diced, would fit well with this recipe, as it is widely used in Thai cuisine.
- Thai basil – Another herb very common in Thai cooking. I think 1-2 teaspoons, finely shredded, would work.
- Kaffir lime – Is a very powerful herb. I wouldn’t use more than 1 tsp finely shredded since this recipe already has quite a bit of lime.
Tips
Allow your barramundi fish fillet to come to room temperature before sticking it in the oven, as this will help it to cook more evenly.
If serving this to young children or people with poor spice tolerance, I recommend completely removing the seeds and membrane of the cayenne chilli. This will remove any spiciness from the chilli and the Thai sauce.
Take care to not burn yourself when opening the parcel, as steam will start to rise as soon as the baking paper is opened.
Hungry for more?
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Ingredients
- 1 barramundi side fillet, ~250-350g/8.8-12.3oz (Note 3 & 4)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp ginger, finely grated
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander/cilantro, finely diced
- 1 large red cayenne chilli, finely diced (Note 5)
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp fish sauce, reduced/low salt (Note 6)
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°/390°F.
- Add the garlic, ginger, coriander/cilantro and red chilli to a bowl. Pour in the lime juice, fish sauce and rice wine vinegar, and stir to mix.
- Using some paper towel, pat dry the barramundi fillet on both sides.
- Place a piece of baking/parchment paper in the centre of a large baking tray.
- Lay the barramundi fillet lengthways in the centre of the baking paper. Spoon the chunky sauce over the barramundi fillet, ensuring the herbs cover most of the flesh. Then, pour any remaining sauce over the fillet.
- Wrap the barramundi fillet in the baking paper to create a sealed parcel (Note 7). Place the baking tray in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the tray from the oven, allow the fish to rest for 5 minutes, and then carefully move the baked barramundi parcel to a serving dish.
- Open the parcel and serve the baked barramundi while hot with some vegetables and rice (Note 8)! Enjoy!
Notes
- Health benefits - Details regarding the benefits of barramundi and other ingredients in this recipe are in the post above.
- Instructions with photos - Detailed in the post above.
- Barramundi - I used a large frozen barramundi side fillet, which you can get from both Coles and Woolworths. Allow your barramundi fish fillet to come to room temperature before sticking it in the oven, as this will help it to cook more evenly.
- Barramundi alternatives - This recipe will work with other firm white fish like barramundi, such as Nile perch, snapper, cod, tilapia, grouper, halibut, sole, haddock, hoki, monkfish, ling, striped bass or pollock.
- Red cayenne chilli - If you want your fish to be spicy, leave the seeds and membrane in when dicing up your red chilli. Or if you're a big fan of heat, swap the Cayenne chill out for 3 or 4 Birdseye chillis. If serving this to young children or people with poor spice tolerance, I recommend completely removing the seeds and membrane of the cayenne chilli.
- Fish sauce - Is EXTREMELY high in excess sodium, as it is made from anchovies. I used the Niulife Cocomino Vegan Fysh Sauce, which is available from Woolworths. While it is not the cheapest, it has 30% less sodium than regular fish sauce. This recipe also works with just regular fish sauce. Otherwise, vegetarian fish sauce, coconut aminos, or 50/50 reduced salt soy sauce with vinegar could work.
- Folding the parcel - Step by step instructions with pictures are detailed in the post above.
- Opening the parcel - Take care to not burn yourself when opening the parcel, as steam will start to rise as soon as the baking paper is opened.
- Storage - Once cooked, the baked barramundi fillet will last in the fridge for 3-4 days. I do not recommend freezing this dish. It will likely result in mushy fish once thawed and reheated. To reheat, place the fish in a microwave safe container and heat it for 30 seconds in the microwave. Alternatively, you can put the fish on a plate, cover it with paper towel and heat it in the microwave.
- Measurements - A reminder that all measurements in this recipe were made using Australian/metric cups (250ml) and tablespoons (20ml).
- Nutrition - Calculated per serve, assuming 3 serves with no sides.
2 comments
This was such a quick & easy receipe to make. It was so full of lovely fresh flavours, and perfectly balanced.
I love the detail in these receipes & all the benefits that the ingredients give you. The photos are super helpful.
Thank you so much for the review Vanessa! I’m really glad you enjoyed this recipe and the content!