Easy Baked Flounder Recipe {Just 20 Minutes!}
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This tender, flakey, bright and flavourful baked flounder recipe is a showstopper. It feels so decadent and impressive, ideal to serve at a dinner party where you want to spend more time with your guests and time in the kitchen.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
Healthy: Flounder recipes tend to be really healthy as the fish is a great source of lean protein, it’s low calorie, rich in omega 3 fatty acids and it’s low in mercury when compared to other fish such as tuna.
Flavorful: White fish + a lemony buttery sauce is always a winner. This baked flounder recipe is paired with a garlicky, mildly spicy and white wine infused sauce that makes this recipe so balanced and delicious.
Fast and Easy: Made in just 20 minutes, this recipe is a weeknight favorite after a long day of work.
Love fish dishes? Try out some of my other recipes like Simple Cod Curry, Frozen Fish Fingers in Air Fryer (Fish Sticks), Fish Risotto (Haddock and Leek Risotto)
What is flounder?
Flounder is a type of flatfish found in oceans around the world, it’s loved for its delicate flavor and versatility in cooking. Here’s more about flounder, including its taste, texture, and sustainability:
Taste
Flounder has a mild, slightly sweet flavor that isn’t overpowering, making it a great choice for those who prefer lighter-tasting fish (i.e. people just starting to like fish or kids!) Its neutral taste also pairs well with a wide range of seasonings, sauces, and side dishes.
Texture
The texture of baked flounder is soft and tender, with a flaky quality when cooked. It’s delicate, so care must be taken during cooking to avoid overhandling. It’s therefore similar to plaice, haddock and soles. The flesh of flounder is white and becomes opaque once cooked. I believe the best way to cook flounder is to start in the pan and end in the oven- but doing both quickly to prevent overcooking.
Is Flounder Sustainable?
Yes, flounder is generally considered a sustainable fish, but it depends on the species and where it is caught. Many flounder species are managed responsibly in U.S. and international waters, with quotas and fishing practices in place to maintain healthy populations.
When buying flounder, look for certifications like the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) label or ask your fishmonger about its origin to ensure it was sourced sustainably.
Ingredients
The main ingredients that make this baked flounder recipe fantastic are the following:
Salted butter
Many people like to use unsalted butter so that they can control the seasoning in their dish. This baked flounder benefits from being deeply seasoned as we have a lot of acid in the dish.
Lemon
I utilize both the zest of the lemon for a greater depth of flavor.
White wine
If you have any dry white wine left hanging around in your fridge, this really adds a great flavor to the dish. If you don’t you can use 1 tbsp of white wine vinegar + 3 tbsp of water as a substitute.
Fresh garlic
Fresh garlic is essential for the garlicky flavor in the pan sauce. I wouldn’t therefore sub with garlic granules for the best flounder recipe.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Need a side dish to go with your fish dish? Try one of these recipes: Nando’s Mac and Cheese Recipe (Peri Peri), Easy Gochujang Eggplant, How to cook tenderstem broccoli (Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli)
Variations/ Adaptations
No flounder? You could also use halibut, grouper, tilapia, haddock, hake, sole or pollock.
Customise the seasonings and fresh herbs: This is where you can get creative. I feel like this recipe is a foundational recipe that everyone will love, but if you want to customize and add your flair feel free to do so. Add different herbs such as fresh basil, dill, oregano or change up the spices by adding cayenne pepper or cajun seasoning.
Make a creamy sauce by adding heavy cream: I love that butter is the hero with this sauce, but if you’re more into creamy dishes, feel free to reduce the butter by half and add the cream just before baking. You may need to balance the dish with more lemon juice to taste to adjust if necessary.
How to cook flounder
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F.
- Begin by combining the flour and onion granules. Pat the fish dry and then coat each side with the flour and onion granule mixture (Image 1).
- Add butter and oil to an oven safe frying pan and melt over medium heat (Image 2).
3. Once melted, add the flounder to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and fry for 2 minutes (Image 3).
4. Flip the fish over and fry for another 2 minutes on the other side (Image 4).
5. Remove the fish from the pan and place it to the side until later. In the same pan that you cooked the fish, add the chilli flakes, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and Italian herbs mix (Image 5).
6. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and fish stock and reduce for 2 minutes (Image 6).
7. Add the flounder back to the pan and pop the pan into the oven for 7-8 minutes (Image 7).
8. Remove the baked flounder from the oven and sprinkle with fresh parsley, lemon slices, and black pepper (Image 8).
Try some delicious soup recipes as a starter; Thai Noodle Soup with Chicken, Celeriac Soup, Creamy Parsnip Soup (Easy and Satisfying in 20 Minutes!)
Tips for the best result
- Don’t overcook it: cook just till it flakes easily with a fork or use a meat thermometer and cook until the internal temperature is 63/145 at the thickest part.
- Pat the flounder dry to remove excess moisture, allowing the fish to bind with the flour and seasonings better
- Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Ensure that your oven is preheated before you start cooking as it comes together very quickly.
Serving Suggestions
Looking for a delicious side-dish that goes well with flounder? Try a few of these recipes:
Veggies:
- Crispy Smashed Broccoli with Parmesan
- Crispy Baked Buffalo Cauliflower Bites with Chilli Mayo
- Air Fryer Green Beans
Starches:
Leftover Reheat and Storage Instructions
I believe that this dish is best made fresh to get the best texture and consistency with the pan sauce.
The best flounder recipes involve cooking flounder to the perfect temp/not overcooking. So by reheating in the microwave/or in the pan, we do risk over cooking, as it’s already finished cooking before.
That being said, if you don’t mind a slightly overcooked flounder, you can keep in the fridge for up to 2 days.
To reheat, I would reheat over a medium high heat with an additional 100ml of boiling water. Once the sauce has thickened and the flounder is heated through, serve with some additional fresh herbs.
Recipe FAQs
Not long at all! At 200°C, flounder is perfectly baked after 8-10 minutes.
No, it’s such a short cooking time that I prefer to get as much color on one side as possible. Getting color on both sides would risk overcooking and also you’d risk the fish falling apart as it’s very delicate.
No, this recipe doesn’t call for the flounder to be soaked in milk. Some people do that to tenderise the fish but I don’t see any point as this cooking method already yields tender flounder.
Yes you can, I like to thaw my flounder in the fridge ahead of time so that I can follow the recipe exactly. You may need to add an extra few minutes in the oven in case the fish is still colder in the middle.
Looking for a sweet treat after your meal? Try one of these sweet dishes: Chocolate Brownies, Chocolate Rice Cakes with Peanut Butter (Viral Tiktok Recipe), Chocolate Chip Microwave Cookies
If you tried this Baked Flounder Recipe, it would mean so much to me if you could leave a review & a star rating to let me know how you found it! I love hearing about your experiences – it motivates me to keep creating more and more recipes for you guys 💛 Let’s get cooking! – Mimi x
Easy Baked Flounder Recipe
Ingredients
- 500 g fileted flounder (£7)
- 100 g salted butter (£2/2)
- Handful of fresh parsley, torn to serve torn to serve (£0.60)
- 3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced (£0.39)
- 200 ml white wine (£2)
- Zest of half a lemon (£0.30)
Cupboard Essentials
- 4 tbsp flour
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp onion granules
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes/chilli flakes
- 100 ml fish stock
- 1 tsp Italian mixed herb
- Salt and Pepper
Method
- Preheat oven to 200°C
- Start by combining the flour and onion granules. Pat the flounder dry with a paper towel, then dust both sides with the flour and onion granules.
- Add the butter and olive oil, to a large, oven-safe frying pan. Cook over a medium high heat until melted, then add the flounder into the pan. Season with salt and pepper and fry each side for 2 minutes, then remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add the red pepper/chilli flakes, lemon zest, Italian mixed herb and garlic into the pan. Season with salt and pepper and fry for a couple of minutes.
- Deglaze the pan with white wine and fish stock and continue to fry for two minutes.
- Add the flounder into the pan and pop in the oven for 7-8 minutes. Finish with a sprinkle of fresh parsley, some lemon slices and an extra crack of black pepper.
Notes
- Don’t overcook it: Cook the flounder until it flakes easily with a fork or reach an internal temperature of 63°C (145°F) at its thickest part.
- Pat the flounder dry: Remove excess moisture from the fish to help it better absorb the flour and seasonings.
- Season generously: Add a good amount of salt and pepper to enhance the flavor.
- Preheat the oven: Make sure the oven is hot before cooking, as the dish cooks quickly once you start.
Nutrition
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