Baked White Fish (with Pine Nut, Parmesan, and Pesto Crust)
Baked White Fish (with Pine Nut, Parmesan, and Pesto Crust) is a delicious dinner idea that always feels like a treat. And this tasty baked fish couldn’t be easier to make and is perfect to make for dinner guests.
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Baked White Fish (with Pine Nut, Parmesan, and Pesto Crust) is a recipe that always produces results that are so spectacular that no one will think about it being a low-carb dish. That’s one reason I think this is perfect to make for a special dinner; serve this with a salad and this will always get raves!
I love recipes that are easy but have ingredients with lots of flavor, and this recipe for baked white fish with the crust of chopped pine nuts, Parmesan, garlic, pesto, and mayo certainly fits that description. This is a recipe I’ve enjoyed every time I’ve made it, so I’m reminding you about it for Friday Favorites this week! If you’re someone like me who’s always trying to eat more fish, I hope you’ll give this a try.
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- white fish fillets
- Pine Nuts (affiliate link)
- Parmesan Cheese
- Minced Garlic (affiliate link)
- Basil Pesto (affiliate link)
- mayo
What kind of White Fish Did I Use for this baked fish recipe?
I first made this with fillets of halibut, but now halibut is so expensive that’s probably too much of a splurge for most people. You can use cod, bass, grouper, mahi-mahi, catfish, haddock, snapper, pollock, or any type of mild white fish. Depending on where you live, different varieties of white fish may be available and if you shop where there’s someone behind the counter, ask what they recommend. Here’s more about white fish from the Kitchn.
What other nuts can you use for the baked white fish recipe?
I love, love, love pine nuts but I do know they’re a bit of a budget splurge. I buy them in a big bag at Costco and keep them in the freezer, and most recipes don’t use a super large amount so a bag lasts me for years. But if you don’t want to buy them just for this recipe I’d use chopped almonds to replace the pine nuts.
How low in carbs is the Baked White Fish recipe?
This easy and delicious recipe to make for dinner guests has only 3 net carbs per serving with 24 grams of protein!
How to Make Baked White Fish (with Pine Nut, Parmesan, and Pesto Crust):
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Let the fish come to room temperature while you preheat the oven to 400F/200C.
- If your pieces of fish have one side that’s flatter, put that side up so it’s easier to spread on the crust mixture. (You can use one large casserole dish if you don’t have individual dishes like this.)
- Finely chop the pine nuts, using a large chef’s knife, and finely mince one clove of garlic.
- Combine pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, minced garlic, basil pesto, and mayonnaise. I used my favorite basil pesto from a jar but if you have your own pesto in the freezer, that would be even better.
- Spread the crust evenly over each piece of fish, then bake for 10-15 minutes, or until fish is done and the crust is starting to get lightly browned.
- Serve the baked white fish hot and wait for compliments.
Make it a Low-Carb Meal:
Baked White Fish (with Pine Nut, Parmesan, and Pesto Crust) would be great with one of these low-carb side dishes:
- Kalyn’s Favorite Baby Arugula Salad
- Garlicky Green Beans Stir Fry
- Ottolenghi’s Perfect Lettuce Salad
- Pureed Cauliflower with Garlic, Parmesan, and Goat Cheese
- Spinach Salad with Bacon and Feta
Want more fish and seafood dinners?
I know many people are trying to eat more healthy meals with fish or seafood. Check out my huge round-up of Amazing Low-Carb Fish Dinners for lots of ideas!
Baked White Fish (with Pine Nut, Parmesan, and Pesto Crust)
Baked White Fish (with Pine Nut, Parmesan, and Pesto Crust) is special enough to make for guests. And this is about as easy as it gets for a dinner that will get raves whenever you make it!
Ingredients
- 2 white fish fillets, about 6 oz. each (I used halibut but you could use cod, tilapia, grouper, or any mild white fish)
- 3 T pine nuts
- 2 T Parmesan Cheese
- 1/4 tsp. finely minced garlic (1 garlic clove)
- 1 tsp. basil pesto (I used purchased pesto)
- 1 1/2 T mayo
Instructions
- Preheat oven or toaster oven to 400F/200C. Spray individual casserole dishes with non-stick spray or olive oil (use one large casserole dish if you don’t have individual ones.)
- Remove the fish fillets from the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature while the oven reheats. (Having the fish at room temperature is very important or it won’t cook before the crust topping gets too brown.)
- Use a large chef’s knife to finely chop the pine nuts and mince the garlic. Mix together chopped pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, minced garlic, basil pesto, and mayo.
- Use a rubber scraper to spread the crust mixture evenly over the surface of each fish fillet. Pile it on so all the crust mixture is used.
- Bake fish 10-15 minutes, until fish is firm to the touch and crust mixture is starting to lightly brown. (I baked the fish pieces in the photo for 13 minutes.)
- Serve the Baked White Fish hot, and enjoy.
Notes
Recipe inspired by a fish recipe from Cooking New American.
Nutrition Information
Yield
2Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 283Total Fat 20gSaturated Fat 3gUnsaturated Fat 15gCholesterol 89mgSodium 266mgCarbohydrates 3gFiber 1gSugar 1gProtein 24g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This Baked White Fish is suitable for any type of low-carb or Keto eating plan as well as any phase of the original South Beach Diet. Some of the ingredients in the crust topping are high in fat for South Beach, but only the Parmesan cheese has saturated fat and there’s not a lot of topping.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Oven Dinners to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe for baked white fish was first posted in 2010, and it has been a hit on the blog ever since. It was last updated with more information in 2025.
94 Comments on “Baked White Fish (with Pine Nut, Parmesan, and Pesto Crust)”
I’ve been making this recipe since I first saw it in 2011. It’s a family favorite. I used to make it with tilapia, but now we prefer mahi mahi. It’s my family’s favorite fish dish that I make. It’s also one of very few recipes that I make without any tweaks or edits. It’s perfect. Thank you for years worth of delicious dinners.
Stella, you are SO welcome! I love knowing you have been enjoying this for so long.
A very nice, and dare I say, elegant dish. It was very tasty. Made this and your Brussels Sprouts Salad for company tonight and we all loved it.
So glad you enjoyed it!
Delish! I used cod. I don’t usually have pine nuts on hand so I used pecans…absolutely wonderful. Will prepare frequently.
So glad you enjoyed it. I love the idea of using pecans, perfect for this!
I did the same. Pine nuts are not sold in my little town! It was delicious.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I don’t have one of those types of Instant Pots with the Air Fryer lid, so I can’t really answer with certainty. I’m not sure there is an advantage to make it that way over the oven, the fish cooks really quickly. And I worry about the topping burning in the Air Fryer. But it *might* work; I’d love to hear how it goes if you try it.
This recipe has become a family standard in our fish recipe rotation! I’ve been making it for years. When my son is home from college I omit the nuts or grind them up since he has IBD issues. Either way, the recipe is delicious.
So happy to hear you have been enjoying it!
Fish is our favorite dish in dinner. My wife and kids love them very much. This is a excellent recipe for me. I am going to make it and surely let you know about it. Looking forward for more recipes in future. Thank you so much.
Made this tonight and wow, wonderful! I forgot to buy pine nuts but had some pistachios and used those instead and it was delicious!
So glad you enjoyed. That was a brilliant idea to use pistachios!
OMGosh! 👏🏻 SO delicious!!! We didn’t have pine nuts, but it didn’t matter. We will make this over and over. Easy and sumptuous! Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Really good dish. My husband and I aren’t fond of fish and we both enjoyed, him to the point of asking me to make it again.
So glad to hear you enjoyed it!
This was delish! Just had it for dinner tonight & served it with creamy garlic cauliflower & kale mash & steamed carrot & broccolini. Will definitely be making again. Thanks for the recipe 😄👍
So glad you enjoyed it!
I just made this tonight with Mahi mahi. Thank you so much, it was amazing!!
Thanks, so glad you liked it!
I use Job snapper,Emperor and above all Grouper or any other white fish, with this recipe and it's second to none.What a great way to prepare fish
Thanks Ahmed, glad you have enjoyed it!
Paul, you need something to keep the topping stuck to the fish, so I don't think it would work to just omit the mayo/ You could try something like sour cream or Greek yogurt, but without trying it I can't honestly say for sure it will work as well as the mayo (which keeps the fish moist).
Hi. This looks really nice. I might be slightly picky but I'm not a big fan of mayo. Maybe I wouldn't even notice it but could i just leave it out or would you have any substitution suggestions
Thanks Lisa, so glad the recipes are working well for you!
Made this with grouper exactly as directed for valentines day! Couldn't have had a better meal at a fine restaurant. I did have to broil at the end for a minute or two. I have done other recipes from your site and I find them uncomplicated, creative and delicious. And.. with SBD in mind! YOu inspire me!
Leona, I don't count calories so I don't have that information but under FAQ there is a link for a site I recommend where you can enter the recipe and it will calculate it.
hi! I am counting calories currently and wold love to make this. Do you know how many calories this dish is?
THanks!
Pam, thanks so much for the nice thoughts about the blog. And lucky you with all that fresh seafood!
Kayln – As background, my family lives on the Chesapeake Bay. We live on fish and seafood so I'm always looking for fresh, tasty new ways to prepare the bounty. Most times, I'm underwhelmed by new recipes but not this time …
Tonight, I made rockfish fillets with the pine nut, parmesan, and basil pesto crust. Fabulous recipe! So good that knees got weak. DH had the same reaction.
I've spent hours on your site since I discovered it a few months ago. Every recipe is fresh and tasty. Not one recipe disappointed – and I'm an experienced cook with high expectations.
I have a site and a blog on a very different subject (advocacy for children with disabilities) – so I know how hard you work to provide fresh content. You've done a fabulous job.
Thanks and take care!
Pam
So glad you enjoyed experimenting with the recipe.
I'm room temperaturing my halibut right now. I doubled all of the ingredients because they are so delicious. I split the (1 pound) of fresh halibut (it's spring) into three pieces and then again down the center for each piece. I put freshly steamed (and squeezed dried) spinach between the sections for health, and squeezed lemon over the whole thing. I'll let you know how it tasted…brb. (quiet music playing)… Delicious! oh my, but next time I may add the topping ingredients between the layers I made, it's that good.
Thanks Sarah, so glad you enjoyed it!
I just made this with tilapia and it was delicious. I chopped up my pine nuts too fine, so mine wasn't quite as pretty as yours, but it was definitely tasty! I just started following you on Pinterest and hope to attempt many more of your lovely recipes!
I avoid fat-free mayo mostly because of the added sugar, but I don't know how well it will melt in a dish like this compared to regular or low-fat mayo, so I can't really say how it will work.
hi kalyn, this looks great, can't wait to try it! forgive me for asking a silly question here – what would happen if i used fat-free mayo as opposed to low fat? is there a specific reason it won't work? thanks!
Jeanne, so glad you like it. Your version sounds great too.
Another great fish to try! I have cod in the freezer. Saw a comment about pairing this with garlicky green beans, sounds so good!!
This is the only way I bake cod anymore. We have a lot of ling cod in the freezer. It is wonderful, thanks.
Thank you. That's Fridays supper sorted. I will report back.
Sounds fantastic!
So glad it was a hit!
Just made this last night and even my little kids loved it! Thanks for a great recipe! My mayo aversion husband didn't even know it had mayo in it and liked it!
Oh Melissa, I am chuckling! I don't know much, but I do try to test the recipes pretty thoroughly!
See, and here I was thinking you knew absolutely everything about food. I've never failed with one of your recipes and I've made SEVERAL!!! 😉
Melissa, I have no idea how long pesto will keep in the fridge, so without being there I wouldn't even want to guess whether it would still be good.
I'm thinking about making this again in the next couple of days for my parents. Question. Does premade packaged pesto go bad opened in the refrigerator? It's Classico. Mine has been in there probably a couple of months. It smells great and looks the same too. 😉
Melissa, the first time I made this I had an old, opened jar of Classico pesto in the fridge and it was fine. It’s basically basil preserved in olive oil, and I’ve used it at least six months after opening. But that’s just me. If you’ve got doubts about it get new.
Melissa, I think salt & pepper or lemon on the fish before you pile on the crust ingredients would work very well! So glad you liked it.
Gorgeous dish! We tried this tonight. I LOVED the crust. I wonder how a little lemon or salt and pepper would be on the fish before putting on the crust. The fish was just a touch bland for me. Maybe I just need to use more crust! It was great! Thanks so much for all your hard work!
Kare, that's an interesting idea. I'm actually not sure, but I suspect the topping would get too browned before the chicken was done. It might work if you pound the chicken breasts before you cook them so they're thin. If you try it, I'd love to hear how it works.
Would you be able to substitute chicken for fish in this recipe? or is it combination of the flaky fish with the hard nutty crust?
Katherine, glad you enjoyed it!
Made this dish this weekend and used grouper and walnuts instead of pine nuts…It was really good and it is a keeper!Thanks for another great recipe.
Anonymous, adding some lemon zest sounds good!
I have a variation on your recipe — add some lemon zest to the topping! Perks it up and adds some pretty color!!
Gwen, so glad you liked it. I don't mind if you post it with a link to my recipe, although I prefer you write the recipe in your own words rather than copying my recipe exactly, thanks!
Anonymous, good idea to substitute the almonds, glad to hear it turned out okay with that change.
I didn't have pine nuts so I used some ground almonds. Turned out pretty good. Even the kids ate it.I needed to give it a quick broil to brown the top.
Lynne, so glad you liked it. I actually made it first with more pesto and decided it overwhelmed the flavor of the pine nuts!
Well, it is really hard to pick favorites, but I was very happy with this dish. I had originally been disappointed when I read that there was only a small amount of pesto in the recipe and almost added extra. But I followed the recipe exactly and couldn't have been happier. This is a keeper.
Heather, glad you like the recipe.
I don't think it's accurate to say that tilapia "isn't healthy." It has less omega 3 than some other fish, but if you're not eating "snack foods, cookies, crackers, and sweets" then it's not as big of a deal if you to get some Omega 6 from the Tilapia.
And here's another reputable source relating to the same study which says the study is flawed and that tilapia is not unhealthy.
I think the important thing is to eat a variety of fish.
Wow this looks delicious. Fish should be on a menu at least 3 times a week, but most don't eat fish at all. This recipe is simple and healthy. I will definitely use it. Thanks for sharing.
What a tasty way to cook some fish!
Glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Made this last night with the garlicky beans and it was delicious!
Blest mom, so glad you liked it!
I made this last night as soon as I saw it since I was in desperate need of a healthy FAST dish. It was lovely tasting and I'm not a big fish fan unless it's shellfish or tuna! THANK!
I am just starting to eat healthier and found this site..thanks so much for the recipes and the photos- you have made my life 10x easier!!!
Cassie
I share your love of quick and simple yet delicious recipes, Kalyn. They work with my life. At the same time there's something inside of me that needs to toil over other dishes. I love the pure satisfaction of a job well done.
Joe and I are eating more fish so this is getting bookmarked for sometime next week. 🙂 I have everything on hand but the fish, which will come fresh from the market.
What a fabulous surprise to long into my dashboard and see a quote from your blog linking to one of my recipes. You just made my week!
I am as smitten by the fish as I am by your little individual gratin dishes. I need. I want.
This was just as great as advertised. I made it this evening with Greenland Halibut (a really superb white fish), and the topping definitely brought out the best in the fish. This is a keeper for guest dinners as well; easy and impressive.
Today, I served it with cauliflower in tiny bouquets, steamed in the microwave and mixed with a little pesto and sprinkled with parmesan — since those ingredients was on hand anyway 😉 Anything served with this ought to be very discreet. The fish is not only the star of the dinner, it's a diva.
I just happen to have all those ingredients on hand– thanks for another great recipe Kalyn! You're "the bomb"!
Thanks for including my fish recipe, Kalyn!!
I am so proud now!
waw!! What a lovely crust for the fish!! I so digg this!!
A very elegant fish dish too!
Yummmmmm,…
Looks fantastic…I love how you baked it in the serving dishes, and I love that they only cost $.75…they are so pretty!
I have some halibut from Costco in the freezer and this looks absolutely yummy. I'm not a big fish eater, but hubby is…so he'll be happy! Making this tonight!
These look so refreshing, and they are a great way to get more fish into my diet! Thanks 🙂
Mmmmm… This is going to be my dinner tonight!
I made this last night. I used tilapia and it was wonderful. Because my tilapia was thin it cooked quicker than anticipated and the crust wasn't browning. I just flipped on the broiler and voila a beautiful crunchy colour.
I love the ideas you come up with. Now I can use the big bag of piñons (I'm from NM) on something other than snacking and salads. Thank you.
Thanks for another simple and flavorful baked fish recipe!
I don't often get inspired by fish but one like that with that yummy crust, sure! anytime!
Stephanie, I realized I should have told you more about basil pesto. It's a combination of garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, basil leaves, and olive oil, blended in the food processor. Homemade pesto is great, but for a recipe like this, pesto that comes in a jar will work just fine.
Stephanie, I used purchased pesto, but if you want to make your own, there will be lots of recipes at Food Blog Search.
That looks like a great and quick fishdish!
When I make pesto, I often put a tiny bit of mayonnaise in it to smooth out the flavor. I love that this topping is really pesto kicked up, and I love halibut and also our New England cod loin, so this is going on my make-it-soon list.
What a wonderful, healthy meal for a busy night. The crust really adds something special to this dish.
Beautiful, and healthy, preparation Kalyn. I don't use pine nuts very often, but this recipe might just change that.
I love those white dishes and that crust looks fantastic.
Sounds really wonderful! I'm going to give it a try.
Beautiful fish – it looks so delicous.