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This easy Baked Stuffed Fish recipe is perfect for a delicious, low-carb meal that cooks in just 30 minutes! With a flavorful filling of bacon, celery, onions, and garlic, this single serving fish fillet delivers a gourmet taste that’s sure to become a favorite.
Serve your stuffed fish with a few tasty sides. Try a crisp cucumber salad, savory roasted cabbage, or flavorful roasted brussels sprouts. For something comforting, go for classic buttered noodles. Each side brings its own delicious touch to the meal.
RELATED: Easy Dinner Ideas For One
Why You’ll Love This Stuffed Fish Recipe
- Quick: It’s a gourmet dish that bakes in just 30 minutes.
- Flexible: Suitable for many different types of fish, making it versatile.
- Nutritious: Packed with proteins and vegetables, it’s a balanced, low-carb meal.
- Single Serving: Perfectly portioned for one, avoiding any waste.
- Flavorful: The stuffing elevates the fish with a burst of savory flavors.
Ingredients And Substitutions
If you have any ingredients leftover from this stuffed fish recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Fish Fillet: You can use any type of mild-flavored fish fillet such as catfish, flounder, sole, or tilapia, making the recipe versatile and adaptable.
- Bacon: This brings a rich, savory flavor to the stuffing. For a pescatarian version, try swapping bacon with smoked salmon. If you’ve got a few extra slices of bacon leftover, consider using them in Crack Chicken, Pan Fried Okra, or Black Eyed Peas.
- Celery, Onions, and Garlic: These classic ingredients create a flavorful base for the stuffing. If you’re out of celery, finely chopped bell peppers can also work. These three vegetables can also be found in our Slow Cooker Pot Roast, Chicken Stew, and Seafood Gumbo.
- White Wine: This adds a delightful acidity and depth of flavor. If you prefer a non-alcoholic substitute, try using chicken broth or lemon juice.
- Parmesan Cheese: This introduces a depth of savory flavor to the stuffing. Feel free to experiment with other types of cheese like cheddar or feta for a different flavor twist.
- Butter: A little bit of melted butter is added to the bottom of the baking dish, then the fish is placed in the dish with the remaining butter poured over the fish. If you’re looking for a dairy-free option, consider using olive oil instead.
- Olive oil: I use extra virgin olive oil in this stuffed fish recipe as well as in every other recipe on One Dish Kitchen that calls for olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil is the least processed form of olive oil. It is an unrefined oil and the highest-quality olive oil you can buy. Because of the way extra virgin olive oil is made, it retains more true olive taste. It also contains more of the vitamins and minerals found in olives. It’s my favorite type of olive oil to use but you may use a lighter olive oil instead.
Recipe Variations
- Vegetarian Stuffed Fish: Substitute bacon with a mixture of chopped mushrooms and nuts for a hearty, meat-free stuffing.
- Herb-Infused Fish: Incorporate fresh herbs like dill, basil, or tarragon into the stuffing for a fragrant twist to the classic recipe.
- Spicy Stuffed Fish: Add a touch of heat by including chopped jalapeños or a sprinkle of chili flakes into the stuffing.
- Creamy Stuffed Fish: Enhance the richness of the dish by adding a dollop of cream cheese or sour cream to the stuffing, creating a creamy and luxurious texture.
How To Make Stuffed Fish For One
These step-by-step photos and instructions help you visualize how to bake stuffed fish. See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Make the stuffing first: Sauté diced bacon with chopped celery, onions, and minced garlic in a medium-sized skillet. After the bacon has cooked and the vegetables have softened, stir in chopped parsley.
To Assemble:
- Spoon the stuffing onto the center of the fish fillet.
- Roll up the fillet and fasten it with toothpicks.
- Place a little melted butter in the bottom of a small baking dish and add the fish. Next, pour a little extra melted butter over the fish and add a splash of water or white wine.
- Sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese and paprika and bake the fish for 30 minutes.
Expert Tips
- Fish: Pat the fish dry before stuffing to ensure a crispy exterior.
- Stuffing: Don’t overfill the fish to ensure even cooking.
- Baking: Cook until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
- Pro Tip: If you have any of the stuffing leftover, add cooked rice or cooked orzo to the skillet you used to cook the bacon and vegetables in. Let the flavor from the bacon coat the rice or orzo, the flavors are fantastic!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, omit the butter and cheese, or use non-dairy alternatives.
Chicken broth or vegetable broth can work as non-alcoholic substitutes.
Yes, you can prepare the stuffing up to 2 days in advance and store it in the fridge.
I use a 5x5inch baking dish to make this stuffed fish.
For more information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.
For examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen, please visit our Store page.
Absolutely, just double the ingredient amounts.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
RELATED: 15 Single Serving Dessert Recipes
If you’ve tried this baked stuffed fish or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
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Baked Stuffed Fish For One
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (8-ounce) catfish fillet (or use flounder, sole, or tilapia)
- pinch salt
- pinch coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 slice bacon -diced
- 2 tablespoons diced celery
- 2 tablespoons diced onions
- 1 clove garlic -minced
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley
- ½ tablespoon salted butter -melted
- 2 tablespoons white wine
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- pinch paprika
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C).
- Sprinkle fish fillet with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a skillet set on medium-high heat. Add the bacon, celery, and onions and saute until the bacon is crisp and the vegetables are soft. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the parsley.
- Spread the mixture over the fish fillet, roll it up, and fasten with a toothpick.
- Add a little of the melted butter to a small baking dish and swirl it so that the butter coats the bottom of the dish. Add the fish.
- Pour the remaining butter over the fish, and add the wine to the dish.
- Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and paprika.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
Notes
- Fish: Pat the fish dry before stuffing to ensure a crispy exterior.
- Stuffing: Don’t overfill the fish to ensure even cooking.
- Baking: Cook until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
- Pro Tip: If you have any of the stuffing leftover, add cooked rice or cooked orzo to the skillet you used to cook the bacon and vegetables in. Let the flavor from the bacon coat the rice or orzo, the flavors are fantastic!
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Exceptional recipe! I made a few minor adjustments (I halved the tilapia filet and seasoned the fish with old bay, creole seasoning and garlic powder and omitted the cheese – lactose intolerant). Additionally sautéed spinach and added cooked spaghetti noodles and pasta water with paprika and pepper flakes! This was beyond delicious. I had a leftover Roma tomato and pepper sauce that was included to top it off. My daughter begged for more! Definitely gourmet and restaurant quality meal! This was just what I needed to pull the dish together.
Such delicious substitutions! I’m so happy you and your daughter enjoyed the recipe.
My husband was out of town last week and made this for dinner one night (just for me!) and it was amazing! Now that he’s home I’m going to double the recipe and make it for both of us!
Susanne
This baked stuffed fish recipe is a real winner! It was so flavorful and delicious. I look forward to making it again!
This looks SO GOOD! I grew up in Iowa and was never comfortable cooking (or eating) seafood, but its something I definitely need to start doing more of! Off to check out your other recipes, too!!
I love this idea! And so much flavor!
The topping is to die for. I could eat this every night! Great recipe!