Broiled Haddock Recipe (5 Ingredients)

Here’s an easy broiled haddock recipe with parmesan, tomatoes, and basil—a high-protein Italian fish dinner on the table in a snap!

Broiling is an excellent method of cooking if you’re looking to make something quickly and easily.

What’s more, if you do it right, you end up with a dish that’s moist and packed with flavor! 

The quick cooking time that you get with broiling is why it’s a great cooking method for lean proteins such as chicken and fish.

Haddock is a fish that will benefit greatly from being broiled. Since it’s a white-fleshed fish, it can dry out quite easily if you cook it for too long, especially if you’re going to use haddock fillets.

This amazing recipe allows you to whip up delicious and savory haddock fillets in less than 20 minutes!
It’s the perfect dish to serve on those busy weekday nights when you don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen, but still eat a meal that tastes you like did!

Just five ingredients? Really?

Yes! This great recipe only needs five ingredients, all of which are easily available at your local supermarket.

The best thing about this recipe is that the fish absorbs the flavors of the other ingredients you use, so you end up with a dish that highlights the nutty Parmesan, tangy tomatoes, and fresh basil.

This is definitely one of those times when less is more!

What goes good with haddock?

This particular recipe is light and fresh, so you might want to pair it with something that’s a bit more hearty and filling for a truly satisfying dinner.

Check out our delicious “baked” sweet potatoes that you can make in your air fryer while the fish is broiling in your oven.

However, if you want to keep it light but still savory, you can also try this amazing recipe for stuffed Portobello mushrooms!

What does haddock taste like?

Haddock is a white-fleshed fish, and like other fish with white flesh, it has a mildly sweet taste when cooked. It is not like salmon, which has a strong, oily taste when cooked.

This is the reason why haddock pairs well with ingredients that have fresh, tangy, and strong flavors, because the flavor profile of haddock will not compete and overpower these ingredients.  

How to defrost haddock?

Defrosting haddock is easy, especially if you’re working with fillets.

If you’re prepping the ingredients the night before, just put the frozen haddock fillets on the plate and leave it in your fridge to thaw slowly overnight.

If you need to defrost the fillets quickly, place the frozen fillets in a sealed plastic bag and put the bag in a bowl of cold water.

Replace the water every two hours until the fillets are completely thawed.

Finally, if you have a microwave, just set it on “defrost”, put the frozen fillets inside, and get it going!

How to look for fresh haddock?

Fresh haddock fillets are quite easy to distinguish.

The flesh must be firm, translucent, and it does not have a “fishy” smell.

If you’re purchasing the whole fish, the eyes must be clear, the gills must be bright red or pink, and the flesh must be firm. 

How do you know when haddock is cooked?

Haddock is cooked when the flesh is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Keep in mind that haddock can dry out easily so be careful that you don’t overcook your fish!

When haddock is cooked right, the flesh should still be moist.

Whole haddock vs. haddock fillets

When you buy haddock from the supermarket, there are times when you have the option of buying whole haddock or haddock fillets.

Buying whole haddock allows you to ensure that the fillets are fresh, and you can use the rest of the haddock for other recipes such as stock and soups!

In many supermarkets, you can even ask the fishmonger to fillet the haddock for you.

Haddock fillets, on the other hand, is more convenient, and if you trust your supermarket, you will still get fresh haddock fillets in the frozen food aisle.

How to fillet a whole haddock?

Filleting a whole haddock is a satisfying process that you can learn with a little bit of practice!

However, you need to use the right knife to properly fillet the fish in a safe manner.

The best type of knife to use for filleting fish is a boning knife.

Haddock is a round fish, which means that the guts are in the belly area of the fish.

You must remove the guts first before filleting the fish.

Make sure that you have a large, clean, and dry cutting board to clean the haddock on.

1. Using your boning knife, open the fish along the belly.
2. Scrape out the guts using running water if possible. Make sure to completely remove all the internal organs.
3. Rinse the cavity under cold running water.

Now you are ready to fillet the haddock.

1. Lay the fillet flat on the board.
2. Cut downwards behind the head until you hit the spine of the fish.
3. Lay the boning knife flat against the spine and smoothly cut through the flesh of the fish until you reach the tail, letting the knife to do the work.
4. Flip the fish over and repeat the process on the other side

Don’t get discouraged if you don’t get perfect fillets during your first few filleting tries! It really does take a bit of time and practice to get the process right.

Here is an easy video that you can follow as well:

Parmesan Haddock with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil

Quick and easy to make, this delicious haddock fillet recipe will probably end up on your repertoire for “weekday dinner” recipes.

You can easily make it 30 minutes before dinner time, but the depth and complexity of flavors will make it seem like you slaved in the kitchen all day.

What’s more, it’s a light but filling meal, making it perfect for those who are on a low-carb diet.

Don’t Skimp on the Fat!

Remember, haddock is a lean, white-fleshed fish, so you really need to use olive oil to prevent it from drying out in your oven.

Every now and again, you can even use butter instead of olive oil to brush on top of the fish before broiling. Using butter will give your fish a richer, nuttier flavor profile.

Prevent Sticking

Before placing the fillets on the aluminum foil, brush a bit of olive oil on the foil to prevent the fish from sticking on the foil.

Use a Fish Spatula to Transfer the Fish

A fish spatula will help you transfer the fish more easily from your serving tray to your dishes.

The wide surface and thin edge of the spatula is perfect for lifting the fish without breaking it.

Can I Use Grated Parmesan?

Whole Parmesan can be expensive and hard to find, so for this recipe, pre-grated Parmesan can work just as well.

If you have lemons or limes lying around, you can even squeeze a bit of juice on top of the fish to brighten up the flavor!

Citrus works well with haddock, and the fruity, tangy flavor will blend well with the Parmesan, tomato, and basil.