Pistachio crusted fish is a great idea to elevate the flavor of a simple baked fish. Pistachio crust is super easy to make, crunchy, and so flavorful. This recipe is so easy you can make it for a weeknight dinner but it’s also suitable for an elegant occasion. The crust adds so much flavor to the fish and keeps it from drying out.
You may also like our parmesan crusted fish!
Ingredients
To make this delicious pistachio crusted fish you will need:
- Fish fillets – the best for this recipe are firm-fleshed white fish fillets like cod or halibut. The fillets need to be thick otherwise by the time the crust is ready and browned the fish will be overcooked.
- Pistachios – you can also use other nuts like pecans or walnuts but I think pistachios work best here. Pistachios should be roasted and salted for the best flavor. If you have pistachios that have not been roasted you can shell them and then toast them briefly in a dry pan until lightly browned and fragrant.
- Breadcrumbs – thicken the butter mixture. Use regular unseasoned breadcrumbs.
- Butter – keeps the fish fillets nice and moist.
- Shallots – you can substitute it for onion but I prefer shallots for their milder taste and softer texture. If using onion, make sure it’s really finely chopped.
- Seasonings: garlic (fresh is preferred), Dijon mustard, thyme (it can be dried or fresh), lemon zest (it’s really necessary – it brightens the whole dish!)
Step by step instructions
STEP 1: Start with preheating the oven to 375°F / 190°C / Gas Mark 5, no fan (if you have a convection oven, reduce the temperature by about 20° or follow the manufacturer’s instructions).
Adjust the oven rack to one position above the center of the oven.
STEP 2: Process the pistachios in a food processor until finely chopped (don’t process them for too long, they should be still a little chunky and not finely ground), finely chop the shallot and garlic (don’t put them in the food processor with the pistachios, process them separately or chop them by hand).
STEP 3: In a small bowl, combine ground pistachios, chopped shallots and garlic, and all the other ingredients (mustard, thyme, lemon zest, butter, breadcrumbs). Season it with salt and pepper and stir until combined.
STEP 4: Pat dry fish fillets, check them for grates, and season them with salt and pepper on both sides. Place the fillets in a small baking dish and cover with the pistachio paste.
STEP 5: Bake the fish for about 18 minutes or until a thermometer registers 141°F/61°C (after the resting time it should come to the safe temperature of 145°F/63°C).
Leave to rest for 5 minutes then serve.
Enjoy!
Top tips
- Bake the fish on one level above the center of the oven to allow the crust to brown.
- To check if the fish is cooked through, measure its internal temperature in the thickest part of the fillet, it should be 145°F (63°C). You can take the fish out of the oven when the thermometer registers 140°F (60°C) – the fish should come to the safe temperature while resting.
- To measure the temperature you can use an instant-read thermometer or a grill thermometer. If your oven doesn’t come with a temperature probe you can use an external probe thermometer (also called a grill thermometer). Probe thermometers consist of a thin metal rod (a probe), that’s connected by a wire to a digital display. The probe is inserted into the fish/meat and stays there throughout cooking; the display unit sits outside the oven and sounds an alarm when the preset temperature is reached. Using this method was really a game changer for me – it’s the easiest way to cook any protein in the oven without overcooking it and without the need to check on it constantly.
- Don’t overbake the fish – it will be tough and rubbery.
- This recipe is great to make for a crowd, it can be easily doubled or tripled. Make sure to check the temperature of each fillet – the baking time may be different if the fillets are of different thickness.
Storage
- You can make this dish ahead – store the fish and pistachio paste separately in the fridge for up to 2 days. I wouldn’t recommend storing uncooked fish with the paste on top longer than 1-2 hours to avoid the fish from becoming mushy.
- How to store cooked fish: store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- How to reheat: in a microwave or in the oven – put the fish into a cold oven and set it to 320°F/160°C, bake until the fish is warm (about 10 minutes).
Serving suggestions
I served this fish with pea mint puree and kohlrabi slaw shown on the photos – it’s a perfect pairing!
Other great options:
- Sour cream mashed potatoes
- Cheddar mashed potatoes
- Red cabbage apple slaw
- Green beans almondine or Asparagus almondine
- Lemony asparagus risotto with green peas
- Parmesan cauliflower rice
- Roasted cauliflower steaks recipe
- Coconut rice recipe
Did you make this recipe? RATE THE RECIPE or tell me in the COMMENTS how you liked it! You can also add a photo of your dish. It would make me very happy and will help other readers. Thank you!!
Pistachio Crusted Fish
Ingredients
- 2 fish fillets about 10-oz/300g
- 1/3 cup shelled toasted and salted pistachios, 40g
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons soft butter 30g
- 1 tablespoon fine breadcrumbs
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C / Gas Mark 5, no fan (if you have a convection oven, reduce the temperature by about 20° or follow the manufacturer's instructions). Adjust the oven rack to one position above the center of the oven.
- Process the pistachios in a food processor until finely chopped (don’t process them for too long, they should be still a little chunky and not finely ground), finely chop the shallot and garlic (don’t put them in the food processor with the pistachios, process them separately or chop them by hand).
- In a small bowl, combine ground pistachios, chopped shallots and garlic, and all the other ingredients (mustard, thyme, lemon zest, butter, breadcrumbs). Season it with salt and pepper and stir until combined.
- Pat dry fish fillets, check them for grates, and season them with salt and pepper on both sides. Place the fillets in a small baking dish and cover with the pistachio paste.
- Bake the fish for about 18 minutes or until a thermometer registers 141°F/61°C (after the resting time it should come to the safe temperature of 145°F/63°C). Leave to rest for 5 minutes then serve.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Ingredient notes:
- Fish fillets – the best for this recipe are firm-fleshed white fish fillets like cod or halibut. The fillets need to be thick otherwise by the time the crust is ready and browned the fish will be overcooked.
- Pistachios – you can also use other nuts like pecans or walnuts but I think pistachios work best here. Pistachios should be roasted and salted for the best flavor. If you have pistachios that have not been roasted you can shell them and then toast them briefly in a dry pan until lightly browned and fragrant.
- Shallots – you can substitute it for onion but I prefer shallots for their milder taste and softer texture. If using onion, make sure it’s really finely chopped.
- Calories = 1 serving (1 fillet, 1/2 of the recipe). This is only an estimate!
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