Moroccan-Spiced Rockfish Recipe

This easy and flavorful Moroccan-Spiced Rockfish recipe will have you consuming fish on the regular! Served with a cooling mint yogurt sauce.

Let’s Take Your Rockfish to a Whole New Level.

When people intend to add more fish to their diets, they typically start with an easy white fish. And who could blame them. White fish fillets are typically mild in flavor and will pair up with a wide variety of spices and ingredients. This rockfish recipe proves it with a Moroccan spice rub, refreshing couscous salad, and a cooling mint yogurt sauce. It’s SO good!

What Is Rockfish?

Rockfish are fished on the West coast between California and Alaska. These particular fillets were fished off of the Oregon coast where rockfish are managed under a “catch share” plan due to the amount of depleted species. The fillets are lean, firm, and versatile when it comes to cooking! And like so many other fish, rockfish provide essential fats, vitamins, and minerals to contribute to a heart healthy diet. If a mild-flavored fish is your jam, go ahead and opt for some sustainable rockfish if you find it.

What Does Rockfish Taste Like?

Rockfish is very mild in flavor which makes it a great option for those new to cooking and eating fish. Many people describe the fillets to be have a delicate, sweet, and slightly nutty flavor. The texture is delicate as well since the meat and only slightly firm with a fine flake. Because it’s so mild, it can be paired up with a variety of different flavors.

How to Cook Rockfish.

In addition to being mild in flavor, rockfish is incredibly easy to cook and works with any method. You can bake it or broil it in the oven, grill it, pan-fry it, or even air fry it. For a list of different ways to cook fish, check out my Fish & Seafood Guide.

Ingredients for This Moroccan-Spiced Rockfish.

If you’ve had the pleasure of eating anything with a Moroccan spice before, then you know you’re in for a treat. It’s savory, slightly smoky, and believe me when I tell you that the mint yogurt sauce takes it up a few notches. I used to have this recipe written out with the mint yogurt sauce as optional, but who’s kidding who. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Boneless, skinless rockfish fillets
• Olive oil
• Lemon
• Garlic
• Moroccan spice mix
• Sea salt
• Cracked black pepper
• Plain Greek yogurt (I’ll always suggest Chobani!)
• Fresh mint leaves
• Cumin
• Cayenne

Here’s the Gist on How to Make This Recipe.

1. Mix the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, Moroccan spice blend, and salt together in a small bowl.
2. Place the fish fillets into a shallow container or bowl and pour the marinade on top, tossing the fillets around a bit to coat them. Pop them in the fridge for 30 minutes. In the meantime, make the mint yogurt sauce.
3. Put the yogurt, mint, garlic, lemon juice, cumin, and cayenne into a small bowl.
4. Mix it all together well with a fork. Add some salt and pepper to taste, and let the sauce sit out at room temp, covered, for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, transfer the sauce to an airtight container and pop it into the fridge for up to a week.
5. About 15 minutes before it’s time to take the fish out of the fridge, preheat the oven to 400º F.
6. Pop the marinated fish fillets into a baking dish and pour the remaining marinade over it.
7. Bake the rockfish, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until the fish is opaque and has an internal temperature of 145º F.
8. Serve with mint yogurt sauce drizzled on top or on the side.

Useful Tools for This Recipe:

• Sharp knife
• Cutting board
• Juice reamer
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Mixing bowls
• Meat thermometer
• Baking dish

Recipe Tips + Tricks.

1. Note that rockfish fillets aren’t very thick, so they will cook quickly. I suggest checking the internal temperature at 8 minutes to see where they’re at.
2. If you can’t find rockfish but really want to try these flavors with fish, I recommend trying it with cod, halibut, or grouper.

Have You Made This Recipe?

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a STAR rating & commenting below with feedback!

You can also show off your creations on Instagram by tagging @killing__thyme

More Fish Recipes You’ll Love:

• Lemon Pepper Grouper
• Grilled Swordfish Steaks with Olives and Herbs
• Chili-Seasoned Grilled Mahi Mahi
• Salt and Pepper Crusted Chilean Sea Bass

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5 from 27 votes

Moroccan-Spiced Rockfish Recipe

By: Dana Sandonato

This easy and flavorful Moroccan-Spiced Rockfish recipe will have you consuming fish on the regular! Served with a cooling mint yogurt sauce.

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Marinating: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 2 people

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Ingredients 

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Moroccan-Spiced Rockfish.

• ▢ 2 6 oz boneless and skinless fillets of rockfish
• ▢ 1/3 cup olive oil
• ▢ 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• ▢ 2 large garlic clove, minced
• ▢ 1 tsp Moroccan spice blend, store-bought or homemade, *See notes for recipe.
• ▢ 1/4 tsp Sea salt

Mint Yogurt Sauce.

• ▢ 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, I'll always recommend Chobani!
• ▢ 1/2 cup finely chopped mint leaves
• ▢ 2 cloves of garlic, smashed, peeled, and minced
• ▢ 1 TBSP freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ▢ 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• ▢ 1/4 tsp cayenne
• ▢ Sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

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Instructions 

• In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, Moroccan spice blend, and salt with a fork.
• Transfer the fish fillets into a shallow container or bowl and drizzle the marinade over them. Toss the fillets around to evenly coat, and place them in the fridge for 30 minutes. In the meantime, make the mint yogurt sauce.
• Place the yogurt, mint, garlic, lemon juice, cumin, and cayenne into a small bowl and whisk it well with a fork until blended. Add salt and pepper to taste, and let the sauce sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes, covered. When 30 minutes is up you can transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate it until time for use.
• About 15 minutes before it's time to take the fish out of the fridge, preheat the oven to 400º F.
• Transfer the marinated fish fillets into a baking dish and pour the remaining marinade over them. Bake the rockfish, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until the fish is opaque and reaches an internal temperature of 145º F.
• Serve immediately with mint yogurt sauce.

Notes

I use this Moroccan spice blend from Epicurious.

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