How to Cook Rock Fish

Co-authored by Ed Kuoha and Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: December 28, 2022

You may have seen rock cod, Pacific snapper, red snapper, or Pacific Ocean perch at the seafood counter. These are all names for what's commonly called rockfish. This tender white fish can be simply sautéed with a little butter until it's flaky. You can also coat it with panko breadcrumbs and bake it until it becomes crispy. For even more flavor, coat the rockfish with a blackening seasoning and broil it until it's cooked throughout.

Ingredients

Crispy Baked Rockfish

1 1/2 pounds (680 g) rockfish
2 teaspoons (10 ml) soy sauce
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup (90 g) panko breadcrumbs
1 large pinch salt
1/2 cup (60 g) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil

Makes 4 servings

Simple Sautéed Rockfish

2 pounds (907 g) rockfish filet with skin on
3 tablespoons (42 g) cold butter, divided
Salt and pepper to taste

Makes 4 servings

Blackened and Broiled Rockfish

1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable or coconut oil
1 pound (453 g) rockfish (about 2 large fillets)
1 tablespoon (7 g) paprika
1 teaspoon (2 g) cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon (1 g) garlic powder
1 teaspoon (2 g) dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon (2 g) dried oregano leaves
½ teaspoon (3 g) salt
½ teaspoon (0.5 g) ground black pepper

Makes 4 servings

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Making Crispy Baked Rockfish

1
Preheat the oven and heat a skillet. Turn the oven on to 450 °F (232 °C). Set a large oven-safe skillet in the oven on the middle rack. The skillet should become hot as the oven heats.^{[1]
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2
Cut the rockfish and brush it with soy sauce. Get out 1 1/2 pounds (680 g) of rockfish and use a sharp knife to cut the fish into 4 even serving-sized pieces. Pour 2 teaspoons (10 ml) of soy sauce into a small prep bowl. Dip a pastry brush in the soy sauce and brush it over each piece of the rockfish. Turn the pieces over and brush the other side of each piece.^{[2]
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3
Set up a dredging station. Place 3 shallow bowls or plates on your work surface. Place 1 lightly beaten egg in one bowl. Measure 1 cup (90 g) of panko breadcrumbs into the next bowl and add a large pinch of salt. Place 1/2 cup (60 g) of all-purpose flour in the other bowl.^{[3]
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4
Dip the rockfish in the flour. Lay each piece of rockfish in the bowl with the flour. Turn the pieces so they're completely coated. Lift them up and gently shake them to remove the excess flour.^{[4]
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5
Coat the rockfish in the egg. Dip the floured rockfish into the beaten egg so it's totally covered with the egg. Lift the pieces up and let the extra egg drip back into the bowl.^{[5]
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6
Roll the rockfish in the panko breadcrumbs. Place the rockfish in the bowl with the panko breadcrumbs. Gently press the fish to coat both sides in the panko breadcrumbs.^{[6]
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7
Pour oil into the hot skillet and arrange the fish in the pan. Use oven mitts to remove the hot skillet from the oven. Pour 2 (30 ml) of vegetable oil into the skillet and lay the fish in it so they're in a single layer.^{[7]
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- If your skillet isn't big enough to hold the fish in a single layer, you might have to bake the rockfish in 2 batches or use 2 skillets.
8
Bake the rockfish for 4 to 8 minutes. Put the skillet back in the oven and bake the fish for 2 to 4 minutes. Cook the fish for less time if the pieces are thin. Turn the rockfish over and bake the fish for another 2 to 4 minutes.^{[8]
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9
Serve the crispy baked rockfish. Remove the fish from the oven and ensure that it's cooked completely. The fish should flake easily if you brush a fork across the center. Serve the fish while it's still hot.^{[9]
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- You can refrigerate leftover rockfish in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days, but it will become soft as it's stored.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Making Simple Sautéed Rockfish

1
Heat a sauté pan and season the rockfish. Place a large sauté pan on the stove and turn the heat to high. Sprinkle 2 pounds (907 g) of rockfish filet with salt and pepper according to your taste.^{[10]
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- If you're using large pieces of rockfish, cut them in half so they cook evenly.
2
Place the fish in the pan with some of the butter. Place 2 tablespoons (28 g) of the butter into the pan and lay the seasoned fish skin side down in the pan.^{[11]
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3
Cook the fish for 3 minutes. Sear the rockfish over high heat without moving the fish at all. The skin should darken and crisp up a little.^{[12]
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4
Flip the rockfish and cook it for 1 more minute. Use a fish turner or spatula to carefully turn each piece of rockfish over. Cook the fish for another minute over high heat.^{[13]
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5
Add the butter and cook the fish for 1 more minute. Place the last tablespoon (14 g) of cold butter and add it to the pan. Cook the fish for one more minute while you spoon the melting butter directly over the fish.^{[14]
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- It can help to tilt the pan a little so you can spoon up the melting butter.
- The rockfish will sauté for a total of about 5 minutes.
6
Serve the sautéed rockfish. Stick a metal skewer into the thickest part of the rockfish. The skewer should be hot when you pull it out of the fish. You can also check to see if the fish flakes when you run a fork over it. Serve the rockfish while it's hot.^{[15]
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- You can refrigerate leftover rockfish in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Making Blackened and Broiled Rockfish

1
Combine the blackening seasoning. Measure all of your seasoning ingredients into a small prep bowl and mix them until they're combined. You'll need:^{[16]
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- 1 tablespoon (7 g) paprika
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon (1 g) garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) dried thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) dried oregano leaves
- ½ teaspoon (3 g) salt
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 g) ground black pepper
2
Preheat the broiler and grease a baking dish. Turn your broiler on and get out a large baking dish. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of vegetable or melted coconut oil in the bottom of the dish.^{[17]
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3
Season the fish and arrange it in the pan. Lay 1 pound (453 g) of rockfish in a single layer in the greased baking dish. Cover the fish with the blackening seasoning and use your fingers to rub the seasoning into the fish. Try to rub the seasoning on the sides of the fish too.^{[18]
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4
Broil the rockfish for 6 minutes. Place the baking dish 3 to 4 inches (7 to 10 cm) below the broiler. Broil the fish until it's cooked throughout. Test the fish by brushing a fork against the center of a piece. If it's cooked, the fish with flake apart.^{[19]
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- If the fish isn't cooked enough, broil it for another 2 to 4 minutes.
5
Serve the blackened rockfish. Remove the blacked fish from the pan and serve it while it's hot. Consider serving it over Cajun-spiced pasta or along with rice and vegetables.^{[20]
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- Store the leftover rockfish in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.