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by Dana Sandonato//March 7, 2018 (updated August 23, 2022)
This easy and flavorful Moroccan-Spiced Rockfish recipe will have you consuming fish on the regular! Served with a cooling mint yogurt sauce.
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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 .
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.
- Mix the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, Moroccan spice blend, and salt together in a small bowl.
- 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.
- Put the yogurt, mint, garlic, lemon juice, cumin, and cayenne into a small bowl.
- 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.
- About 15 minutes before it’s time to take the fish out of the fridge, preheat the oven to 400º F.
- Pop the marinated fish fillets into a baking dish and pour the remaining marinade over it.
- Bake the rockfish, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until the fish is opaque and has an internal temperature of 145º F.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
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.
5 from 26 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
Marinating: 30 minutes minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes minutes
Servings: 2 people
Author: Dana Sandonato
Ingredients
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
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 usethis Moroccan spice blend from Epicurious.
posted in: Fish and Seafood, Food, Pescatarian // 42 comments
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A —Reply
Why did you remove the recipe for the couscous salad?!
Killing Thyme —Reply
I’ll be adding it to a separate post eventually. The full recipe wasn’t ranking well because there was too much going on. If you want to reach out to me by email I will gladly send it to you to have in the meantime!
Amanda Wren-Grimwood —Reply
What a perfect summer dish that goes so well with the yogurt dressing. Love the spicy fish too.Ieva —Reply
Another delicious recipe from you! Thanks! Unfortunately, we couldn’t find rockfish here in North Wales, UK, so used cod instead, but it was delicious nonetheless. I never paired North African flavours with fish before and was delighted with how it turned out. And that mint yoghurt – wow!MacKenzie —Reply
This rockfish recipe was delicious. The Moroccan spices on the fish combined with the yogurt sauce was perfect. My entire family loved it!Mirlene —Reply
I’m always looking for new fish recipes and this one is great. This is as tasty as it looks especially with the moroccan spices.Shadi —Reply
I was looking for a recipe like this, thank you for sharing! I can’t wait to try it soon!Rebecca S —Reply
I forgot the stars!Killing Thyme —Reply
Haha, no worries! Thank you! <3
Rebecca S —Reply
Recipe is super easy to follow. I used Harrisa instead of cayenne and Moroccan spice blend. Also used israeli (pearl)couscous. Super yummy!
Killing Thyme —Reply
Love Israeli pearl couscous! Sounds incredible. Thanks so much for taking the time to pop in with feedback!
Tina —Reply
Epcot has done a great job from I hear at introducing timid Americans to the wonders of international cuisine so kudos to Disney. Your Morrocan Spiced Rockfish looks amazing. The colors are wonderful and the spice blend with fresh ingredients sound spot-on. Thanks for sharing this, saving this for this weekend maybe.
I love everything about this dish so I’m not even sure where to start. I have never cooked with moroccan spices before and now I am so intrigued because this dish looks perfect from start to finish. The yogurt mint sauce has me wanting to put in on everything and the fish siting on top of the delicious couscous salad looks great. Perfect light fish dish to enjoy all year long. Can’t wait for patio season!Amanda —Reply
What a fantastic blend of flavors in this dish, with the moroccan spices, veggies, and pop of sweetness from the raisins and apricots. I’m especially enamored with the sound of that mint yogurt sauce. YUM. We’ve been eating a lot more seafood lately, and I’m definitely saving this to make for dinner one night over the next week. Beautiful photos, too!Patty —Reply
This Moroccan salad is full of the flavors we love and that rock fish looks cooked to perfection, I’m so fearful of overcooked fish! I bet that mint yogurt sauce is delicious with just about anything! Pinned your recipe!Tra —Reply
Oh I am with you – I grew up in a small town too and I didn’t have Moroccan food until I was in my 20s and was so sad that I had missed out on it for so long! Epcot is so cool – totally ok that’s your gateway to Moroccan, you’ve gott start somewhere!
The Moroccan flavors in this dish sound wonderful and yummy! I’ve been working on adding more Mediterranean diet friendly recipes to our lives and this dinner would be perfect for us. I’ll have to see if I can find rockfish around here. Do you think cod could be a good substitute?Killing Thyme —Reply
Hi Annemarie!
Cod, or any other mild white fillets, would totally work with this. If you’re interested in trying rockfish, definitely check in with Orca Bay! I know it seems wild that we’re living in a world where we can order seafood online, let alone quality seafood, but here we are.
Jennifer —Reply
I am with you- I haven’t experience much Moroccan food, but I have loved the little bits I have had. I loved mild flavored fish and this looks like the perfect spring and summer dish. The mint just makes all of those flavors tie together perfectly. I can’t wait to add this healthy dish into our meal plan.Tina —Reply
I love Moroccan food too, it’s so flavorful without the heat that usually comes with spicy food. It’s perfect for us. I’m going to try this, I’ve been meaning to try rockfish because I keep seeing it pop up in recipes. Good to know it’s one of those mild tasting fish, that’s what my husband likes. Thanks for your recipe!Agness of Run Agness Run —Reply
I have never tried anything from the Moroccan cuisine and this dish seems so appetizing, Dana! I would have never thought of combining all these ingredients in one dish. A perfect dish for a healthy diet!
brandy —Reply
I understand having limited availability of ingredients when living in a small town. It’s hard to branch out to try new things. Thank goodness for the internet right that leads us to new fun recipes like yours. What a unique combination of flavors you have going on here that I bet is mouthwatering!Leah —Reply
This sounds so delicious. What a great combo of flavors, and I want that mint yogurt sauce for everything! We don’t do fish often, but I will be adding this to the list!Lisa | Garlic & Zest —Reply
I’ve never been to Morocco either, but I’m very willing to travel the world through food! I’m always looking for a good preparation for fish and the mix of flavors especially with the apricots, raisins and mint… makes this a beautiful, delicious, WINNER in my book. There’s a ton of nice restaurants where you are in Raleigh — in fact, I’m going to be visiting that area this summer and I already have a list of places I want to try.Killing Thyme —Reply
Thanks, Lisa!
And that’s so exciting! What are you doing in Raleigh? I love it here. The food scene is incredible. There is SO much to chose from!
James —Reply
Though I’ve tried very little in the way of Moroccan flavours, I’ve definitely liked what I’ve tried. This dish looks and sounds amazing. I love how a dish can have so much flavour while still being so good for you too.
Killing Thyme —Reply
Thanks, James! This definitely felt super healthy, which was nice since I’d sort of fallen off of the healthy wagon for a while there. Whoopsie Daisy.
Elaine —Reply
We’re lucky enough to catch our own rockfish from time to time and, just like you’ve created here, it pairs well with strong flavours, especially interesting ones like you chose in this recipe! Love that couscous salad with the dried apricots and raisins!Killing Thyme —Reply
I love that you fish for your own fish!
Leanne | Crumb Top Baking —Reply
Epcot’s World Showcase opened my eyes to lots of different food!! But I haven’t tried Moroccan food yet. This dish looks like something I need to make ASAP! Love all the spices and fresh fish!
Killing Thyme —Reply
Epcot is life. My husband and I always make sure to go to the Biergarten in Germany for lunch during our Disney trips. We hit up the pizza joint in Italy as well this last time and goodness, it was incredible.
Dawn - Girl Heart Food —Reply
I’ve never had rock fish before that I can recall, but would definitely give it a try! Love all the flavours you have paired with it, especially since you mentioned it is a mild fish, they must really pop. And I would definitely have to have with that mint yogurt sauce cause that sounds too good not to ;)Killing Thyme —Reply
The mint yogurt sauce is so great! I used the leftovers for salad dressing that entire week. Though you don’t need much drizzled over the fish, a little drizzle makes a huge (and fabulous!) difference.
Sarah —Reply
Rockfish is one of those unfamiliar fish that I had no idea what to do with! This sounds so good though! Next time I see some, I’ll snag it and try making it. This looks fabulous!Emily —Reply
This looks absolutely delicious just the kind of healthy food I love!Dannii —Reply
Anything with Moroccan flavours is good with me. This sounds amazing and that couscous salad looks really good too.Allison - Celebrating Sweets —Reply
Such a gorgeous and healthy meal! I love all the flavors going on in there. This will be perfect for the warm weather months ahead!Janette | Culinary Ginger —Reply
I think fish and flavorful spices are meant to be together. This is a stunning dish.Elaine @ Dishes Delish —Reply
I love the combination of Moroccan flavors. My brother-in-law was Moroccan and made delightful dishes. This looks so delicious and beautiful! I would definitely eat it and enjoy every single forkful! (I giggled at you saying your co-workers will thank you for not stinking up the lunchroom) Hehe, isn’t it the worst?Killing Thyme —Reply
So you’ve been treated to the real deal! Lucky gal ;)
And yes! Though I work from home, my husband can always tell when I’ve reheated fish for lunch. Haha.
Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy —Reply
Moroccan flavours are so delicious. I often pair those wonderful spices with lamb. This fish recipe sounds wonderful. I have never heard of rockfish before. I will have to take a look at the grocery store….but I am sure I will be able to get it at the fish market when I head into Toronto next time.Killing Thyme —Reply
I hope you can find some! If not, this recipe will work with any mild white fish.
