If you are looking for a dish that will impress or simply wanting to bring a touch of luxury to the dinner table, then this sea bream with garlic and chilli recipe is perfect for you.
Take a whole Sea Bream or Sea Bass fish and delicately spice with garlic, chilli, lemon and thyme before wrapping it in foil to oven bake.
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How to Cook Sea Bream
📖 Step by Step Recipe
Sea Bream With Garlic And Chilli
Ingredients
- 2 whole Sea Bream - Gutted
- 2 cloves Garlic (minced) - or 1 teaspoon garlic puree
- 2 Chillies (minced) - or 1 teaspoon chilli puree
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Lemon - thinly sliced
- 4 sprigs Thyme
- Salt and Pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven 200℃ fan / 220°C / 425℉ / Gas Mark 7.Place the 2 whole Sea Bream on to a square sheet of tin foil each, enough to wrap the fish up into a parcel later.
- Slice diagonal slices down both sides of the sea bream to make openings for the sauce to be rubbed inside
- Mix the 2 cloves Garlic (minced), 2 Chillies (minced), 1 tablespoon olive oil together in a bowl
- Cover the marinade all over each sea bream, and in the cuts you created earlier and inside the cavity left where the fishmonger has gutted the fish.
- Add slices of 1 Lemon and 4 sprigs Thyme and sprinkle a generous amount of Salt and Pepper.
- Wrap the tin foil into a parcel, place on a baking tray in the centre of the oven and cook for 25-30 mins at 200℃ fan / 220°C / 425℉ / Gas Mark 7.
- Serve with your choice of sides! Check the blog post for suggestions.Enjoy !!
Video
Nutrition
This post has been updated 08/03/2025 with the recipe card being placed higher for a better user experience.
Or continue reading below to learn more about the ingredients and methods used to cook this fantastic fish dish.
Ingredients
Let's dive into the essential ingredients you'll need for this delicious sea bream cooked in foil recipe.
Sea Bream
Whole sea bream is the best option for this recipe as it's a lovely meaty fish. Any supermarket fishmonger is a great place to source your fish and you can purchase them already gutted to make things easier, saving time and preventing mess.
Whole sea bass makes a great alternative and is cooked the same way.
Both sea bass or bream fish is be full of goodness and brimming with Omega - 3 fatty acids with a high Omega-3 to Omega-6 ratio.
If whole fish isn't your thing, you could buy sea bream fish fillets instead. Simply cook the same way but for half the time.
Garlic
Garlic adds an aromatic flavour to your fish dish. We used fresh garlic finely minced, however, you could use a garlic puree for ease if you prefer.
Chillies
Chillies add a lovely and powerful warmth to this baked sea bream fillet. Worried it will be too spicy? You can simply adjust the spice level to suit your taste.
We used fresh chillies and minced them but chilli puree is a great option if you are in a hurry or don't like handling fresh chilli.
Oil
Olive oil helps the fish to cook evenly and prevents it from sticking to the foil. We like the rich flavours olive oil adds. You can use whatever cooking oil you prefer, sunflower and vegetable oil works well.
Lemon
Lemon is a classic ingredient for any fish dish and adds a sharp citrus tang. Fresh lemon, thinly sliced gives the best flavour but you could use a small splash of lemon juice instead.
Herbs
We used fresh thyme in our recipe as it really goes well with the other flavours, alternatively you lemongrass, rosemary or oregano are great options. Don't forget to season with salt and pepper too!
Equipment
You don't need much to make this delicious sea bream recipe. Cooking the fish in foil makes it really moist and tender, so you will need enough foil to wrap your fish in while it cooks and a sharp knife to score the fish.
Instructions
Whole sea bass recipes may seem more like something you see on restaurant menus than in your own kitchen, but this dish is far easier than you may first believe, so crack open a bottle of your favourite white wine and get ready to try this delicious recipe.
Preparing the sea bream
Preheat your oven to 200℃ fan / 220°C / 425℉ / Gas Mark 7 so it is hot and ready when it is time to cook the sea bream.
You will need to gut your fish if you haven't bought one pre-done.
Start by placing each whole fish on a square of tin foil that is big enough to fold around the fish and make a parcel later.
You'll now want to score the fish by cutting slices through the skin and into the meat. This will create openings to allow the marinade to really soak into the sea bream, creating a truly flavourful dish.
Making the marinade
Use a spoon to mix your garlic, chillies and oil together in a small bowl.
Once they are well combined, use your spoon to scoop the marinade onto the fish. Spread it around, repeat on the other side too, until the whole sea bream is fully covered.
Make sure to really get your marinade into the cuts you made and into the cavity left when the fish was gutted.
Add your slices of lemon and some sprigs of thyme to the top of the skin and sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper.
Use the foil to wrap your sea bream into a parcel and get ready to cook.
Cooking the sea bream
Simply place your sea bream parcels on a baking tray in the centre of the oven and let your fish cook inside its parcel for 25-30 minutes, just enough time for a second glass of wine!
Serve straight from the oven for a fintastic fish dish that will truly wow.
Serving Suggestions
For a light supper, we suggest a salad with cherry tomatoes, spring onions, and olives, creating delicate flavours that will go well with this sea bream recipe.
Our delicious air fryer roast potatoes or new potatoes are a great option for eating fish with, and our stir fried vegetables make a tasty side too.
See more sea bream serving suggestions under the recipe card.
Side Dishes for Fish
Consider serving your sea bream alongside some fresh, seasonal vegetables. Grains such as mushroom rice, saffron couscous, quinoa with vegetables or orzo are excellent choices to soak up sauce from the fish and add a satisfying textural element to your plate.
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- Jacket Sweet Potato in the Air Fryer (Baked Sweet Potatoes)
STORAGE
Although best served and eaten right away, you can store sea bream in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Reheating
To reheat sea bream we suggest placing it inside a new parcel and cooking it in the oven until it is thoroughly heated throughout. You may want to drizzle a little olive oil over it to stop the fish drying out.
FAQs
Yes, you will want to pat your sea bream dry with a paper towel first. Then you will need add extra olive oil to your marinade and coat the whole fish generously to prevent it sticking or becoming too dry.
If you like your fish to have a crispy outer. Open the foil parcel in the last ten minutes of cooking. Or fry on high heat in a pan for a minute on each side. Before or after cooking in the oven.
They both reach similar weight however the Sea Bream is longer and slimmer compared to the plumper Sea Bass.
There is only one species of sea bass and they can be caught many places. However, there are many different species of Bream.
In the UK it is farmed. So will always be great quality, different areas they will be called Gilthead bream, Oreata, Dorade or Dorada.
Yes, if you don't want to cook whole fish. Simply prepare sea bream fillets with the same marinade spread on the flesh, season, wrap in foil and cook for half the time at the same heat.
More Oven Baked recipes
Love this oven baked sea bream recipe? Give these other oven friendly recipes a go.
Brianna says
My first time making a whole fish! Much easier than I expected, fresh and light.
Kay says
Thank Brianna
Thanks for the comment 🙂
Glad the sea bream came out well, enjoy!!
Amanda Dixon says
This turned out amazing! I love cooking the fish in foil. It kept the fish so moist and tender.
Kay says
Thanks, Amanda
Cooking the sea bream in foil just cooks the fish so well, it's delicious 🙂
Enjoy!!
Kayla DiMaggio says
Yum! There is something so simply plated about a whole fish, it is beautiful and eye catching. I have never cooked a fish whole before and was very nervous to do so. This was so easy and came out delicious! Your steps were easy to follow and resulted in a great dish!
Danny says
Lovely recipe, very easy to follow and the result was brilliant!
Thanks for sharing!
Kay says
Thanks, Danny for the comment and rating!!
Glad to hear you like the Seabream recipe, it is the perfect summer fish dish 🙂
Amanda Wren-Grimwood says
Sea bream is one of my favourites but I have never had it like this. It looks gorgeous! Can't wait to make this.
Aimee Mars says
Wow, this looks so fancy! I would absolutely serve this at a dinner party. Thanks for including the easy step-by-step guide too.
Michelle says
This looks delicious and so easy to follow too. Love that garlic and chilli marinade.
Danielle Wolter says
Loved this recipe! It had so much flavor and the fish came out perfectly!
Kay says
Hi Danielle
So glad you loved the sea bream recipe 🙂
Thank you so much for the comment/rating 😉
Tania | Fit Foodie Nutter says
This beautiful fresh meal reminds me of the summers in the Med! Love how easy, simple and full of flavour it is!
Kay says
Hi Tania
This recipe certainly gives you that Mediterranian feel about it for sure 🙂
Thanks for the comment and rating Enjoy!!
Mona says
Hi, Thanks for your idea.
I adapted this recipe to what I had in my kitchen and seasoned bream with salt and black pepper, and placed ingredients on top, under and in cavity as follows: ~ chopped ginger, 2 crushed cloves, chopped coriander, juice of one medium lemon, dried chilli flakes.
Turned out really tasty and was devoured by my daughter.
Didn't want extra oil but half tsp may have made it less dry.
clippingpathlab says
Greatly increase the knowledge becomes more widespread, thank you very much for the information provided
karen says
This looks amazing and easy to follow. I love fish so definitely trying this!
Luke says
Let us know how you get on Karen?
nina says
oh my god, that looks absolutely delicious - i love fish
Luke says
Thanks Nina ❤
Chad says
omg this plate literally made me drool! I can't wait to make it, can't wait! Thanks for the recipe.
Kay says
Hi Chad
Thank you, hope you enjoy this recipe!!
Marie Phillips says
I have never heard of sea bream before. But the flaky white bite at the end looked amazing. I would definitely love to try this recipe, but I would probably start with fish fillets instead of the whole fish.
Kay says
Hi Marie
Thank you!
Fish fillets are a good idea especially if don't like to have a whole fish!
Enjoy!!
Recovering Superwoman says
You're right, super easy recipe. I have to be honest, I don't usually like fish presented whole- I like to think that when I'm eating fish I don't have to see them in my mind or on my plate, lol- but regardless, this presentation is stunning. Flawless indeed, friend!
Kay says
Thank you for your comment, I understand what you mean about a whole fish, but it was delicious and we hid the eyes with slices of lemon lol
If you do try this recipe hope you enjoy!!