Psari Plaki (Greek baked Fish with Tomatoes & Onions)

[Updated 26/02/2025]

"Plaki" is a way that in Greece we cook fish in the oven using tomatoes, onions and parsley. We can use whatever fish we like, but here I am using salmon just because I found nice fresh salmon today that it's the favorite of my husband. It's a recipe that I strongly suggest to try, as it tastes great!

Ingredients

4 fillets of white fish (cod, haddock, or sea bass)
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
400g (14 oz) canned tomatoes, crushed
3 large potatoes, cut into small cubes
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup white wine (optional; substitute with water if preferred)
1 cup water
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
2. In a pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onions until soft, then add the garlic and cook for another minute.
3. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, white wine (or water), parsley, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
4. Place the fish fillets in a baking dish (preferably with a cover), arranging the potatoes around them. Pour the sauce over the fish and potatoes, then add the remaining 1 cup of water.
5. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the fish is tender and flakes easily with a fork.

Serving Tips & Variations

Psari Plaki pairs beautifully with a side of steamed greens (horta), a crisp Greek salad, or crusty bread to soak up the sauce. While traditionally made with white fish, you can also use salmon for a richer version (as shown in my photos). For extra depth of flavor, add a handful of olives or capers to the sauce before baking. For a quicker method, you can skip Step 2 and add all the ingredients directly to the baking dish.

(older version follows ...)

Wash salmon, and if needed take out the skin. Put in the middle of an oven dish, and fill the space around with peeled potatoes that you have cut in slices.






Cover the salmon with some slices of a tomato, minced parsley and the minced onion (I did not put today). Pour on top of salmon and potatoes the pureed tomatoes, add salt, pepper and olive oil. Pour water to cover half of the potatoes.

Put in the oven (180C/fan) for about 1h. Watch out for water and not to burn on surface (Mine was on limit today :). Enjoy it as it is really delicious!