This Dump-and-Bake Italian Fish Recipe with Broccoli and Rice is an entire meal that cooks in one dish! With just 5 minutes of prep, you can stir together the raw ingredients and enjoy a healthy and easy seafood dinner -- any night of the week.
Looking to add a few more easy and healthy fish recipes to your repertoire?
This simple dump-and-bake meal takes advantage of basic pantry and freezer staples for a nourishing dinner that comes together in minutes!
What type of fish is best for this recipe?
A mild, white fish like cod or mahi-mahi is the perfect way to introduce picky eaters to a new seafood dish. The casserole doesn't taste "fishy," and instead is more like a classic chicken dinner!
I used frozen mahi-mahi fillets from Costco here, since that's what I had on hand. Fresh or frozen fish will work equally well -- just make sure that frozen fish is fully thawed first.
If you participated in my free 5-Day Meal Planning Challenge for Easy Dinners in 15 Minutes (or Less), then you know that stocking your kitchen with a few frozen vegetables and proteins (like frozen fish fillets) is one of my best tips for quick-prep meals.
You can join that free Challenge at any time (here), and you will receive my checklists for pantry, freezer, and refrigerator staples to keep on hand. It's amazing how many different meals you can throw together in a few minutes using just a handful of basics -- including this easy Italian fish recipe.
If we can avoid an extra trip to the grocery store, I consider it a win!
How Long Does it Take to Bake Fish in the Oven?
I'm going to walk you through the simple dump-and-bake method to get this Italian fish recipe on the table in minutes -- complete with a side of rice and broccoli, no less!
First, let's start with the sauce. In a 9 x 13-inch dish (or in a separate bowl), whisk together condensed cream of celery soup, water, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Add 1 cup of uncooked long grain white rice,
and stir in a bag of frozen baby broccoli florets. You don't even need to thaw the broccoli first!
Spread the broccoli and rice mixture into the prepared baking dish, cover tightly with foil, and bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes.
While the rice is in the oven, prepare the fish. Pat the fillets dry; drizzle with olive oil; and season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese!
After the rice has baked for 30 minutes, give it a good stir, and then place the fish fillets right on top.
Cover with foil; and return the dish to the oven for about 20-25 more minutes (or until rice is tender and fish flakes easily with a fork). SO EASY, right?!
I like a crispy finish on the outside of my fish, so I transfer the pan to the broiler during the final 3-5 minutes of baking time. This is totally optional, but definitely my preference!
Have a family member that would like a chicken dinner instead of a fish recipe? Be sure to check out my Dump-and-Bake Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole, which is a very similar option for the poultry-lovers in your life!
Trust me: you can't go wrong with this Italian-inspired twist on a simple, healthy, and delicious one pot meal!
More easy fish recipes that you might enjoy:
- Crispy Southern Fried Catfish
- 4-Ingredient Baked Fish with Tomato Basil Sauce
- Greek Salmon Baked in Foil
- Easy Salmon Patties
Dump-and-Bake Italian Fish Recipe with Broccoli and Rice
Ingredients
- 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup (NOT diluted)
- ¾ cup water
- ¾ teaspoon Italian seasoning divided
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
- 1 (12.6 ounce) bag frozen baby broccoli florets (or cuts), NOT thawed
- 1 lb. white fish fillets (such as cod or mahi-mahi) , about 4 ounces each, thawed if frozen
- 1 ½ teaspoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a large baking dish (about 9 x 13 inches) with cooking spray.
- In prepared dish or in a separate bowl, whisk together condensed soup, water, ¼ teaspoon of Italian seasoning, garlic powder, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper.
- Stir in uncooked rice and frozen broccoli. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and cover tightly with foil.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
- While the rice is in the oven, pat the fish dry and rub with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle with remaining ½ teaspoon of Italian seasoning. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.
- After the rice has baked for 30 minutes, remove from the oven, stir, and place the fish fillets on top.
- Cover with foil and return to the oven for 20-25 more minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork and rice is tender.
- For a crispy finish on the fish, during the final 3-5 minutes of baking time, I like to remove the foil and put the dish under the broiler.
Meg
Have you ever used cooked rice in this dish? We eat a lot of rice (my son does not like potatoes at all), so I frequently have rice as the side... with plenty of leftovers.
Blair
Hi, Meg! No, I haven't tried it with cooked rice. You can probably make the same recipe with cooked rice; however, the final texture will be completely different. The uncooked rice absorbs the liquid in the dish as it bakes, which the cooked rice would not do. 🙂
Alicia Ainsworth
Hi Blair,
Just wondering if fresh broccoli would work ok, as that's what I have on hand.
Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes!
Blair
Hi, Alicia! Yes, the fresh broccoli should work fine! It may cook in less time than the frozen broccoli, which isn't a big deal if you don't mind it really soft. 🙂
Mary
I think I will try this with cauliflower rice. What do you think?
Blair Lonergan
Hi, Mary! I haven't tried it that way, but it might work. You may want to omit the water called for in the recipe, though. Cauliflower rice will release extra liquid as it cooks, and it will not absorb liquid like the rice does. You don't really need to pre-cook the cauliflower rice like you do the regular rice, either. Just cook it all together until the fish is done. Hope it works!
Mary
It did work with cauliflower rice! I used frozen cauliflower rice and fresh broccoli with the other ingredients you recommended. Both my husband and I loved it. This will be a go to for me!
Blair Lonergan
Wonderful! Thanks for letting me know, Mary. So glad that you enjoyed it. 🙂
Imani
Imani: can I use almond milk instead of celery cream soup The sodium is too high It sounds very good
Blair
Hi, Imani! I honestly don't know how it would turn out with the almond milk. You would need to add a good amount of additional seasoning to the dish, since the celery soup includes a lot of spices/herbs/seasonings. The soup also makes the rice creamy and thick, so it wouldn't be as creamy without that ingredient. It might still taste good -- just different! 🙂
rose
wow! Will Prepare for tonight dinner. Thanks for sharing.
Rosemary
I would like to use brown rice. Would I need to add more liquid?
Blair
Hi, Rosemary! You don't need any more liquid for the brown rice, but you will need to increase the baking time by about twice as long.
Michelle
I am making this tomight Changed a few things because I used what I had on hand.. I used cream of chicken and cream of mushroom. Used spinach did not have broccoli. Can't wait to eat ????. Yummy. Happy I found this because I would of never thought of a one pot meal making fish and rice. Always cooked it separate
Thank you ????
Blair
Thanks, Michelle! I hope you loved it!
Angela
I would like to use instant brown rice. What changes to this recipe should i make?
Blair
Hi, Angela! That's tough, because the instant rice will not absorb liquid in the same way that the long grain white rice will. You would need to reduce the amount of water and celery soup used in the recipe, but I can't give you specific proportions because I've never tested it myself. The instant rice probably won't need a full 50-55 minutes in the oven, either -- it will cook much faster. Maybe a total of 30 minutes for the instant rice (again, that's just a guess). 🙂
Colleen
Cooking this for a second time tonight. So easy and tasty. Thanks Blair
Blair
That's great, Colleen! Thank you!????
Mary Anne Baldwin
We made this tonight and it was awesome and simple to make!
Blair
Thanks, Mary Anne!
Joanna Pharai
I tried this recipe twice and every time the rice does not absorb the liquid is hard and crunchy
Blair
Hi, Joanna! It just sounds like it's not done cooking. When the rice is finished, it will be tender and soft and it will have absorbed the liquid. You just need to leave it in the oven longer. Hope that helps! 🙂
Ashleigh Shepherd
Going to try this tonight
Thankyou for sharing
Blair
That's great, Ashley! Enjoy! 🙂
Jill Schneider
I need to use a low cooker, can anyone help? TIA!
Blair
Hi, Jill! I've never tried this recipe with a slow cooker, so unfortunately I can't offer specific cook times. That said, I would start by adding the rice and broccoli mixture first (since it will likely need a longer cooking time than the fish). Long grain white rice will probably take about 1.5-2 hours on HIGH or 3-4 hours on LOW. The fish may only need about 2 hours on LOW or 1 hour on HIGH, so you'd want to add that towards the end. Since cooking times on Crock Pots vary greatly (depending on the type of the pot and the temperature that it runs), it will be important to check the dish regularly so that you can turn it off once the fish is done. Otherwise, fish is a really easy protein to overcook, and then it will become dry. Let me know if you end up giving it a try! 🙂
Jill Schneider
Thanks for your suggestions Blair! I will definitely post after I have tried this.
Blair
Excellent! Enjoy. 🙂
Jill Schneider
"SLOW" cooker, sorry!
Chloe
Hi can the celery cream soup be substituted for something else as Iita not something I regularly stock it
Blair
Hi, Chloe! You can substitute with any other flavor of condensed soup (such as cream of mushroom), but if you don't have any soup like that, you can just use an equal amount of chicken broth. It won't have the same flavor or texture, but it will still work! Enjoy. 🙂
Amy
Hi, made this tonight, it’s delicious minus the rice in the edges being hard and crunchy, any recommendations? I honestly don’t think cooking it longer it the answer as all of the liquid is gone.
Blair
Hi, Amy! I don't have any specific recommendations. The rice gets crispy on the edges kind of like the noodles in a casserole get crispy on the edges and on top. Some folks think those are the best (my husband included). 🙂 If your rice was cooked throughout the dish and you enjoyed the flavor, I wouldn't change a thing!
Leah
Spectacular recipe! I used wild rice blend and added mushrooms and green peppers and used fresh broccoli. Doubled the rice. 5 large pieces of cod. All of her seasonings. 1 can soup but doubled the water.
So yummy! Thank you!
Blair
Thanks, Leah! I'm so glad that you enjoyed it!
mary sciascia
Can this dish be frozen and reheated in the microwave?
Blair
Yes, you can do that. I find that broccoli and rice can be kind of mushy when thawed and reheated, though. It definitely wouldn't be my first choice. 🙂