5 Steps to Make Delicious Baked Chimichurri Fish Bowls

When it comes to fish, there are definitely many people who don’t like it, because a lot of people can’t eat fish and moreover, it’s a dish that tends to be a bit expensive. So Apronese presents you with a super cheap fish dish paired with rice and cabbage, sounds crazy right?

That’s how we balance high-priced and low-priced items against each other. And this baked Chimichurri fish is really delicious, attractive, and just looking at it makes you flutter, really.

Baked Chimichurri Fish Bowls

Can I Use Any Kind of Fish?

There is no limit to the kind of fish you can use to make these bowls, but the thinner the filet, the faster it will cook. I used thick cod steaks that were about 1 inch thick or so. Because they are also the most expensive item in the dish, you need to make sure that you are able to get a good deal on your fish in order for your overall cost to be as low as possible.

Because I chose to go for sustainability rather than budget this time around, my total cost was a bit higher than usual since I opted to go for sustainability rather than budget.

How Should Chimichurri Fish Bowls Be Served?

It is important to remember that when I ate these bowls on the “day of the event,” rice was warm, slaw was cold, and fish was warm. I packed the leftovers into individual containers for a cold meal the following day.

Baked Chimichurri Fish Bowls

You’ll love these light and fresh Chimichurri Fish Bowls that are incredibly easy to prepare and make great cold lunches during the rest of the week.

Author: Beth

Prep Time: 30 mins/ Cook Time: 15 mins/ Total Time: 45 mins

Servings: 4 bowls

Ingredients

Simple Slaw

• 1/2 head red cabbage (about 4 cups shredded) ($0.88)
• 1 carrot ($0.16)
• Handful fresh cilantro ($0.10)
• 2 Tbsp lemon or lime juice ($0.09)
• 1 Tbsp neutral oil (like canola) ($0.04)
• 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)

Chimichurri

• 1/2 cup olive oil ($0.83)
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar ($0.40)
• 1 cup packed Italian parsley ($0.35)
• 1/2 cup packed cilantro ($0.19)
• 3 cloves garlic ($0.24)
• 1 tsp dried oregano ($0.10)
• 1/2 tsp cumin ($0.05)
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes ($0.02)
• 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)

Fish and Rice

• 4 (5oz) cod steaks ($12.00)
• 4 cups cooked rice ($0.75)

Instructions

• If you are making a slaw, make sure you prepare it first so that the salt and lemon juice can soften the cabbage very well. Slice or shred the cabbage as thinly as you can (this is very important). Grate the carrot with a large hole cheese grater. Chop the cilantro leaves roughly.
• It takes about 30 minutes for the cabbage to soften, so carefully stir the mixture occasionally while it sits for at least 30 minutes. Combine the cabbage, carrots, cilantro, lemon juice, oil, and salt in a bowl. Stir until combined.
• This chimichurri is made by combining all the ingredients in a food processor or blender in order to change the texture and juice of the herbs. However, if you would like, you can use a knife to mince the garlic, parsley, and cilantro, and then stir them together with the other ingredients after they have been mixed together.
• The cod steaks should be placed in a baking dish, and half of the chimichurri should be sprinkled over the top, while the other half should be drizzled over the bowls once they are done cooking. The fish should be cooked through for 12-15 minutes, or until it flakes when you poke it with a fork. However, it should still be moist when you do.
• You can construct the bowls by placing one cup cooked rice in the bowl, topping it with a hefty scoop of slaw (stir the slaw just before serving), placing the baked fish on top of the slaw, and then adding some sour cream or yogurt on the top. Drizzle some of the remaining chimichurri over the entire bowl, and serve immediately.

Nutritional

Serving: 1 Serving ・ Calories: 654.03 kcal ・ Carbohydrates: 59.08 g ・ Protein: 32.55 g ・ Fat: 32.38 g ・ Sodium: 1113.78 mg ・ Fiber: 4.9 g

The nutritional values shown here are only estimates. Please see our nutrition disclaimer.

Step by Step Photos

To make the simple slaw, you have to use salt and lemon juice first, so that they can tenderize the cabbage for a few minutes. Using a large-holed cheese grater, grate one carrot and roughly chop some fresh cilantro.

Shred or slice 1/2 head of cabbage very thinly (if you have a food processor or mandolin, you can get nice super fine shreds). To make the cabbage, carrot and cilantro salad, combine the cabbage, carrot, and cilantro in a large bowl.

In a bowl, add 2 teaspoons of lemon or lime juice, 1 teaspoon of neutral oil (such as canola oil or some light vegetable oil you like), and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir to combine, then allow to sit for at least 30 minutes to soften. Stir the mixture occasionally to redistribute the salt and juice.

After preparing the chimichurri, place 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, about 1 cup of chopped Italian parsley, 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro, 3 garlic cloves (peeled), 1 teaspoon of dried oregano, half teaspoon of cumin, half teaspoon of red pepper flakes and half teaspoon of salt into the blender or food processor.

Once the garlic and herbs are finely chopped and the mixture appears like green sauce, pulse until they are finely chopped.

It is recommended that you start by preheating the oven to 400 F degrees. Place four cod steaks in a large baking dish. Cover the cod with half of the chimichurri sauce, reserving the remainder for the finished bowls.

The chimichurri should completely cover the cod so make sure it is completely covered.

If the fish is thick, bake it for 12-15 minutes, or until it is flaky but still moist, depending on whether it is thin or thick.

A fork should be able to pulverize the fish into large moist pieces when you pull the fish apart with it.

The bowls are constructed by placing one cup of cooked rice in the bottom of the bowl, along with half of the simple slaw, and then topping with one of the chimichurri-baked fish pieces. Lastly, drizzle with the remaining creamy chimichurri sauce.

This is what I packed up for my meal prep bowls for the next few days. Although the fish was warm when I ate the first one, I will be eating the leftovers as cold dishes over the next couple of days.

That’s right, this Baked Chimichurri Fish Bowls are unbelievably delicious! If you look at the photo, you may not think so, but they are extremely filling. Yippee!

Apronese recommends trying this dish, because it’s really delicious, and fish is usually good for health and brain.

This is a fairly easy dish to make, the recipe is modified so it doesn’t cost much but still tastes great. Why don’t you try it, share this post with your friends so they can cook it too.