If I had to choose just one kind of seafood to eat, it would be haddock every time. And this recipe for panko parmesan baked haddock would certainly top the list. There’s a good reason it’s been the #1 recipe on the blog for a DECADE!
Why Panko Parmesan Haddock is a Winner
This haddock recipe takes standard (ahem – boring) baked white fish and gives it a boost with crunchy Panko and savory Parmesan.
Aside from that, it’s incredibly simple to put together, and takes no special skills, equipment, or ingredients. And the BEST part? It’s on your table in under 30 minutes.
Winner, winner, haddock for dinner!
3 Simple Steps to Panko Parmesan Baked Haddock
Prep is perfectly simple. The whole dish has just 5 ingredients (plus salt and pepper). It’s really just a matter of crumb, drizzle, and bake.
First, coat the milk-dipped fish with the breadcrumb mixture…
Next, drizzle the melted butter…
Finally, pop it into a piping hot oven for about 15 minutes. The butter helps the crumb mixture brown and crisp, and adds richnes to the otherwise very lean fish.
Serve it up with a hearty starch like a baked sweet potato, and add some greens or roasted brussel sprouts.
Why is haddock so popular anyway?
As a main ingredient, haddock is super easy-going. It’s no wonder it’s featured in thousands of recipes on the web. Here’s just a short list of its best features:
- Haddock’s mild flavor means it goes well with all kinds of ingredients – think citrus, spicy, savory, or even creamy, like chowder.
- Nutritionally, it’s packed with protein and very low in fat. You get a good dose of vitamins B6 and B12, as well as minerals like phosphorus and magnesium.
- It cooks quickly with little fuss, and is hard to mess up, even for a novice cook!
I certainly could mess it up, you know, if I had to catch it, gut and skin it. But let’s be real, peeps – I am just not the kill it and eat it type of gal. I’m more of a ‘hunt it down in the grocery store and pounce on it’ kind. C’est la vie!
More recipes featuring haddock
If you love haddock and are looking for some other tried-and-true recipes, check out my recipe for haddock smothered in cheese sauce or simmered in chowder. But my other fave way to prep haddock is an ‘oven fried’ version using crunchy corn flakes. Check out those recipes and let me know what you think!
Panko Parmesan Baked Haddock
This super easy panko parmesan baked haddock will win your heart and your taste buds with it's simplicity and flavor. All you need are 5 ingredients and 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup lowfat milk
- 1 pound haddock cut into 4 portions
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Lightly oil an 8×8 baking dish.
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Combine bread crumbs and cheese in a wide, shallow bowl (I use a pie tin). Pour milk into a separate, small bowl.
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Dip each fillet into the milk, shake off excess, and then press the fillet into the crumb mixture, turning and pressing to ensure the fish is coated on all sides. Transfer to the baking dish.
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Pour the melted butter over the fillets. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, as desired. Bake for about 15 minutes (the thicker the fillet, the longer the cooking time). The fish is done when it is firm and flakes easily with a fork.
Recipe Notes
If you can’t get haddock, cod would work well in this recipe too.
This recipe has been gracing my table since 2012. Below is my original photo from then – ugh! How far I’ve come 
this is a great recipe for haddock and make it often
This was quick, easy and ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!!
Fantastic!! So glad it worked for you.
So good and easy too!
Thank you!
Thank you, Cindy! Yes, simple and delicious. One of my absolute favorite dishes.
Hi Julia! I just found your site searching for haddock recipes. Unfortunately, my 10 year old daughter is struggling with a serious weight issue and I worry about her health. I have been working to help her lose weight by totally revamping our eating habits. I want to make permanent changes that she can learn from. I also want to make sure doesn’t feel like she is being punished or forced to do a “diet”. I don’t want to see her get into a “yo-yo diet” cycle as I’ve done in the past. This recipe sound fantastic and I plan to try it. However, I am surprised by the amount of fat that you listed for it. Can you recommend any changes that would cut down on the grams of fat without taking away from the taste? I appreciate your time. Thank you!!
Hi Carrie – I applaud your efforts to help your daughter develop healthy habits. For this recipe the fish is very lean so a little additional fat is (in my opinion) necessary for flavor and to keep it from drying out. You can always cut the butter in half or eliminate it altogether. A little milk or broth drizzled over could help.Play with it and see (easy to do with individual filets!) Good luck 🙂
Thank you so much. That makes total sense. I might try a few different things but I’m thinking that for this dish I may just choose sides that are lower in fat to have with it to balance out the fat. If I mess with it and it turns out bland and tasteless it may turn my daughter off to it all together. Thank you again!!!
Great idea and similar to how I balance out meals for my family.
Hi carrie just wanted to let you know that I just made this using skim milk and very little of LOL light butter with Canola Oil and it was wonderful. Think your daughter would love it.
Thank you SO much, Kate!!! I am going to try it that way. I was planning on having it later this week so your timing was perfect!!! I truly appreciate it!!!
I also often substitute olive oil for butter. There is a slight difference in taste, but the saturated fat content of olive oil is much lower and thus is a healthier option. In the long run it’ll help to maintain a healthy cholesterol.
Use Ghee . It is clarified butter that removes all the fat and unhealthy properties , yet has the full richness of butter.in fact more concentrated taste on the palate . It is very healthy and used in Ayurvedic Medicine . Google will be a far better educator than I . But I promise you it is worth the investigation and it doesn’t compromise the recipe one iota .
Thanks, Paul! I’ve not cooked with Ghee before. Something to add to my ‘list’ for sure.
Really not that much fat if there’s not butter.
You’re right, the fish and recipe itself are very low in fat. I find the butter boosts both the overall taste and texture, but certainly it can be reduced or eliminated altogether.
Try staying with olive oil instead of using butter. I bought an air fryer and have discovered how a little olive oil spritz works magic. My teens are trying to loose weight and the air fryer is the way to go.
Can u use icelandock haddock to make this recipe?
Yes and I have. Any white fish would be good, but especially cod, haddock, and tilapia (in my opinion)
My husband is always asking me to buy fish Im not a huge fan, and when I do buy its ALWAYS white fish . He complains it has no flavor. I cooked this recipe a week ago and he loved it!! Great flavor and SO easy. Thanks p.s having again tonigbt.
Woohoo! That sounds like a success story to me. Thanks for sharing, Linda!
For a variety of reasons, I rarely have milk in the house. Is there an alternative liquid I could use? Thanks!
Just skip the milk part – the bread crumbs will still stick. I just made it that way the other night!
Trying this tonight! Looks delish!
Great! Please stop back and let everyone know what you thought.
Thank you, Shirley!! You just made my day 🙂 I’m sharing your comment on my FB page.
I have made this several times and my oven always smokes. The fish is delicious, but I can’t understand why it always smokes up so badly. I have moved and have the same problem with both of the ovens I have used. What am I doing wrong?
I don’t know! Are you accidentally broiling it instead of baking it? (I only ask b/c my husband lot the stove on fire reheating onion rings under broiler!!) Also you want to be sure fish is in the center of the oven, not too high. Have you tried covering it with foil? Let me know if u figure it out.
Also, Lynn, you might try lowering the oven temp to 425, and just test fish after 15-20 minutes for doneness. Covering ought to help though.
Enjoyed it for supper tonight. Delicious. Easy to cut recipe in quarters and do in toaster oven. Very handy for one person to prepare. It’s a keeper.
Glad it worked for you. Fish is great one-person meal.
Ooh feta and artichoke lemon sauce?? Might have to copycat that one 🙂 Thanks for the idea!
We just finished having this for dinner and it was FANTASTIC! 2 out of 3 kids loved it, and the 3rd just has a bad attitude about haddock, but I keep trying… Thanks for the great recipe!
Woohoo!! I’d call that a success. LOL at your kid with the attitude about haddock – I’ve got one who feels that way towards all cooked veggies, but I keep trying too!
This was the best fish dinner I have ever eaten, the flavor was light & refreshing. Would love to know the calorie & fat content if you could post it that would be so helpful.
Thank you so much, Mary! Thanks for stopping by to let me know. I will be happy to do the numbers and email to you
For Mary and any other readers interested in the nutritional content of this recipe:
*Numbers calculated based on my recipe as stated, which would make 4 portions. Calculated based on 1 pound of haddock, non fat milk, and the use of regular (salted) butter. Does not include any additional salt added by the individual.
Per Portion (approx 4 oz of fish)
275 kcals
14 grams fat
360 mg sodium
12 grams carbohydrate
This dish was an absolute success in our house. The crunch of the Parmesan and Panko combined with the light fish paired with some grilled vegetables and rice made for a wonderful meal. This is definitely on the menu for future dinners.
Awesome!!! Another winner – thanks for letting me know!
This looks so good!