A baked take on Colombia's coastal pescado sudado, whole fish braised in a herby tomato-onion sauce until falling-apart tender.
Pescado sudado — literally 'sweated fish' — is a beloved dish from Colombia's Pacific and Caribbean coasts, where fish is gently braised in a tomato, onion and pepper sauce until it's tender enough to fall off the bone. Traditionally cooked on the stovetop in a covered pot, this version adapts it for the oven, which makes it easier to manage at home while keeping the same slow, gentle cooking that defines the dish. The sauce is built from a proper Colombian sofrito — onion, tomato, bell pepper, garlic and scallion, cooked down until sweet and thick — with a generous handful of cilantro finishing it. Fish fillets or a whole small fish are nestled into the sauce and baked covered, so they essentially steam in the tomato mixture rather than drying out, which is exactly the gentle cooking 'sudado' describes. Served with white rice, patacones and avocado, this is real coastal Colombian comfort food — humble ingredients, unhurried cooking, and a sauce worth spooning over everything on the plate.
Serves 4
Season fish fillets with half the salt and lime juice. Let sit 10 minutes while you prepare the sauce.
Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Heat olive oil in an oven-safe skillet or baking dish over medium heat. Cook onion and red pepper until softened, about 6 minutes.
Stir in diced tomato, garlic, scallion and cumin. Cook 5-6 minutes until the tomato breaks down and the mixture smells fragrant.
Add stock and remaining salt, and simmer 3-4 minutes to combine.
Nestle fish fillets into the sauce, spooning sauce over the top. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake 15-18 minutes until the fish flakes easily and is opaque throughout.
Keeping the dish covered is what makes this properly 'sudado' — it traps steam so the fish cooks gently in the sauce rather than drying out in direct oven heat.
Scatter cilantro over the top and serve hot with white rice and patacones.
Keep the dish covered with foil for the entire bake — this traps steam and is the key technique that makes this dish 'sudado' rather than just baked fish in sauce.
Use a wide, shallow dish so the fillets sit in a single layer and cook evenly.
Choose firm white fish that holds together well, like corvina or tilapia — delicate fish like sole can fall apart during the braise.
Use a whole small fish instead of fillets for a more traditional presentation, extending the bake time to 25-30 minutes depending on size.
Add coconut milk to the sauce for a Pacific coast variation that leans into that region's coconut-forward cooking.
Include sliced carrots or potato in the sauce for a heartier, more complete one-dish meal.
Refrigerate in the sauce up to 2 days. Reheat gently covered on the stovetop or in a low oven with a splash of stock to keep the fish moist.
Pescado sudado is a signature dish of Colombia's Pacific and Caribbean coastal regions, where the technique of gently braising fish in a covered pot with tomato and onion sauce reflects the cooking traditions of Afro-Colombian coastal communities, who have long relied on fresh-caught fish prepared simply with local vegetables and herbs.
Yes — this is actually the traditional method; build the sauce in a covered pot, nestle in the fish, and simmer gently covered over low heat for 12-15 minutes.
Any firm white fish works well — snapper, grouper, or even tilapia are common substitutes that hold up to the braise.
This usually happens with delicate fish or if the fillets are moved around too much while cooking — use a firm fish and avoid stirring once the fillets are nestled into the sauce.
Per serving (300g / 10.6 oz) · 4 servings total
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