Recipes and Cooking How to Cook Cooking Basics How Long to Cook Fish in the Oven, Microwave, or on the Stovetop Minutes count when cooking fish. Follow these time and temperature tips based on cooking method. By Sheena Chihak, RD Sheena Chihak, RD Instagram Sheena Chihak is a registered dietitian, former food editor and current edit lead for BHG with over 15 years of writing and editing experience for both print and digital. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Published on June 9, 2015 Share Tweet Pin Email Before you bake fish, add a layer of butter or margarine. Weigh dressed fish or use a ruler to measure the thickness of fillets and steaks in order to better estimate when to check for doneness. Properly cooked fish is opaque, flakes easily when tested with a fork, and comes away from the bones readily; the juices should be milky white. (For more preparation information and cooking times, download the chart below. Downloading requires Adobe Acrobat software.) View chart Download Adobe Acrobat Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit