Baked Cod

Need a bit of spring cleaning in your weeknight dinner rotation? Dive into one of my favorite beginner-friendly seafood dishes: baked cod. If you’ve never cooked cod before, newsflash: It’s practically foolproof. Not only does cod cook quickly, but it can take on a variety of flavors and seasonings that make it one of my favorites to mix and match depending on my mood (or what’s in the fridge that week).

Here, I opted for a sauce made of staples I always have on hand (tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and lemon), but there’s quite literally an ocean’s worth of flavor combinations that go swimmingly (pun intended) with cod. Whether it’s for a fancy dinner party or as the star of a casual taco night, you’ll find you’re only ever 30 minutes away from having sweet and extremely tender cod on your table.

What People Are Saying:
“I had just about given up on cod, and then I found this recipe. I've made it 3 times now. My husband and I love it. It's really really good!” - lis4256

“This is so simple, delicious, and versatile. I've made it now several times with different fish, herbs, no cherry tomatoes, fine, just cut up regular ones...have made with sliced oranges..yum!!!! It is the perfect recipe. Our quick go-to dinner now. :)” - kzmama

How To Make Baked Cod

INGREDIENTS

• Cod Fillets: The beauty of cod is that both fresh or frozen fillets will work in this recipe. When possible, opt for the highest quality cod you can find—we’re keeping the seasonings very simple so that the flavor of this not-too-fishy fish can really sparkle. Have another fish in mind? This recipe will also work with other mild types of white fish such as halibut and tilapia.
• Olive Oil: I love the subtle peppery spice that olive oil brings to any protein, especially for fish that’s as mild and sweet such as cod.
• Tomatoes, Lemon & Garlic: Name a better, more summery trio than tomatoes, lemon and garlic—I’ll wait. Especially when baked with cod, the tomatoes will become jammy and sweet, the garlic will be perfectly caramelized, and the juicy lemons ensure the cod stays moist and tender. By all means, feel free to get creative with what you have on hand; switch out the tomatoes for asparagus, add a splash of white wine, or sliced shallot to really amp up the flavor.
• Parsley & Thyme: Fresh herbs like peppery parsley and woodsy thyme are more than just a pretty garnish—I love how they play off the sweetness of the cod, but any number of fresh herbs would be great here, like chives, oregano, or basil.
• Red Pepper Flakes: For an added bit of heat, a few red pepper flakes go a long way. Feel free to skip these if you’re spice-averse.
  

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400° and pat the cod fillets with a paper towel until dry. This will help to keep it from getting waterlogged and break apart when baked. While it's tempting, do yourself a big favor and don't skip this step! Once dry, season the fillets all over with salt and pepper.

Then, combine the olive oil, cherry tomatoes, lemon slices, garlic, thyme, and red pepper flakes in a 13" x 9" baking dish.

Toss the mixture to coat and spread into an even layer, then nestle the cod pieces into a baking dish. Pro tip: If you’re worried about your fish sticking to the bottom of the dish, layer your cod fillets on top of the lemon slices.

Now, it’s time for a quick bake. Whether you start with fresh or frozen cod, it should always be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 145°. The best way to check is with a thermometer, but you can also look for if your fish is completely opaque and flakes easily with a fork, which should take between 25 and 30 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fish.

Remove the cod from the oven and serve it garnished with parsley, more lemon juice, and pan sauce.

The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• Fresh vs. frozen cod: Although it’s ideal to find it fresh, seafood can truly be just as good frozen. To thaw frozen cod thoroughly and safely, place it in the fridge and let it thaw gradually overnight. If you're in a pinch, you can thaw it in the sink by running cool (not warm or hot!) water over the fish until it's completely thawed. If you use this method, be sure to leave the fish in its plastic wrapping. If you place the fish directly in the water to thaw, it will become waterlogged and fall apart when baked.
• Layer with lemons" If you want some extra assurance that your cod won’t stick to the dish, try placing your thin slices of lemon under the fish.
  

What To Serve With Baked Cod

I love serving this cod with some lemony orzo, roasted potatoes, or cacio e pepe Brussels sprouts, but you can also break out some corn tortillas and cabbage slaw for delicious fish tacos (this is especially good for any leftovers). Want the best of both worlds? Add this to our fish tacos bowls!

Storage

Cooked cod can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days or in the freezer for 1 month, but keep in mind that the texture may change a bit with freezer storage. I recommend reheating it in an oven at low temperature, but microwaving will also work.