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This really is the best baked cod! The fish comes out perfectly tender, seasoned with lemon, garlic and herbs. Everyone loves this quick and healthy weeknight dinner wonder.
Looking for a home-run weeknight dinner? Try this incredible Baked Cod! This white fish is mild, tender, and buttery in flavor. Bake it up in a hot oven swimming in a zesty lemon garlic sauce, and you’ll want another bite before you’ve finished chewing the first! This baked fish is so simple and always a hit with our whole family! Want more with cod? Try 15 Cod Recipes Everyone Will Love.
What does cod taste like?
If you’re on the fence about cod, allow us to convince you. Cod has a mild, pure flavor without a “fishy” aftertaste. In fact, it’s even more mild than salmon. It’s a great starting point for people who think they don’t like fish. Cod has a firm texture, with large flakes, and is typically firmer than other white fish like tilapia or halibut.
Best ways to eat cod? Cod is very versatile and works in many different types of preparations: like baked, pan fried, in fish tacos, and grilled.
How to buy a great fillet of cod
The most important part of making great baked cod? Start with a great piece of fish. We’ve been burned with a few bad pieces of cod, so here’s what to know:
- Fresh fish tends to be best. Some frozen cod we’ve tried has been sub-par, with a fishy aftertaste and watery texture. If you can, nab a piece from your local fish counter.
- Buy wild caught. Fish that is wild caught in your country is usually a sustainable choice. There are also quality options in well-regulated farms; see this Seafood Watch Consumer Guide.
How to make baked cod
Baked cod is one of the simplest ways to prepare this delicately-flavored fish! It comes out tender and seasoned to perfection. There are just a few things to note (or jump to the recipe below):
- Let your fish come to room temp before baking. You can do this while the oven preheats; just pull the fish out the fridge. Cooking it from room temperature helps to ensure even cooking.
- Season the fish with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the salt and pepper right onto the fish.
- Cover with seasoning. This recipe features a lemon garlic sauce made with olive oil, lemon juice, zest, minced garlic, shallot and dried oregano.
- Bake at 400°F. High heat bakes it to perfection.
- Bake 17 to 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 130°F. Cod is not nearly as touchy as salmon, so you can approximate without a thermometer. Cook until it is just flaky!
Cod seasoning variations
Want to mix it up a little? There are some great other seasoning variations to try! Skip the lemon garlic sauce and add these seasonings to the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then paint it right on the fish:
- Mexican-Style Cod: Add 2 tablespoons of this Fish Taco Seasoning before baking.
- Cajun Cod: Try it with 1 to 2 tablespoons of this spicy homemade Cajun seasoning.
- Blackened Cod: Sprinkle on 1 to 2 tablespoons Blackened seasoning, a more mild blend that still preserves the Cajun flavor.
Make it a meal! Sides to serve with baked cod
Impress your entire family with this baked cod to make an easy, healthy dinner! (Ours was seriously impressed…even our three year old!) The seasoning blend is pretty versatile, lending to lots of different side dish ideas. Here are some we’d recommend:
- Try easy salads like arugula salad or kale salad.
- Make grains like seasoned quinoa, polenta, or jade rice.
- Whip up ultimate sauteed vegetables, sauteed peppers or sauteed peppers and onions on the stovetop
- Mix up super-quick sauteed cabbage or peas with lemon.
More easy seafood recipes
Some of our favorite fast and easy dinner recipes feature seafood! Here are some of our favorite fish and seafood recipes:
- Make Quick Cod Fish Tacos or Fried Cod
- Go for tasty Baked Tilapia or Easy Baked Fish
- Try crispy Blackened Salmon or Cajun Salmon, or spring for fan favorite Creamy Shrimp Pasta or Pesto Salmon
- Have a Classic Shrimp Boil or Shrimp Scampi
This baked cod recipe is…
Gluten-free, pescatarian and dairy-free.
Baked Cod with Lemon
This really is the best baked cod! The fish comes out perfectly tender, seasoned with lemon, garlic and herbs. Everyone loves this quick and healthy weeknight dinner wonder.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds cod (4 fillets), patted dry
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus zest of one lemon (plus lemon slices for garnish)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons minced shallot
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 4 cloves)
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika or paprika
- Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Pat the cod dry, then season it with the ¾ teaspoon kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper, split between the fillets.
- In a small bowl, stir together the lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, dried oregano, minced shallot, and minced garlic.
- Brush a bit of the mixture on the bottom of a baking dish and then place the cod on top. Brush each cod fillet liberally with the olive oil mixture. Sprinkle the paprika evenly between the fillets.
- Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 17 to 20 minutes (depending on the thickness of the fish), until the fish is flaky and the internal temperature is 130°F when measured with a food thermometer. Garnish with chopped parsley and if desired, lemon slices.
Made this last night for hubby and I. It was easy and delicious! I just bought your 2 cookbooks. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes.
Thank you!
Can you list the sodium content for this recipe?
We know many people watch their sodium intake closely, so to be extra careful, we don’t include sodium in our recipe information. This is because ingredients like canned tomatoes and cheese can vary in their sodium content, and we wouldn’t want to give you inaccurate info!
If you want, you can still get an estimated sodium breakdown! Just pop the recipe into this handy website: https://whisk.com/recipe-nutrition-calculator/
This way you can check with your own ingredients. Thank you for reading!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us!! It’s so simple (and easy to cook), yet so flavorful and delicious!! My baked cod was perfectly cooked at 15 minutes – it was so good! My husband really loves it too. I have bookmarked this page – it will be my go-to recipe for cooking cod from now on!
Thanks again!🙌🏻
Love this recipe for Baked cod! It’s easy and very tasty!
Made this for dinner tonight and absolutely loved it. It was moist, tender and flavorful yet did not mask the delicate flavor of the cod. Love the fact that it is gluten-free. Most baked fish recipes call for breadcrumbs.
Delicious, ty…saved and will be making again!😋
Wondering what the nutritional value is for the Lemon Baked Cod. I see values for some of your other recipes, but not this one………Would love to know.
Thank you.
It’s updated!
Awesomely good! Easy to make & so flavorful!!
I was make this for dinner tonight together with the orange fennel salad. I really enjoyed it so fresh and juicy just perfect for a warm summer day. Thanks for the great recipes and inspiration.
I made this for dinner tonight, and y husband and I loved it! So good!
So glad you enjoyed!