Baked Cod Recipe – tender and flaky cod fillets smothered in a lemon garlic sauce with a kiss of heat. A super tasty low-carb dinner in just 20 minutes!
Hello, new month! We’re opening the first week of March with a vibrant dinner dish (as promised in my last email) that is so perfect for this coming spring season and Ash Wednesday, which is in a few days for those of you who observe the Lenten Season.
The best part is that this baked cod doesn’t require much effort in the kitchen and comes ready in just 20 minutes! Wohooo!
What Does Cod Fish Taste Like?
There are very few people that I know of that dislike cod. Yes, and I probably have asked them “whhhyyyy” a million times! Cod fish is sometimes nicknamed as the “chicken of the sea” because of it’s white, lean, flaky meat and mild taste. It’s also probably the reason why most “fish ‘n chips” are always made with cod. With its mild taste, you could season it with whatever that suits your mood.
How to Choose the Best White Fish for a Recipe?
White fish is not another kind of fish species, but instead it refers to the fish that is mild in flavor (like the cod), quick-cooking fish that is also budget-friendly. If a recipe calls for a white fish, you can buy any of the following: cod, tilapia, catfish, bass, grouper and snapper – to mention some.
To choose the best kind of fish for a recipe you have to follow some of these seriously easy steps:
- Go for the fresh ones. I usually buy fresh fish at a local seafood or fish market. You can do a quick sniff and buy the least fishy-smelling one.
- Take note of the thickness of the fish as the recipe calls for. The thickness is important as it determines how long you’re supposed to cook it.
- If the fish isn’t necessarily the star of the recipe (like shredding them for sliders or tacos or as meat chunks on a chowder, go with the inexpensive ones)
- If all else fails, simply ask the person at the fish counter and tell them what dish you’re making. They can usually guide you in choosing the right kind of fish.
Can I use other kind of fish?
Yes, you can replace Cod with Tilapia, Haddock, Pollack, Stripped Bass, Mahi-Mahi and Grouper fillets. Any lean white fish would turn out great with this sauce.
How Long to Bake Cod?
Since it is a lean type of fish, Cod cooks really quickly in a preheated 400 F oven. It should take around 10-15 minutes to cook depending, of course, upon the thickness of your fish fillet. For a 375 F oven, that would be around 15 -20 minutes and around 25-30 minutes in a 350 F oven.
Is it Safe to Eat Cod?
Actually, Cod is among the best choices of fish that the FDA recommends to eat 2-3 servings per week. You can refer to this chart here for their healthy and safe recommendations on eating fish.
More Delicious Fish Recipes
If you can’t find fresh cod though, frozen cod will work just fine. Just make sure you thaw them and pat dry well before you lightly season it with salt and pepper. Serve this delicious baked cod with your choice of rice or a green leafy salad.
Enjoy!
Tips and Notes:
- This sauce would also work with other white fish like Tilapia, Haddock, Pollack, Stripped Bass, Mahi-Mahi and Grouper.
- For frozen cod, thaw them first and make sure to pat dry well before seasoning.
Baked Cod
Ingredients
- 1 1/2- 2 pounds cod fillets
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3-4 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- ½ tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 -1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 2-3 tablespoons basil or parsley
- 1 tablespoon more lemon juice
Instructions
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400ºF. Spray baking pan with cooking spray or lightly oil. Set aside.
- Dab both sides of cod fish dry with paper towels, season both sides with salt and pepper.
- In a small pan set over medium low, heat butter, minced garlic, paprika, onion powder, cayenne pepper and parsley or basil. Stir for about 30 seconds or 1 minute. Let this mixture sit for a little bit about 5 minutes. Add lemon juice to mixture.
- Brush cod fish with spice mixture, making sure every inch is covered with spice. Add to prepared baking dish or baking sheet.
- Bake until cooked through, about 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fish and your preferred doneness. When the thickest part of cod is easily flaked with a fork, then is perfectly cooked.
- Garnish immediately with lemon.
Tips & Notes:
- This sauce would also work with other white fish like Tilapia, Haddock, Pollack, Stripped Bass, Mahi-Mahi and Grouper.
- For frozen cod, thaw them first and make sure to pat dry well before seasoning.
Nutrition Information:
How to Bake Cod
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400ºF. Spray baking pan with cooking spray or lightly oil. Set aside. Dab both sides of cod fish dry with paper towels, season both sides with salt and pepper.
In a small pan set over medium low, heat butter, minced garlic, paprika, onion powder, cayenne pepper and parsley or basil. Stir for about 30 seconds or 1 minute. Let this mixture sit for a little bit about 5 minutes. Add lemon juice to mixture.
Brush cod fish with spice mixture, making sure every inch is covered with spice. Add to prepared baking dish or baking sheet.
Bake until cooked through, about 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fish and your preferred doneness. When the thickest part of cod is easily flaked with a fork, then is perfectly cooked. Garnish immediately with lemon
Kelly says
I’m not a fan of cod fish but I decided to try something new and this was amazing
Judi W says
This was a delicious meal and a new way for my husband and I to enjoy Cod! We even used the leftovers for fish tacos! Yummy
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Judi
That’s fantastic to hear! Cod is such a versatile fish, and it’s great that you and your husband found a new way to enjoy it.
Using the leftovers for fish tacos is a brilliant idea! It’s always a win when a meal can be repurposed into another delicious dish.
Thank you for sharing your experience and your creative use of leftovers. It’s feedback like this that makes the food community so enriching. Keep cooking and keep enjoying! ️✨
Nancy says
My husband and I both enjoyed this, although I forgot the lemon juice. I also cut the cayenne to a quarter teaspoon. We were thinking that maybe with the lemon, the additional heat would be fine. We’ll find out next time!
Imma says
Glad you liked it! 🙂
Sie says
First time and it turned out great! I love this recipe and will cook it again. Thank you.
Imma says
Wonderful! Thank you so much for the feedback Sie:)! Stay tuned for more amazing recipes 🙂
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Bridget Gerlinger says
This was wonderful i made a minor change i bought thicker cod and stuffed with crab meat omg bit more lemon juice to die for. Thanks for an amazing idea soooooo goood
ImmaculateBites says
Wow! That was a great idea! 🙂
Chad C says
This was a total hit – including with my 5-year old twins – great combo of flavors. After starting, I realized my basil didn’t make it into my grocery bag, so I ended up using dried herbs de Provence. And thinking I had lemons at home, but didn’t, had to use bottled yuzu juice in place of fresh lemon – even with the unplanned substitutions the fish came out perfect and super flavorful. Thank you!
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Chad! That was lovely! I always love to see kids liking my recipe! 🙂
G March says
Fish looked reat, flavor of seasonsing mix taste fine, but for some reason my fish taste like rubber. But I shall try again, any pointers please and thank you.
Immaculate Bites says
Hi G March! Hmm… I couldn’t really say what happened but make sure your fish thaws properly and that you wipe it dry before you season it 🙂 Let me know how it goes next time. Enjoy!
Dirk Leverant says
OK, Absolutely fantastic cod recipe!. Made it tonight for my wife, and we both loved it. Easy and remarkably flavorful. Thank you for sharing this. (Lunch tomorrow is left-overs.)
Jasper says
This recipe is delicious! I’ve made it twice now and its very straightforward while packing a ton of flavour. This has become one of my staple recipes!
ImmaculateBites says
Great!! This recipe is a staple at my home too! Glad you loved it, Jasper.
Marzell says
My family loves this recipe! I make it with the cayenne pepper sometimes and sometimes leave it out. So delicious both ways! I am going to try this recipe with salmon next. Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes!
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Marzell! I am so thrilled your family loves this recipe. It is a favorite with mine too 🙂 ! Thank you for the feedback!
mikermeals says
Another successful African Bites recipe. We eat salmon all the time so decided to try Cod and it was great!
Cat says
I’ve looked for a tasty recipe for cod for a long time. This is it! Didn’t have onion powder so subbed minced onion, but otherwise stuck to the recipe. Delish!!
Mollyever says
Planning on making this recipe on the weekend! Do you have a recipe link to the rice you made for you side in the photos? That also looks super yummy!
ImmaculateBites says
Here is the link to the recipe https://www.africanbites.com/rice-pilaf/. Do let me know how it works out for you. Thanks