Baked Cod Fillets

About This Baked Cod Fillets Recipe

You will find this cod recipe easy to execute and commit to memory to use again and again. It delivers mildly flavored, tender and flaky fish fillets you can serve with a simple salad as a very healthy option or smother with a cream or butter based sauce and serve over pasta or rice when you feel like indulging.

The simple method of preparation is well suited for other types of white fish such as pollock or tilapia (with shortened cooking time, due to it being significantly thinner). You can vary the seasonings to impart flavors different than the lemon thyme suggested here and enjoy baked fish with perfect texture in numerous delicious variants.

Ingredients You Will Need

Cod fillets. Preferably about 1 inch thick Atlantic or Pacific cod filets and cut into more or less uniform pieces so that they baked evenly. Thaw frozen cod in the refrigerator overnight.

Olive oil. We recommend extra virgin as it is more flavorful. 

Lemon. For the fresh lemon juice and also the zest (optional, see note below). Or use preserved lemons. 

Seasonings. Kosher salt and black pepper as well as some garlic powder. Feel free to vary these - Old Bay or Cajun seasonings work great here. If you want to add some heat, a pinch of cayenne pepper is a good option. 

Thyme. Use fresh, a few sprigs. For its delicate herbal flavor that pairs so well with lemon. Save a few fresh sprigs for garnish. If you do not have thyme, consider fresh parsley.

A non-stick baking dish. If you do not have a dedicated ceramic dish for baking fish you can also bake the fish in an oven safe non-stick pan or simply in a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 

Fish spatula & zester. The flexible fish spatula makes it very easy to serve the fillets. Use a microplane zester or the fine side of a box grater for the (optional) lemon zest in the marinade.

NOTE: Lemon zest is added to marinades for its strong citrus flavor - typically it has very little bitterness. There are exceptions however, once in a while the pith is so bitter that even if you scrape a miniscule amount of it as you zest it will impart a bitter flavor. To avoid this, taste the zest obtained from your lemon and decide whether you want to use it or leave it out.

Baked Cod - Step-by-Step

• Prep. In a small bowl make a marinade mixture and slice the lemon to place underneath the cod fillets (an old fishermen's tip - it will prevent the fish sticking to the bottom and some of the flavor will seep into the flesh).
• Marinate. Coat the fillets liberally with the marinade. If you have a bit of time let them sit covered in it in the fridge for 15-20 minutes.
• Bake. Preheat the oven to 375 F and place the lemon slices onto an oiled baking dish or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Place the cod fillets on top and bake. 

Cod fillets usually take about 15 to 20 minutes to bake at 375 F, depending on their thickness, size and the calibration of your oven. To determine doneness you can test the fish with a fork at the 15 minute mark and decide if you need to continue baking for a few extra minutes. The flesh must be completely opaque and flake easily, the internal temperature of the cod fillets should be 145 F, measured at the center (a bit over that is fine). 

Baked Fish Fillet with Sauce

While the cod fillets are in the oven you have the opportunity to make one of the easy pan sauces below. Just be sure to plan for the sauce beforehand, in the sense that you have all the ingredients ready to go and you can finish it while the fish is cooking.

If the fish is done first - no worries, cover it loosely with foil and keep it warm on the stove top or in the warm oven until ready to serve. 

• Shrimp cream sauce - pictured above, and prepared with precooked small/medium shrimp (fast work). Full recipe here.
• Lemon cream sauce - follow this recipe and if you have chicken base use it instead of chicken stock to shorten the cooking time. Full recipe here.
• Garlic butter sauce - will add a lot of richness and tantalizing garlic flavor with balancing acidity from lemon. Full recipe here. 
• Blender Hollandaise sauce - use this simple recipe for a decadent butter and egg yolks based sauce which goes superbly with baked cod fillets. 
• Cajun Seasoning Seafood Boil Sauce - make this and serve it alongside steamed rice for a wonderful coming together of flavors
• Remoulade sauce - easy to make cold sauce, no cooking required

Suitable Side Dish Ideas for Baked Cod

• Pan-fried Asapragus - easy to make on the stove top while the cod is in the oven
• White Asparagus with 2 Minute Hollandaise Sauce - for a festive accompaniment to the simply prepared fish
• Roasted Corn Salsa - served as a side this delicious mixture of sweet corn, jalapenos, red onion and honey-lime dressing is delightful with cod fillets
• Sauteed Broccolini - Easy to make, perfectly textured broccolini stalks with sauteed garlic
• Snow Peas - Tender, thin skin pods cooked entirely on the stove top
• Garlic Green Beans - Perfectly cooked, with great texture and loaded with flavor
• Crispy Roasted Potatoes with Herbs - this recipe requires a head start, so plan accordingly

How to Store Leftovers

When cooking cod in the oven it is best to make as much as you and the ones you cook for can reasonably consume for a weeknight dinner.

If you however have leftovers, place the cooled down cod fillets in an airtight container and store refrigerated. It is best to not freeze cod that has already been cooked, the texture will not be pleasing once you thaw it. 

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