This easy baked cod recipe comes together in just over 20 minutes, but there is a reason it is a big fan favorite! Tender, perfectly flaky cod, tossed in bold Mediterranean spices and baked with a tasty garlic and lemon sauce.
Fish is one of the staples of the Mediterranean diet, so my family tries to eat fish about twice per week.
Luckily, there are so many ways to prepare a tasty fish dinner. Sometimes, I go for a big baked salmon, a hearty fish soup, or something different like a saucy Moroccan fish.
But one of my favorite go-to dinners is this easy lemon baked cod! And it is the #1 fish recipe on my site, for good reason!
Why this cod recipe works?
Cod fillet is a beautiful fish that is quick to cook, tender and mild-tasting so you can easily give it some big flavors!
This baked cod recipe takes on some bold Mediterranean flavors with a tasty garlic and lemon sauce and a few warm spices, including coriander, paprika, and cumin.
Best part? You can make this lemon baked cod in just over 20 minutes from start-to-finish!
Can I use frozen cod fish in this recipe?
Fresh vs. frozen? This is one of the questions I get regularly about cooking with fish. More often than not, frozen is the better option for quality wild-caught fish.
Depending on where you live in the States, the “fresh” fish you may find sitting on ice at the fish counter was likely frozen and thawed before it was displayed. Whereas, flash frozen fish is caught and quickly frozen at the peak of its freshness, and it is often more affordable.
If you find quality frozen fish fillet (sometimes labeled cod loin), it will work in this baked cod recipe but be sure to thaw it properly before use.
How to thaw frozen fish?
Frozen fish fillets thaw quickly in about 15 to 20 minutes. Here is how:
- First, be sure to leave the fish in its vacuum-packaging. If it is not in some sort of packaging, place it in a zip-top bag (do not place it water “naked”).
- Arrange the vacuum-sealed fish in a bowl and cover it with cold tap water. Do NOT use warm or hot water; This creates more risk for bacterial growth and will also affect the texture of the fish,
- Check after 15 to 20 minutes to see if the fish feels tender and thawed through. If it is hard in some parts, leave it in for a little big longer.
How to bake cod and what temperature is best?
First, what temperature should cod be cooked at? For baked cod, I typically set my oven to 400 degrees F. How long? Depending on the thickness of your cod fillet, it could take about 10 to 15 minutes in the oven.
In this cod recipe, I use about 1 1/2 pounds of cod fillet, and it helps to use a large oven-safe baking dish or a cast-iron skillet. Here is how to make it:
- First, start by lightly coating the cod fillets in some well-seasoned flour. To do this, prepare a dredging station.
- In one shallow bowl prepare the lemon sauce by mixing together 5 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, and 2 tbsp melted butter.
- In another shallow bowl, mix together 1/3 cup all-purpose flour with 1 tsp ground coriander, 3/4 tsp sweet Spanish paprika, 3/4 tsp ground cumin, and 3/4 tsp kosher salt.
- Dip the fish in the lemon sauce, then coat it well with the flour mixture. Keep the lemon sauce for later use.
- Sear the fish. To give the cod some good color and texture, sear it in olive oil for about 2 minutes on each side.
- Add the lemon sauce. Now, to the lemon sauce, add 5 minced garlic cloves (so much flavor), then pour it over the cod.
- Bake in 400 degrees F heated oven for about 10 minutes or until the cod is cooked through. The fish is ready when it turns a beautiful white opaque and flakes easily when you take a fork to it.
- Garnish and serve! I love adding some parsley for a pop of green!
What to serve with this cod recipe?
To complete this fish dinner, I always like to add a big salad and a simple side. I have some ideas that will go perfectly with this cod. To add more Greek flavors, try out our Greek salad. Or give this Lebanese fattoush salad a try. If you’re looking for some beans in your salad, try our Mediterranean bean salad or chickpea salad.
For vegetarian sides, you might want to try out these hearty recipes: roasted broccoli, asparagus with salsa, or stuffed zucchini boats.
For starchy sides, give these a try: mustard potato salad, Greek-style oven fries, or lemon rice.
And to keep with a Greek theme, why not add a dip like Miletzanosalata (Greek eggplant dip) or Tzatziki with some pita chips to serve!
Can I refrigerate or freeze leftover cooked fish?
When I make this baked cod recipe, I don’t typically have leftovers. And as with all fish recipes, it is best eaten fresh on the day it is cooked, particularly because often times the fish was already frozen before it was cooked.
But, a reader recently asked this relevant question as she cooks for fewer people. Depending on how fresh the fish was to begin with, you can store the leftovers either in the fridge or even in the freezer. First, cool the fish a little, but don’t leave it in room temperature for more than 1 hour before refrigerating or freezing.
Arrange the cod in a shallow glass container with a tight lid and refrigerate for up to 2 days. If you need to warm it up, simply use a medium-heated oven until just warmed through (there is always a chance the fish will be overcooked when you warm it up again).
Generally, cooked fish can be frozen for up to 1 month. My personal preference is not to freeze it, because I feel the texture of the fish changes a little.
More recipes to try
- Whole Roasted Snapper with Garlic and Veggies
- Easy Seafood Paella
- Shrimp Kabobs
- Greek Chicken and Potatoes
- One Pot Chicken and Rice
Craving more? Check out fish recipes. You may also like our to browse top Mediterranean diet recipes.
Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients.
Baked Cod Recipe with Lemon and Garlic
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb Cod fillet pieces, 4-6 pieces
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
Lemon Sauce
- 5 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
For Coating
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 3/4 tsp sweet Spanish paprika
- 3/4 tsp ground cumin
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Mix together the lemon juice, olive oil, and melted butter in a shallow bowl (do not add the garlic yet). Set aside.
- In another shallow bowl, mix the all-purpose flour, spices, salt and pepper. Set next to the lemon sauce.
- Pat the fish dry. Dip the fish in the lemon sauce then dip it in the flour mixture. Shake off excess flour. Reserve the lemon sauce for later.
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a cast iron skillet (or an oven-safe pan) over medium-high heat (watch the oil to be sure it is shimmering but not smoking). Add the fish and sear on each side to give it some color, but do not fully cook (about 2 minutes on each side). Remove the skillet from heat.
- To the remaining lemon sauce, add the minced garlic and mix. Drizzle all over the fish fillets.
- Bake in the heated oven until the fish flakes easily with a fork (10 minutes should do it, but begin checking earlier). Remove from the heat and sprinkle chopped parsley. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Serving suggestions: Serve immediately with Lebanese rice and this Mediterranean chickpea salad or traditional Greek salad.
- Cook’s Tip: This recipe has been edited adding step #5 to achieve more color. Be sure to use a fish spatula to carefully turn the fish in the skillet.
- Leftover Storage: If you have any leftovers, let the fish cool a bit, then arrange in a shallow glass container with a tight lid. You can refrigerate for 2 to 3 days, or freeze for up to one month. My personal preference is not to freeze fish as, sometimes, the texture does change.
- Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including olive oils and spices.
Nutrition
*This post first appeared on The Mediterranean Dish in 2017 and has recently been updated with new information for readers’ benefit.
Excellent. Restaurant worthy. Cook for less than 10 minutes however
Pepper, so glad you enjoyed it! Yes, you don’t want to over-cook this fish, so you’ll want to watch according to the thickness of the fish fillets etc. Thank you for sharing!
Don’t try this with a 2 year old and a dog running around ?. The flavor was great but visually it was lacking mostly because I kept getting interrupted lol. I’ll try again when they are a little calmer.
You made my day, Sarah! Thanks for the laugh. I totally know how it is to cook with a 2 year old around 🙂 Glad you enjoyed it!
Absolutely delicious! The only change that I made was to add capers. Highly recommend.
Capers would be a great addition here to Jayne! Thanks so much for stopping in and for sharing!
Does the cod need to be fresh or frozen??
You can use frozen cod here, Megan. Just be sure it’s properly thawed out before.
We enjoyed this delicious and beautiful dish, which is great as is. I think that next time I might try two tweaks for even crispier crust:
1. Sear the fish in canola oil at a higher temperature. 2. Then broil briefly instead of baking.
Words to the wise though: Be careful that your spatula doesn’t knock off part of the breading when you flip the fish while the pan is on the burner.
And don’t overcook the fish in the oven or else it will get tough.
William thank you so much for sharing! I love to hear tweaks and variations as people test to their liking! Appreciate that.
Nice recipe and I will make again, now that I have a better sense of cooking time too. Next time I will sear for about 2 min per side, then cook for about 5 minutes in the oven, then finish in the broiler. TMy fish wasn’t crispy enough tonight when I did about 1 min per side in the pan before baking. However the flavors are very good. I actually forgot to add olive oil to the butter/lemon juice mixture, but didn’t miss it. Thanks for the recipe!
Anna, so glad you enjoyed the flavors! Ovens vary quite a bit, so it’s been great for me to hear how others might tweak this recipe to their liking and their needs. Thanks for sharing your ideas!
hi what would u recommend serving with this cod it sounds yummy
Hi Clara, great question! Up in the post, see the section titled “WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS BAKED COD RECIPE?” You’ll be able to click on links for recommended recipes there. Greek salad and Lebanese rice are two great options. See both recipes here on our site.
I tried this on short notice – happened to have cod on hand. It was a delicious recipe! I changed the 3/4 teaspoon ingredients to 1 teaspoon. It turned out rather spicy with that little change – next time, will take time to measure out 3/4 tsp of these ingredients! I felt the lemon flavor got overpowered a little bit – hopefully the spice adjustment will make the difference to letting the lemon stand out.
Nuz, thanks so much for your feedback! Glad you enjoyed it!
I cooked this terrific recipe , my wife loved it too ! Cod is usually so tasteless and bland, but the cumin and coriander and garlic , pepper really brought the taste out ! and by the way Suzy, we are Jewish and kosher,too.
Martin! Thanks so much for giving this one a try! I so appreciate your feedback!
Can I use almond flour?
Yes, Vera, I believe you can easily replace the flour here with almond flour. Enjoy!
I made this dish for my husband last night and it was outstanding! As he said, this is the best Cod he has ever had. Thank you! Really yummy!
Robin, that’s so awesome! I love this cod recipe as well, and happy to hear when others have tried it!!!
This was very good. Thank you!
Thanks, CJ! So glad you enjoyed it!
I made this for my wife who is an excellent cook. This was the best Cod we’ve ever had.
That’s wonderful! I am so glad to hear it!
I liked this and next time I will decrease the garlic to 2 large cloves.
Awesome, Deb! By all means, if you prefer less garlic, it should still be great! Greeks love garlic 🙂
My wife and I (73) were both retired and then she co-started a ceramics-art studio. Since she works more than full time, I took over most of the cooking. My strategy is to find something marked down at Kroger, then come home and fin a recipe for it. Scored a pack of beautiful cod loins. Used this recipe. The hardest part was cooking the brown rice, added steamed broccoli.
This was a smashing hit! Fast and simple.
Bob, thank you so much for sharing! Glad you enjoyed this cod recipe!
Great flavors and the fish came out perfectly. My topping was soggy. Make sure you mince the garlic very small – I left mine too big and it was quite pungent
Hi Elizabeth! Thanks for the good feedback. I’ve retested the recipe a different way to ensure better results with the breading. See step #5.