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.
Made this for dinner tonight. Delicious! However, our fish did not have the char on them and they were actually “wet.” What did we do wrong. Fish ended up breaking up and mushy. However, flavor was amazing. Will do again to hopefully get it right next time.
Hi Susan, this fish isn’t necessarily meant to be crunchy, given the lemony sauce used to bake. It turns out delicate and tender with lots of flavor as you indicated. So you did not do anything wrong! The color is attributed to the bit of searing in step #5.
Made this for dinner tonight. We had some sustainably caught wild cod from Sea2Table. We decided this was the recipe we wanted to use for our cod. We very much enjoyed the recipe. However, it was quite tangy and the garlic got a little too charred for my taste. I think next time I will reduce the lemon a bit and add the garlic to the oven skillet 2-3 minutes before coming out of the oven so it is more sautéed than charred. Loved the parsley; such a refreshing herb.
In my experience, cod should NEVER be overcooked since that can make the fish chewy. So I have a tip to offer: what might help is to take the skillet out of the oven a few minutes earlier and allow the fish to slowly finish cooking off heat on top of the stove. I do this with a lot of my fish, which also makes checking for doneness easier than continuing to open the oven and taking the fish out. This technique works like a charm. Thought I would share this tip.
Overall, this is a beautiful recipe and I will definitely make is again with minor adjustments to meet my personal taste preferences. I look forward to trying more of your recipes. Thanks so much.
Thanks so much for sharing you tips, Joy!!
Quick opener: I found fresh, highest-sustainability-rating Atlantic cod for $9 a pound at Whole Foods. Score! Some Atlantic Cod is way overfished, some isn’t, putting in a good word here for sustainability, because I want to eat this dish in 50 years too 🙂
Great recipe, thank you! The spice blend was perfect. I skipped the butter and used cilantro rather than parsley. I put the cooked fish on a bed of good mixed greens. Lastly I roasted then smashed with a fork some fingerling potatoes, spooned the juices from cast iron pan on them. It turned out great.
That sounds great, Miles! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Just made this for dinner tonight and it was loved by ALL, including my four year-old! I had orange roughy ready to go, so used that instead of cod and whole wheat flour. It was delicious and easy! In fact, I’m going to make it again tomorrow with using the cod with a kale and rice salad. Thank you for the recipe.
Yay! Love getting a thumbs up from the kiddos! Thanks, Q!
Delicious recipe but my garlic turned blue-green? What did I do wrong?
Hi, Anne! That is a little chemical reaction that sometimes happens when the garlic meets lemon/butter. As long as you don’t notice any signs of actual spoilage on the garlic, then it would still be okay to eat, despite the color change.
Easy to follow fast fish recipe. Well liked by my family.
That’s great to hear, Barbara! Thanks so much!
Tried the recipe tonight as I had two frozen cod filet’s in freezer which weren’t totally thawed at time of making. They turned out okay other than being a bit moist when pan frying. I will try making them again. Made some millet and broccoli and salad to go with so truly a Mediterranean meal!
That sounds like a great dinner! 🙂
I really enjoyed making this dish, thank you for sharing you talents and culture with us. This tasted fantastic! I threw some onions and cabbage in the skillet juices and sauteed. Your the only cook I follow. ?
Ooooo! Sounds good! Thanks for sharing!
What is the difference between regular paprika and the spanish? Will it change the flavor of the dish?
Hi, Tina! Regular “Paprika” and SWEET Spanish Paprika are the same. You can use either without changing the flavor of the dish. SMOKED Spanish Paprika has a smokey flavor that would alter the taste.
Hi Suzy
There is no video link for this dish
Kind Regards
Tom
Hi Tom, the video appears right above the actual recipe card. If you would try a different browser, it may show up for you. Depending on browser settings, sometimes the videos are blocked for some reason.
VERY delicious! And so easy!! Next time might add a pinch more paprika and a bit more butter as ours turned out super tangy. But absolutely going to make this again many times over!!
Awesome! Thanks so much!
too oily and buttery
I’m planning to make this dish for the weekend. For the lemon juice mixture, is there something besides butter that can be used?
I’ve never tried anything else, but perhaps ghee? You can also just omit the butter if you’d like!
Hi I’m planning to make this, this weekend. I was wondering, how do you think this would come out with panko breadcrumbs instead of flour?
I’ve never tried cooking with panko before but grabbed a box on an impulse buy.
So happy I found your blog, big fan of the Mediterranean diet!
Holly, panko will work here…you’ll have to be careful when turning the fish over in the skillet.
Made Greek-style cod last night along with Lebanese rice & Greek salad. All were wonderful and perfect complements to each other. Thank you.
Thanks, Richard! So glad you enjoyed the recipes!
Made this tonight and we absolutely LOVED it. I did use rice flour instead of regular flour since I have to eat gluten free, but we utterly loved it, and the pairing with the chick pea salad is DIVINE.
So glad you loved it!! Thanks for sharing your gluten free variation!