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.
Was looking for something Greek to go with a recipe for Orzo with Zucchini, and tried this the other night. Loved the spices! It was easy and delicious. My boyfriend said, Wow, I wasn’t expecting this to be that good. I used tilapia instead of cod, and regular paprika instead of sweet since that’s what I had on hand. So flavorful.
Thanks for sharing, Kiera! So glad you guys enjoyed it!
Delicious recipe. I used frozen cod fillets an made sure they were super dry (patted down thoroughly as you recommend) and so had no problem with the flour as some reviewers write. The overall taste was truly excellent and I’m glad didn’t skimp on the parsley, which was key.
Thanks, Rebecca! So glad you enjoyed it!
Can I make this with tilapia?
Sure!
Yum! Thanks!
I made this recipe and I love it. Is perfect no need to modify anything. The best part is that is very simple and easy to makes. Thank you.
That’s great to hear! So glad you enjoyed it!
great recipe, very tasty!
Used normal paprika and less than half of garlic ( we always use less garlic than most recipes) and it worked out great, no leftovers!! many thanks
So glad, Eleni! Thanks so much for sharing.
The FLAVOR of this dish is boldly awesome. There were problems, though. I caution the use of flour in the coating; I found it unnecessary and a waste because the “coating was gummy and fell off. I also chopped/minced garlic, Lemon zest, and dill (I didn’t have parsley and didn’t want to go to the store just to get it) and mixed that with the lemon mixture/vinaigrette.
My suggestion is get rid of/nix the flour in the coating all together, which allows you to skip the browning/Sautéing step before putting in the oven.
Next time, I will dip the fish in the lemon vinaigrette and then into the spice mixture (or sprinkle the spice mixture into the fish) and then put onto a baking sheet; mix the minced garlic, herb, and lemon zest to the lemon mixture; and then spoon that mixture over the fish.
Regardless of if you can get the flour coating to stick to the fish or not, then you will not be disappointed with the flavors of this fish.
Thanks for sharing, Rita! Appreciate your feedback.
Made this for my family tonight, and it was a hit! My husband said, “This is a winner!” Thank you for this delicious recipe! Will definitely make this again.
Fabulous! Thanks, Susanne!
I was so pleased with this recipe, the flavours were great and the whole family gobbled it up!
We didn’t love it. The smoked sweet paprika overpowers the fish. I wish I had used red pepper instead. I followed the recipe exactly, but it just wasn’t what we expected. Will try another recipe of yours soon.
Thank you for giving it a try, Lana.
(@Lana:) Instead of using smoked paprika, use regular sweet paprika. I don’t use smoked paprika often and when I do, I use it very sparingly because I too find that the taste can easily get overpowering. With regular paprika this recipe is delicious.
Thank you for sharing that, Susanne!
Excited to try this but wondering if I can substitute the AP flour with whole wheat flour in the same amount?
Thanks!
Sure! That will work!
Will normal paprika work in place of spanish paprika? Where could I find spanish Paprika? Making this for dinner tonight and super excited! Thank you for sharing!
Sure, that will work! We sell Sweet Spanish Paprika in our online shop: https://shop.themediterraneandish.com/product/sweet-spanish-paprika/. You can usually find it in the spice aisle at your local grocery store, as well.
How could I do this with frozen fish?
Hi, Chelsea! I recommend thawing frozen fish in the refrigerator overnight before using it in this recipe. Hope that helps!
I used frozen fillets. Thaw in their packets in the fridge. Then put them between several layers of paper towels and press down to get out some of the water. Previously frozen fish won’t sear well if it’s really icy or wet.
Thanks, Rebecca!
This is hands down our families favourite meal!! Our 2 and 4 year old boys can’t get it down themselves fast enough!! It must also be served alongside Lebanese rice and a Greek salad…of course 😉
Sounds PERFECT! Thanks, Blaine!
A flop for us. All the butter, oil … mushy & flavorless. Not for true seafood lovers!
I’m pretty new to cooking, and I’ve been on the look-out for recipes that are easy, healthy, inexpensive, and delicious. This one is an absolute winner in all of those categories. It has become one of my and my wife’s favorite meals (if not THE favorite). We’ve done it twice so far (first with cod, then with haddock), and both times it turned out beautifully. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, and I’m excited to try some more!
Thank you, Richard!