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.
This was delicious! I was worried it would be too heavy tasting, but it was not. The flavor and texture was fantastic! My picky-eater family members gobbled it up! I served it with asparagus and Mahatma yellow rice and this was my favorite meal in a lo.g time. Will definitely make again
Yay! Love it when we win over the picky eaters :). Thanks, Lorraine!
This was not a good recipe. The dry mix did not stick well to the fish and when you fried it, it came out a little bit that it was came off. The spices just did not taste well mixed together. I think I will stay with my old Recipe.
We didn’t put it in the oven but left it in our new Kilne pan with the lid on. It was great!
This is legitimately one of the worst tasting dishes I have ever made. Its rubbery, not visually appealing, the spices do not play well together, and the lemon is killed by cutting it 1:1 with olive oil.
Skip this, its terrible.
Spectacular! Easy to make, we celebrate every time we can find fresh cod. We get a lot of great seafood in Maine and my wife says this is restaurant quality. Look forward to more ideas!
Thank you so much for the lovely review, Paul!
I have to be up front – I have always said I don’t like cod and would never eat it. Well, tonight I was searching recipes so that I could fix some cod for my husband’s dinner. I saw the Baked Cod with Lemon and Garlic recipe (with beautiful photo), and my mouth actually began to water! I made it, ate a full portion, and asked my husband whether the recipe was a “keeper” or a “tosser”. He immediately said it was among the best he’d ever eaten! He further asked that I fix some halibut with the same recipe. I have to say it was absolutely wonderful! The lemon was tangy, the fish was moist and flaky, and the color of the fish was delightful! Thanks for sharing this terrific recipe!
Wow! Thanks for such an awesome review, Marcene!
I feel like it could work better on a stainless steal than the cast iron it suggested and even though I patted the fish dry and dipped and applied it to the dry mix it was soggy and didn’t stick as I fried it. Bottom line I didn’t like the flavor, nor the process of making them. I’ll just stick with what I do best when it comes to cooking fish, salmon.
I have used this recipe for quite some time but make one change: if you cook the cod two minutes on each side to brown it, in three more minutes it is done without ever putting it in an oven. I don’t see the need to heat up an over and 14 minutes (total time) of cooking for a cod filet is way over-done. At 400 degrees, almost any fish will be done in 7 minutes in the oven. Not fussing with you. . . simply suggesting. I actually love this recipe; I usually serve it over a handful of arugula drizzed with lemon and oil. Delish. Also, very good topped with a little spicy pineapple chutney.
For years I have been led to believe that olive oil is not a high heat oil, therefore I have always used avocado oil for cooking and olive oil for cold dishes. Yet so many recipes calls for olive oil in high heat situations. Please give your opinion on this Suzy. Thank y
Hi, Kate! It’s perfectly fine to use oil for cooking. I highly recommend checking out Suzy’s Olive Oil 101 article for lots of great info on olive oil.
Great fish dish! I love the ease of making it, calorie count( aren’t we all😊) and that we have most cooking items already. I’ll make this many times again!!!
Although I followed the recipe exactly, the coating was a big soggy mess which I had to scrape off before I could eat it. Don’t know how this recipe has managed to garner 4.8 stars.
Hi, Elle. That usually happens because there is excess flour on the fish. You want to me sure to shake it off well after dredging.
I made this a week ago and my husband is STILL raving about it! Super delicious and easy!
Yay! We love hearing that. Thanks, Tracy!
Have you ever used this recipe for Mahi Mahi
Hi, Barbara. We haven’t, but I think it would totally work! Hope you give it a try!
Made this dish last night. Was delightful and tasty.
The fish came out perfectly lightly crisped. The only thing I would change is to replace the parsley with capers. But that’s is just a personal taste thing.
This was delicious! I was wondering if it can be duplicated with chicken breasts or if you’d change/adjust anything.
Hi, Sarah. I think this could work with chicken breasts. I would pounding them down into thinner fillets first, though. Also, the cooking time will likely be a bit different, so I highly recommend using a meat thermometer to check for doneness. Chicken is fully cooked when it reaches an internal temp of 165 degrees F. Enjoy!
Oh my gosh this was so easy to make and so delicious and everything was from store cupboard items! Thank you once again for an amazing recipe 😘
You are very welcome, Nel! Thank you for the amazing review :).