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 ½ 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 ⅓ cup all-purpose flour with 1 tsp ground coriander, ¾ tsp sweet Spanish paprika, ¾ tsp ground cumin, and ¾ 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
- ¼ 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
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ¾ tsp sweet Spanish paprika
- ¾ tsp ground cumin
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ 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.
I've made this recipe several times, it's a fav. Tonight I'm adding a bit of cornmeal to my flour to get a little more crunch. Really delicious, our favorite way to eat cod.
Thanks, Nikki!
This recipe is delicious! It’s the only way I cook cod, because I like it too much!
Hi Suzy,
I love your recipes and I wanted to buy your spices online but I was disappointed that you don’t ship to Hawaii. Why is that? You can ship via a flat rate box. I don’t understand. Can you let me know when you are able to ship to Hawaii?
Lucy Conway
Hi, Lucy. I'm so sorry we don't ship to Hawaii at the moment. Please contact our sales team... they will be better able to answer your questions: [email protected]
I find it really hard to make fish without it turning dry or not cooking it long enough. With this recipe I nailed it and it was so good! My daughter helped me out and made the Fattoush salad to go with the fish and boy did we eat. 🙂 Will definitely make this again.
Yay!! So glad this one worked out for you!!
Another winner. I've made many of these recipes on this site and they are all GREAT. This one is no exception. My husband says he's never eaten better since I've started making your recipes. I agree!!
Thanks for sharing such yummy recipes with us.
Wonderful! I love hearing this! Thanks so much for taking the time to share :).
Was delicious and crisp even after the sauce being poured over, even the kids liked it. My new go to fish recipe!
Wonderful! Thanks, Rachel!
I always love trying new recipes and this one will definitely go into my recipe book! My husband really liked it and that is a huge plus! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it, Linda!
This was a wonderful dish. I really enjoyed the spices (coriander, cumin and paprika) that almost brought out a sweetness to the bake. My only comment is that I have to laugh when I see a prep time of 10 minutes. Not so much for me.. but this dish was worth it. Dipping the fish into the flour mixture got a bit clumpy at times (must be a technique to do this right) but it was very tasty.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, John!
5/5 family members gave this one a thumbs up! Even the littles!
We loved this cod recipe ! Will be making this many more times. I love fish to begin with . Now I can’t wait to try more of your recipes and there are so many yummy looking dishes to chose from . This is going to be fun !
Wonderful! Thanks, Greg!
Could I substitute all purpose flour for cassava or arrowroot?
Hi, Andrea! Other readers have had success with cassava flour, so I would recommend giving that a try. Arrowroot may work, as well, I just have never tried that one with this recipe.
This is definitely one of my family's favorite fish recipes. The key to getting the coating right is making it light and shaking off the excess like the instructions say. You want the fish evenly coated, but not thickly coated :).
Hi, I'm wondering what fish you could substitute for the cod in this recipe? thanks, Carolyn
Hi, Carolyn! You can use another white fish fillet like halibut or sea bass, for examples.
I have made this several times now and have tried it with various types of fish. It is so damn good!! This is a winning recipe. I bet you could put a leather shoe in the pan and it would be delicious. This recipe has become a staple in my kitchen. Thank you!
LOL! Thanks so much, Rari!!
Best cod I’ve ever made. My husband said, this is the only way to eat cod. This is the first recipe that I’ve ever used where the ingredients & cook time were spot on.
Yay! I'm so happy to hear that! Thanks, Lisa!
⁹while the dish is delicious, we did not like the way the breading became mushy while baking. Will leave the flour off next time.
You know. I had the same experience and started using Panko crumbs as an alternative to flour. That gave the cod a nice finishing with a pleasant texture. Otherwise, this is a fabulous recipe!
Thanks, Gia!
This is a delicious fish recipe, easy to put together with a few healthy ingredients. Cod is a delicate fish that tends to fall apart in cooking, but it’s wonderful eating just the same. Will make it again.
George
Fort Wayne, IN
So glad you enjoyed it, George!
My husband and I struggle to include enough fish in our diet. We loved this recipe so much we’re looking forward to having it again soon!! He’s on a keto diet so I just skipped the flour and added spices before searing and we sure didn’t feel like anything was lacking. Awesome!!
Thanks, Michele!
This is the best fish recipe I have ever made. I felt like I was at a fancy Italian restaurant. It was not difficult either. Just wow!!
Thanks so much, Karen!
We love this cod recipe! I make a lot of fish, but this is my favorite cod recipe. Plus, as a diabetic I love the fact that it's so low on carbs.
Thanks so much, Melanie!