This easy Greek-style baked cod recipe has quickly become a regular on my dinner rotation! A handful of Mediterranean spices, plus a mixture of lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic, give it glorious flavors! Be sure to watch the video below and grab my tips for what to serve along and how to store leftovers.
You may also like: Easy Seafood Paella; Mediterranean Whole Snapper with Garlic and Veggies; Grilled Shrimp with Roasted Garlic Cilantro Sauce; Greek Chicken and Potatoes.
Following the Mediterranean diet, fish is kinda essential for my family. It’s about the one food that shows up on the menu twice every week.
Sometimes, our fish dinners go far–as far as a fish stew from Sicily or an Egyptian-inspired fish Shakshuka cooked in a tasty tomato sauce. But more often than not, I opt for something simple like steamed salmon or today’s baked cod recipe with lemon and garlic.
Why this Cod Recipe Works?
Cod fillet is a beautiful thing. It’s easy to cook, and because it’s a mild-tasting fish, the ways to give it glorious flavor are endless.
This baked cod recipe takes on a bit of a Greek twist. The cod is lightly coated with a spiced flour mixture with coriander, paprika, and cumin. Quickly seared, then baked with lemon juice, Greek olive oil, and lots of minced garlic.
What to serve with this baked cod recipe?
It feels like I’m always recommending this Lebanese rice with vermicelli, but it makes the perfect bed for this lemony baked cod. Keep the Greek theme going by adding a side of traditional Greek salad. Or, for a heartier salad option, try this Mediterranean chickpea salad with eggplant.
Can I refrigerate or freeze leftovers?
When I make this baked cod recipe, I don’t typically have leftovers. But, a reader recently asked this relevant question as she cooks for fewer people. The answer is yes, you can store the leftovers either in the fridge or even in the freezer.
First, cool the fish a bit, 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 2 to 3 days. If you need to warm it up, simply use a medium heated oven until just warmed through.
Generally, cooked fish can be frozen for up to 1 month. My personal preference is not to freeze it, I do feel that the texture of the fish changes a little.
Here’s the video for how to make this baked cod recipe:
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Mediterranean Baked Cod Recipe with Lemon and Garlic
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 12 mins
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Best baked cod recipe out there! Prepared Greek style with a few spices and a mixture of lemon juice, olive oil and lots of garlic. Bakes in 15 mins!
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb Cod fillet pieces (4–6 pieces)
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
Lemon Juice Mixture
- 5 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 5 tbsp Private Reserve extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp melted butter
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 lemon juice, olive oil, and melted butter in a shallow bowl. Set aside
- In another shallow bowl, mix all-purpose flour, spices, salt and pepper. Set next to the lemon juice mixture.
- Pat fish fillet dry. Dip fish in the lemon juice mixture then dip in the flour mixture. Shake off excess flour. Reserve the lemon juice mixture for later.
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat (watch the oil to be sure it is shimmering but not smoking). Add fish and sear on each side to give it some color, but do not fully cook (about a couple minutes on each side) Remove from heat.
- To the remaining lemon juice mixture, add the minced garlic and mix. Drizzle all over the fish fillets.
- Bake in the heated oven for until it begins to flake easily with a fork (10 minutes should do it, but begin checking earlier). Remove from heat and sprinkle chopped parsley.
- Serving suggestions: Serve immediately with Lebanese rice and this Mediterranean chickpea salad or this traditional Greek salad.
Notes
- 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.
- Recommended for this Recipe: Our Private Reserve Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil (from organically grown and processed Koroneiki olives). SAVE! Try our Greek Olive Oil Bundle!
- And from our organic and all-natural spice collections: Coriander; Spanish Paprika; Cumin. SAVE! Try our Ultimate Mediterranean Spice Bundle, or create your own 6-pack or 3-pack or our organic or all-natural spice collections!
- Category: Entree
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Greek
Keywords: Baked Cod, Cod Recipe, Baked Cod Recipe, Cod Fish
This delish fish dish made it into our weekly rotation. It’s so delicious! The fish comes out perfectly cooked every time. I usually set the oven timer for 8 minutes, then turn the oven off & give it another minute for a total of 9 minutes. I also add 2 handfuls of fresh spinach before putting it the oven & let it wilt with the fish in the sauce. Serve it over mushroom risotto. Heaven on a plate or in a bowl, definitely in your tummy.
★★★★★
Thank you so much for sharing, Jolene!
I made this last week for my flatmates and friends and it was probably the best food I’ve ever cooked myself. Everyone loved it and it went so nicely with some traditional Greek salad. When I baked it in the oven I added the juiced lemons in between the cod fillets and covered the dish with some kitchen foil to trap in the heat. Thanks for the delicious recipe!
Thanks so much for sharing, Henry! Glad you enjoyed it
Made this tonight for the first time. We had a wonderful piece of wild caught cod. The recipe came together easily with delicious results. While the fish baked in the oven, I was able to steam green beans and microwave sweet potatoes for sides. Yum!
★★★★★
Awesome! Thank you so much for giving it a try!
Suzy …we have made this recipe along with Lebanese Rice many times & it is one of our favorites (exactly per the recipe). It is definitely one of my favorite ways to cook cod.
Today we are making the Italian Beef Stew in Slow Cooker (which I rarely use). It looks like the perfect recipe for a slow cooker.
THank you for your wonderful recipes and stories.
★★★★★
My pleasure, Richard! Can’t wait to hear what you think of the stew 🙂
I am not a fish person but have been trying to add more. This recipe was absolutely excellent. I made it as stated and served over cauliflower rice with the Greek salad. Wonderful dinner. My husband just inhaled it.
★★★★★
That’s awesome to hear! Thanks, Rachel!
I followed everything you said and this turned out amazing. I made it for meal prep and ending up eating it too soon lol!!! Amazing recipe!!
★★★★★
Haha! You’ll have to make a bigger batch next time :).
This recipe is A+. A perfect 5 star recipe. My family devoured this up which meant there were sadly no leftovers the following day. Going to have to double this recipe for next time because it went like hot cakes!!!! I happened to have some leftover Lebanese tabbouleh which I topped ontop of this as well. I can’t say enough of how much my family loved this recipe in its entirety and I served it with a side of homeade sweet potato fries.
★★★★★
Awesome!!! I love hearing that the whole family enjoyed it so much!! 🙂
Can you substitute other fish inthis recipe?
You sure can!
We made this for dinner tonight with some wild Alaskan cod and it was one of the best fish dinners I’ve ever made. Absolutely delicious!
Thanks for this, we’ll be having it weekly.
★★★★★
Awesome! Thanks, Shelley!
I have a question, do you buy market cod or frozen filets?athy
Hi, Cathy! I really do both.
Can you lemon juice in cast iron skiillet
We do. The amount used and the amount of time in the pan is not enough to cause any issues.
Incredible! This is my first time writing a review on a recipe. Not because I don’t use on line recipes but because I’m lazy. This recipe was incredible. By far the best way I cooked cod EVER. THANK YOU SO MUCH. my three year old was begging for more :-).
★★★★★
Yay! I’m so glad to hear that!!
This is excellent as it is! I ate this over Couscous because that’s what was available in my pantry. A simple tomato salad on the side added the necessary freshness to this dish. I wish I could share a picture with you. It looks juicy and luxurious.
★★★★★
Sounds like a wonderful meal!!! 🙂
Hi Suzy, I plan to make this for dinner tonight however in an effort not to go to the store, can I substitute lime juice for lemon?
It would obviously change the flavor a bit, but I don’t see why not. It’s not something I’ve tried before, so it’s a bit hard to say.
My first time with your recipes and my first time making cod. Wow. This was so impressive. I felt like I presented a high end restaurant dish. This was the best white fish I ever had to be honest.
★★★★★
Welcome to The Mediterranean Dish, Ryan! This was a great recipe to start with! One of our most popular!