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.
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 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 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 up to 2days. 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, I do feel that the texture of the fish changes a little.
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.
Craving more? Check out more fish recipes. You may also like our to browse top Mediterranean diet recipes.
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Mediterranean Baked Cod Recipe with Lemon and Garlic
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb Cod fillet pieces, 4-6 pieces
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
Lemon Juice Mixture
- 5 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp melted butter
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 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. 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
I read through the comments before making this. I used only 1 clove of garlic and very little flour mixture. The flavors were PERFECT! Thank you for this delicious cod recipe.
Thanks for sharing!
I don't have a cast iron skillet, will a regular skillet work?
Hi, Anika! Sure! You can cook the fish on the stovetop in a regular skillet, and then just transfer it to an oven-safe baking dish and finish in oven as instructed.
I will make this again. It was quite easy to make and delicious. My fillets were considerably thicker so they took longer but this is definitely a quick meal to make. I also made the traditional Greek salad, scallops with citrus ginger sauce, homemade baguette and quinoa.
Sounds like a wonderful dinner, Rossi.
I do not have a cast iron pan should I just pan sear then bake in a glass dish?
Yep! That will work! Enjoy!
The flavours in this recipe are far too strong for cod.
This is not Mediterranean cooking for fish. Maybe for meats but not fish.
The sauce was delicious but the fish wasvmushy because of the flour. I followed the directions exactly.
Cod was delicious! Entire family loved it. Definitely a keeper. Served with Asian slaw for a crunchy twist. Thanks for sharing. Also made homemade tartar sauce & Tz sauce.... Momma loves 2 cook!!!
YUM! Thanks, Yvette!
Hello. Can you please tell me if I can use frozen cod?
If so, shall I defrost it first?
Thank you so much.
June K.
Hi, June. You can totally use frozen cod. Yes, please defrost first. Enjoy!
I wanted to love this but sadly very disappointed. I did doubt it before I started but thought no I’ll go for it, something a bit different. This is nothing like any fish dish I have tasted in the med. There is far too many strong flavours for the delicate flavour of cod. The fish is overpowered by garlic, too much oil and the flour mix is just too much. There’s no need for a lot of these ingredients, this dish is trying too hard
Hi Suzy!!
Can I substitute the cod for tilapia? And how would I alter temperature and cooking times?
Thank you for all the amazing recipes you have provided for my family❤️
Hi, Julia! I think that would be fine. I have never tried this one with tilapia, so it's hard for me to advise on temperature/time specifics. I would probably cook at the same temps, but check for doneness sooner, as tilapia is usually a thinner fillet. Hope that helps!
Made this for tea tonight, Husband & I absolutely loved it!
Light, full of flavour & easy to make. Served with mashed potatoes, oven roasted spicy cauliflower & baby plum tomatoes. Will definitely make again, thank-you!
Sounds like a wonderful meal, Helen!! 🙂
I'm half Greek this looks absolutely wonderful love cod 😍
Hope you enjoy it, Stephen!
Best fish I’ve ever made! I made grouper so I added a few more minutes in the oven because of its thickness. Also, used almond flour instead of all purpose flour and added a little onion powder to the mix. Absolutely delicious! Thank you so much for sharing!
Yay!! So glad you enjoyed it!
Love the cod recipe.
Thank you, Diane!
Tried this tonight and it was amazing! Light, flaky, and full of flavor! Will be a staple in our dinner recipes.
Thanks, Lori!
The absolute best cod recipe.
Thanks for sharing
Thanks, Gloria!! 🙂