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.
Love Cod? Try These Recipes Next!
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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.
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This recipe is easy to make and it’s delicious! I paired it with rice and roasted honey and maple carrots.
This recipe is so good! I made it as written. Every recipe I have made from this site has been excellent. I love the recipes so much that I have shared the site with my sister and my friends! My sister and I are both nurse’s and we have also shared with our patients. I have bought the olive oils and spices from ths shop and will NOT buy from other sources as these products are the best I have tasted. I also buy the grains, legumes that are offered. Thank you so much for adding flavor and health to my diet!
Oh wow, Danielle! Thank you so much for the amazing comment. It means so much to our entire team!
I love COD fish and I’m saving this recipe. It looks truly delicious Thanks !!
I loved it so much that I’m making this instead of turkey for thanksgiving. Thanks!
Just made this and it’s a winner. It did take longer in the oven as mine where thick so I used my thermometer to hit 145 internal. I made white rice and drizzled the cooked sauce on top and around the plate. Put the fish on top of the rice with parsley, the presentation looked like it came from a fancy restaurant. YUMMY
Lemony garlic goodness!! Loved it and very easy to prepare. I added the garlic to the sauce as shown in the video – the recipe says to do it later but I liked it in the sauce. This will be on repeat for me.
I love roasted cod. This was the very best cod we’ve ever had!
Me encanta esta receta, gracias por compartir
An excellent simple recipe that didn’t disappoint. The monk fish was fresher than the cod at the local market so I used that instead and it worked perfectly fine.
This recipe looks so good!!!
Can I finish cooking the fish on the stove top and not bake in the oven?
Hi, Bina. Yes, I think it’s possible to fully cook the fish on stove top until it is nice and flaky. It would still be quick, so just watch for it to cook through.
Hello Team! My oven has been out of action the past couple of months now! So i was wondering if I could make this in the Airfryer? If so, what temperature and for how long would I cook it?
Hi Ann. We have not tested this recipe in an air fryer, but other readers have with success, so it’s definitely worth a try! One person suggested setting the temp a bit lower (375°) and cooking it a bit longer (about 15 or so minutes). This may depend on your personal air fryer, though, so just keep a close eye on the fish as you cook it.
this is a great recipe. I have never cooked Cod before, this is easy, fast and delicious.
I have tilapia fillets. Can I use these for this recipe ? I also have flounder fillets. Can I use these for this recipe?
Hi, Debby! I’m Summer and I work here at The Mediterranean Dish. Flounder and Tilapia are much thinner than Cod, so you would need to adjust the cook time. We’ve never tested this recipe with either of those fish before so we can’t say for sure. We do have some wonderful flounder recipes on the site, however. You could try our Stuffed Flounder Recipe or our Poached Flounder and save this Cod recipe for when you have Cod on hand. If you do try it with tilapia or flounder please report back and let us know how it worked.
I make this so often, it’s so easy and tastes amazing!
Hi, Elizabeth! Thanks for leaving a comment and letting us know you love the recipe. It means a lot to the whole TMD team!