Baked Cod

By Lidey Heuck

Published Jan. 28, 2025

Baked Cod
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
30 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Rating
5(1,211)
Comments
Read comments

This is a very simple method for baking cod, with an ingredient list both short and mighty. Minced herbs, garlic and scallions give the mild, flaky fish lots of flavor -— but you can feel free to substitute whatever fresh or dried herbs you happen to have on hand, since cod takes well to a range of herbs and flavors. As the fish bakes, the lemon juice mixes with the olive oil and seasonings, resulting in a bright and savory sauce. Spoon it over the hot fish and serve directly from the baking dish, with roasted potatoes and a green salad on the side.

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 4(4- to 6-ounce) skinless cod fillets
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1tablespoon minced fresh parsley or dill (or 1½ teaspoons dried) 
  • 1tablespoon minced scallions or chives 
  • 1medium garlic clove, minced, or ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1small lemon
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

214 calories; 11 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 26 grams protein; 398 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

  2. Step 2

    Pat the cod fillets dry with a paper towel and place them in a baking dish large enough to hold them without crowding. Season all over with salt and a few grinds of pepper.

  3. Step 3

    In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, parsley, scallions and garlic. Zest the lemon over the bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons) and mix well with a fork.

  4. Step 4

    Brush the herb mixture all over the fillets, turning to coat on both sides. Squeeze half the zested lemon over the dish, then cut the remaining lemon half into wedges.

  5. Step 5

    Bake until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork, 14 to 18 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of the fillets. Spoon the juices over the fish and serve hot, with the lemon wedges alongside.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

5 out of 5
1,211 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

CMK

I’ve been baking cod for decades and thought this might be a nice change. Not so much. I live in NE in a fishing community with access to fresh fish daily. Back to my recipe and my mother’s- white wine if I have some open, lemon juice lots of black pepper lemon zest and breadcrumbs mixed with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and olive oil to hold it together. Bake at 350 till fish flakes. Perfect every time.

Name Linda Criss

Pretty bland recipe. Remember the 1960’s when Ritz crackers were crumbled with melted butter, added to the cod? I always added chopped chives and parsley to the mix with hefty squeezes of fresh lemon juice. White wine helped as well.

Cindy

Very good, used a tiny shallot instead of green onions and added three times the suggested amount of fresh dill. High quality fresh local black cod made a big difference.

Blue Green Christopher

I incorporated a couple suggestions together. Turned out great! Spritz dried cod with olive oil. Add 2 tbs lemon juice to 2 tbs white wine brush over fish. Add lemon zest of one lemon, lots of black pepper, dill, scallions, garlic, and breadcrumbs mixed with freshly grated parmesan cheese and olive oil to hold it together. Add extra garlic and scallions, maybe Capers and a pad of butter at the end, atop the breadcrumb. Bake at 400 on convection until fish flakes, approximately 18 mins.

Oliver

A new weeknight dinner staple. Followed the recipe to the letter except for doubling the scallions and parsley because why not. Not bland. Subtle and delicious. served with roasted potatoes and a Loire white (the 9-year-old got water). Everyone happy.

Bernadette

Add cherry tomatoes and capers (as another reader suggested). The flavors really POP!

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.