Baked Cod

5 from 2 votes

Ready in less than 20 minutes, this Baked Cod is the perfect weeknight meal! It’s a foolproof recipe that will yield you flaky fish every single time. Even better, you only need household staples, so you’ll have dinner ready in no time.

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 218kcal

Author: Justin Coit

Ingredients

4 cod fillets ½ lb per fillet
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp butter melted
1-2 cloves garlic minced
½ tsp paprika
salt & pepper to taste
fresh chopped parsley and lemon wedges for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F.
Place cod fillets in a baking dish and drizzle melted butter over the fillets.
Add the lemon juice onto the fillets and then season them evenly with salt, pepper, paprika, and minced garlic.
Place in oven and cook for approximately 10 minutes until fully cooked and flaky. Cook time might vary depending on the thickness of your filet so keep an eye on it.
Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and lemon wedges or slices.

Video

Notes

You can use regular paprika, smoked paprika, or sweet paprika.
I cook the fish to 145F; you can use an instant thermometer to check the internal temperature. If you do not have one, check if the fish is opaque and use a fork to see if the fillets will flake when pressed into it. Undercooked fillets will resist flaking.
If you want to add some crunchy texture to the fillets, you can add some panko breadcrumbs on top of the cod before baking.
If your fillet has some moisture on it, be sure to pat it dry before you season it so the ingredients will stick better to the fish.
I love adding sliced lemon into the baking dish to impart more citrus flavor to the cod, but if you only have one lemon to juice, you can skip adding the slices.
If your cod is tough, it means it is overcooked. There isn’t anything you can do to undo it, but you could make a garlic butter sauce or a cream sauce to try to cover the dryness.

Nutrition