If you’re looking to dive into an easy beginner
seafood dish, then cod is the fish for you. It’s practically foolproof: it cooks quickly, and can take to a variety of flavors and seasonings. This simple oven-baked cod recipe—paired with cherry tomatoes, lemon, and garlic—will give you sweet and extremely tender cod on your table in under 30-minutes. Here’s everything you need to know:
Fresh vs. frozen cod:
Although it’s ideal to find it fresh, seafood can truly be just as good frozen. To thaw frozen cod thoroughly and safely, place it in the fridge and let it thaw gradually overnight. If you’re in a pinch, you can thaw it in the sink by running cool (not warm or hot!) water over the fish until completely thawed. If you use this method, be sure to leave the fish in its plastic wrapping. If you place the fish directly in the water to thaw, it will become waterlogged and fall apart when baked.
How to bake cod:
Whether it starts fresh or frozen, cod should always be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 145°. Our filets were done after around 15-2o minutes, but the timing will depend on the thickness of your filets. The best way to check is with a thermometer, but you can also look for if your fish is completely opaque, and flakes easily with a fork. If you want some extra assurance that your cod won’t stick to the pan, try placing your thin slices of lemon under the fish.
Seasoning cod:
Our sauce is created from only a few staple ingredients: olive oil, cherry tomatoes, lemon slices, garlic, red pepper flakes, and fresh thyme. We love the simplicity of this ingredient combination, but feel free to get creative! Switch out the tomatoes for asparagus, add your favorite fresh herbs, a splash of white wine, or sliced shallot to really amp up the flavor.
Serving ideas:
We love serving this cod with some lemony orzo, roasted potatoes, or cacio e pepe brussels sprouts, but you can also break out some corn tortillas and cabbage slaw for delicious fish tacos (this is especially good for any leftovers!). Want the best of both worlds? Add this to our fish tacos bowls!
Storage:
Cooked cod can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days or in the freezer for up to a month, but keep in mind that the texture may change a bit with freezer storage. We recommend reheating it in an oven at low temperature., but microwaving will also work.
Made it? Let us know how it went in the comment section below!