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One of my favorite things ever is showing you super simple staples for busy weeknight dinners… like this oven baked cod recipe. Let me show you how to bake cod fish that’s tender, flaky and super easy. It’s ready in only 20 minutes — just as quick as grilled cod!
Lemon and butter work so well with fish, and the simple lemon butter sauce here imparts major flavor. If you love the flavors of this baked cod recipe, try the same combo in pan fried tilapia, pan seared halibut (or baked halibut), or baked salmon. You can also make a separate lemon butter sauce to drizzle on air fryer cod — or for just about anything.
Why You’ll Love This Oven Baked Cod Recipe
- Lemony, bright flavor
- Tender, flaky cod texture
- Just a few minutes prep
- 5 simple ingredients (plus salt and pepper)
- Bakes in under 15 minutes
- Healthy seafood dinner that’s rich in protein
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for baked cod with lemon butter sauce, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Cod – I prefer wild-caught cod fish (this is my favorite place to get it), but you can use any variety of cod. Look for fillets that are about 4 ounces each and similar in thickness, so that they cook at the same rate. I recommend thicker fillets for most cod recipes, which dry out less. You can use regular cod fillets (vertical cuts from the side of the fish) or cod loin (thicker fillet cut from larger fish). Either will work, but cod loin is considered higher quality.
- Butter – Adds so much flavor! I prefer grass-fed, unsalted butter. But if you need a dairy-free version, you can substitute olive oil here instead.
- Lemon – You’ll need a fresh lemon (not bottled lemon juice) for this baked cod recipe, as we’re using the zest as well as the juice.
- Garlic Powder – I use garlic powder for convenience, but you can swap in a couple cloves of fresh minced or crushed garlic if you like.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper
- Fresh Parsley – I used curly parsley, but flat leaf works great as well. You can also substitute (or add) fresh dill if you like, as I did in my baked salmon recipe. If you want to make this dish in the winter, oregano and thyme is a good combination to use instead. Fresh herbs work best here, but if you need to substitute dried, use 1 teaspoon dried to replace each tablespoon fresh.
VARIATIONS: Try other spices on your cod!
Paprika, lemon pepper seasoning, or chives all pair well with fish.
How To Bake Cod
This section shows how to make baked cod in the oven, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Thaw cod fillets. This isn’t absolutely required, but it’s easier to brush lemon butter onto the cod if it’s thawed first. Since the pieces are not too thick, they thaw pretty quickly in a bowl of water.
- Pat dry. Remove the fillets from the packaging and pat dry with paper towels.
- Make lemon butter. Melt butter in a shallow bowl in the microwave (or a saucepan on the stove), then stir in fresh lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Season. Arrange the cod fillets in a baking dish, then brush lemon butter mixture over both sides. Season with garlic powder, sea salt, and pepper on both sides.
TIP: Make sure your baking dish is large enough.
The fish fillets should not be touching, or touching only minimally, to cook through evenly.
- Bake cod. Cook until the cod filets are opaque and flake easily with a fork. Garnish with lemon slices if desired.
TIP: For the most tender fish, check the internal temperature.
It should be 140 to 145 degrees F, measured in the thickest part with an instant-read thermometer.
- Serve. Drizzle the fish with the lemon butter sauce from the pan, and a sprinkle of fresh parsley on top is nice, too. (See below to get ideas for what to serve with this baked cod recipe!)
What Temperature To Bake Cod?
The ideal temperature to make baked cod is 400 degrees F. The high heat means faster cooking and less chance of drying out the fish.
How Long To Bake Cod?
Bake cod in the oven for 10-15 minutes in a 400 degree F oven, until it;s opaque and flakes easily with a fork. It should reach an internal temperature of 140 to 145 degrees F.
TIP: The general rule of thumb is to cook fish for 10 minutes per inch of thickness.
But, it can still vary, so check a couple minutes sooner than you’d need based on thickness alone.
How To Make Baked Cod From Frozen?
It’s best to thaw cod fillets before putting them in the oven, but if you forgot or don’t have time to let it thaw, you can easily make oven baked cod fillet right from frozen. Just add 5-10 minutes to the cook time in baked cod recipes.
Storage Instructions
- Store: If you have leftovers from this baked cod recipe, keep them in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
- Freeze: Let the fish cool completely, then transfer to a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Reheat in the oven at 350 degrees F oven for best results. A hot skillet is also fine. I don’t recommend microwaving fish because it gets dry, but it will work if you must.
What To Serve With Baked Cod Recipes
What do you eat with cod? There are so many options! This baked cod recipe is seasoned simply, so it goes with just about anything.
I like to include a vegetable side dish. Here are a few sides that pair perfectly with baked lemon pepper cod:
- Asparagus – One of the best pairings for fish, and I have so many ways to make it! You can make roasted asparagus in the oven, sauteed asparagus on the stovetop, grilled asparagus if it’s nice outside, bacon wrapped asparagus for a more interesting twist, or air fryer asparagus for the fastest method.
- Potatoes – Make simple roasted potatoes or a simple baked sweet potato, or choose a healthier swap like loaded cauliflower casserole or rutabaga.
- Rice – White or brown rice makes an easy side for this baked cod recipe, or choose cauliflower rice for a healthier option.
- Brussels Sprouts – For a heartier veggie, try oven roasted brussels sprouts or parmesan smashed brussels sprouts.
- Broccoli – Like asparagus, there is a variety of methods to choose from: sauteed broccoli, roasted broccoli, grilled broccoli, or air fryer broccoli. They all compliment oven baked cod.
- Cauliflower – There are a variety of ways to make cauliflower, but my favorite recipes are whole roasted cauliflower (when I have time to make it) and simple roasted cauliflower florets (for busy weeknights).
More Healthy Fish Recipes
If you like easy baked cod recipes like this one, you might also like some of these other healthy fish recipes:
Tools For Baking Cod
- Lemon Squeezer – This handy tool makes it quick and easy to make this lemon baked cod recipe.
- Citrus Zester – The lemon butter in this baked cod recipe gets major flavor from the lemon zest, and this is the best tool to ensure you are getting just the zest and not the bitter pith.
- Ceramic Baking Dish – I love this one because it’s beautiful to go straight from oven to table.
Baked Cod Recipe
Baked Cod Recipe (20 Minutes!)
This oven baked cod recipe is tender & flaky, with the best lemon butter sauce! Learn how to bake cod with just 5 ingredients, in 20 minutes.
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Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C). You can bake the cod fillets from frozen or thaw them first in a bowl of cold water. (I prefer thawing if you have time, as it makes it easier to brush on the butter without solidifying.)
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Use paper towels to pat the cod fillets dry. Arrange them in a single layer in a 9×13 baking dish.
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In a small bowl in the microwave or saucepan on the stove, melt the butter. Remove from heat. Stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest.
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Brush the lemon butter over the cod fillets. Season with garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper. Flip and repeat both lemon butter and seasoning on the other side.
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Bake for 12-15 minutes (will vary by thickness), until the baked cod is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve.
Last Step: Leave A Rating!
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cod fish fillet
*If you have a large lemon, you may get more than the standard 2 tablespoons of juice per lemon. Measure juice and use all of the zest.
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
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51 Comments
Connie Martin
0This was delicious – I wasn’t sure if I’d like it, I’m not much of a lemon lover, but it was so good, Just enough lemon, butter and garlic!! And it was simple and easy to make!
Giangi
0Simple and super delicious, this is one of my favorite recipes.
The flavor is ouy of this world, and the cod, my favorite fish, is baked to perfection.
Thank you.
Erin
0This was so easy and I love the lemon flavor! I usually prefer fried fish but this was great! Thanks.
Allie
0This cod turned out sooo good. I love the hint of lemon too! Def going to keep this recipe to make again.
Gina
0Love the simplicity of this dish while still being super flavorful. Lemon and butter are the perfect combo to bring out the flavor of the fresh cod!
Lauren
0Has anyone tried to add capers to this?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Lauren, I have not tried that but it would probably a nice addition.
Sarah
0You can’t beat these flavors-lemon butter and garlic. They compliment the cod perfectly and this was delicious served with mashed potatoes.
Lisa Keay
0Delicious and not complicated!
Heather Mussara
0Not bad, but mine needed more flavor. I scaled the recipe for 4 pieces and spooned the sauce over but it feels like was a bit bland.
Diane
0Delicious recipe! The flavors are subtle and oh so good. The combination of the cod flavor with the lemon and the butter is heavenly. I added mushrooms for presentation purposes. The best part of this recipe is the right amount of lemon to butter combination. Sometimes less is better. This recipe lets the flavor of the cod stand out. I served this over angel hair pasta and had carrots and brussels sprouts as the veggie. This dish is just as good as any plate you would get in a fancy NY restaurant.
Derrick Pohl
0Weird. I cooked Pacific cod pieces 1/2” to 1” thick in clear Pyrex 9×13” pan at 400 F, confirmed with two thermometers in oven, for 25 minutes from a mostly thawed state & couldn’t get internal temperature to go above 120 F even though fish was obviously cooked to perfection. Could it be because my meat thermometer is not the instant-read type? Takes up to a minute to give temperature reading.
Tastes great once sauce in pan is poured over it. Bland without that, which might explain an earlier bad review someone left.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Derrick, It does sound like maybe you are having an issue with your meat thermometer.
Julie van der Wekken
0Excellent simple recipe that compliments the flavor of the cod. Thanks so much!
patty auricchio
0I am from New England an I must say that this recipe is awesome… I also use this recipe for baked haddock but I add bread crumbs to the haddock dish.. Either way it’s definitely relishes with minimal ingredients an minimal time to prepare!!! That’s saying alot coming from a person who grew up in a home of professional fisherman!!!
Lisa
0Absolutely delicious!! The only changed I made was using ghee in place of unsalted butter. Recipe is a keeper!
Terri
0I peeled, cut potatoes into larger squares, and boiled until soft. In a bowl, I melted butter, dry parsley, and garlic powder in microwave. It was salty, so I added a teaspoon of vinegar. Once melted, I added and tossed the potatoes. They were great served with baked lemon cod. Will make again.
Charsetta
0Was looking for something to make for dinner with my Cod and this popped up in the search. Tried it and it was a hit stayed with in my healthy eating guidelines.
Sarah
0This looks great, thank you for sharing the recipe! It’s also important to slow down, enjoy every bite, and savor your food. It can lead to better digestion and absorption of nutrients, improved mood and healthier weight.
Dan
0Really nice! Thanks for the recipe. I just held off the garlic as not a lover of it.
Sandra W.
0JENNIE:
Did you make this as is? Even before KETO, I just buttered it, and sprinkled both sides with sweet paprika, then baked it. Smoked paprika could also be tried.
Anther thing you may want to try is (not with the paprika, but just by itself) is dill, either from a spice bottle or fresh. Don’t smother it on….use just a touch. You can always use more to your liking when it comes to using spices.
Both spices go well on flounder, if you can find it.
Come back & let us know how it turned out for you. Good luck.
Sandra W.
Jan
0Love the lemon cod recipe!
Jennie
0I made the recipe exactly as written, but found it was almost inedibly bland. Definitely will not make again.
Lina
0Yum! Super easy and a family favorite.
Katie
0Lemon and cod are meant to be together. This is so bright and flavorful!
Becky
0I don’t have lemon and was wondering if I can substitute lemon juice concentrate instead. If so, how much? Thanks!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Becky, I would suggest 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
A.J.
0Fabulous recipe! Easy but oh so good! This is my go to recipe when I want fish in a hurry!
Amy
0This recipe is so buttery and flavorful! I will never make it any other way again. It was perfection.
Natalie
0I love cod & baking it is the best way to cook it!! The lemony flavor is so fresh!
Kristyn
0I need to eat more fish!! This recipe is perfectly tasty & the fish just melts in your mouth!
Toni
0This is really good!! I will definitely make it again!
Matt
0I have always loved using lemon with fish. This lemon-baked cod recipe is so good and incredibly easy to make. Such a great fish recipe. Can easily do the same with salmon as well.
Steve
0Super easy to make and my family loved it. Just delicious!
Joanne
0Easy & delicious!
Connie
0Two quick questions:
1. Can lime be substituted for lemon?
2. How can it be so low in calories with so much butter?
Thank you.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Connie, Yes, lime is fine if you prefer that flavor. This recipe calls for 1/4 cup of butter and serves 8. If you have more questions you can refer to our nutrition policy.
kazy
0Hi Connie. 1/4 cup of butter is 57 grams divided by 8 servings means you’re only consuming 7 grams of butter. Hope that helps in understanding why the calories are so low.
Stephanie
0Delicious, simple recipe. I keep organic lemon juice in my fridge because I use it so often so I didn’t happen to have any fresh lemons on hand but it was still tasty and I look forward to trying it with the zest next time. I also used Kerrygold Garlic Herb Butter so I didn’t need any extra salt/pepper. I served it with cauliflower mashed potatoes, big hit at our house.
Judy
0I’m trying to eat more fish. This was delicious.
SJ
0This sounds good. Can you grill this?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi SJ, Yes, you can grill this fish either in foil packets or on oiled grill grates.
Owen
0Love your recipes but the amount of pop ups on your website is irritating beyond belief.. I’m all in favour of people making money but come on.. you close one, 3 more open. not impressed and really hope that you can do something about it.. 🙁
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Owen, Thanks for your feedback! I now have a completely ad-free version of the website. It’s called Wholesome Yum Plus and you can start using it right away!
Sandra
0Baked cod is a favorite in this house. Would you believe that I’ve never tried lemon butter on it? Lemon anything goes well with so many foods. Here’s our favorite way to have cod, & I sure hope that it can be paired up with the lemon butter: thaw the fish, pat dry. Melt butter in a 1/2 sheet pan lined with non-stick foil. Melt the butter (1/2 of a stick) just until melted. Put the cod on sheet of wax paper and dust it with sweet paprika on one side. Place cod in pan with the paprika side down in the butter. Brush on some of the butter from the pan and dust that side with the paprika. Bake at 350 degrees until it just starts to turn opaque and flip it over to the other side. Remove when fish can be easily flaked with a fork.
Paprika is the only thing ever used when I baked it. I leave the salt & pepper to my guys to put on for themselves. Now, after seeing your recipe, I will have to try it this way, still leaving the salt & pepper to the guys. Can’t wait to see if they like the garlic powder & buttered lemon. This really sounds like a winner here.
Krissy
0Really good fish recipe and super easy to make. More fish in our diets is always a good thing.
Emily
0This is such a simple and easy way to bake fish! Definitely, a weeknight staple and the lemon adds the perfect amount of zing.
Chris
0Lemon and cod is a match made in heaven! Your photos are making me drool so bad!!
Irina
0I am used to making cod recipes, but I have just discovered a single ingredient that I have never added, which is garlic powder. Next time I bake the cod, I will try your way of cooking.
Laverne
0My granddaughter is on a keto diet and this really made our day. We love cod and this makes us not miss the breaded variety. Simply delish!!!
Helen
0I really love the fish you can buy at Aldi, such good value and I’ve always found it to be good quality. This is a delicious recipe, and so easy to make that it really is ideal for any day of the week. Perfect with lots of green veggies.