Baked Lemon Cod with Garlic

delicious baked cod with garlic

Baked lemon cod with garlic is a quick meal that is flavorful and moist while having a crunchy outer covering. This heart-healthy dish combines the buttery zesty lemon-garlic sauce with the slightly rich flavored juices of the delicate fish to make it lip-smacking worthy.

A refreshing seafood fare that can be made in under 30 minutes. The dish is a cinch to whip up, even on busy weeknights.

a delicious lunch with baked cod

Baked cod is a delicious way to enjoy the buttery and succulent flavor of cod. Cod is mild-tasting fish with less fat than other fishes and is easy to cook.

On top, it flakes beautifully and takes on the flavors of the ingredients you add to it perfectly while having a non-fishy smell. And in this recipe, it comes with a Greek twist.

Fish, lemon, and butter are so good together. The lemon adds a nice bright flavor which balances the sweet creamy butter.

And in this recipe, the buttery garlic goodness just smothers the fish which makes it tender and juicy while bursting with lemony flavors that will knock your socks off.

How to Make Baked Lemon Cod with Garlic

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ lb cod fillet, preferably boneless & skinless
  • ¼ cup parsley leaves, fresh & chopped
  • 1-inch ginger, sliced
  • 5 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 red chili, chopped finely, for garnishing

For Lemon Juice Mixture:

  • 5 tbsp lemon juice, fresh
  • 2 tbsp butter, unsalted & melted
  • 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning, optional

For Coating

  • ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ¾ tsp sweet Spanish paprika
  • 1 tsp coriander, grounded
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • ¾ tsp cumin, grounded

Method of Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400 ◦ F or 200 ◦ C.

After that, combine butter, lemon juice, Italian seasoning if using, and olive oil in a medium-sized bowl. Stir until you get a smooth paste. Keep it aside.

Next, place spices, all-purpose flour, pepper, and salt in another shallow bowl and mix well.

Pat the fish fillets with a paper towel to remove moisture. Tip: Make sure there isn’t any moisture in it as it may otherwise affect the proper cooking of the fish.

cod fillet in bake container

Now coat the fillets first with the olive oil mixture and then dip them in the flour mixture. Tip: Shake off the excess flour.

Then, heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat, and to this, spoon in the oil.

Once the oil starts simmering, place the fish fillets in the skillet and sear both the sides for 3 to 4 minutes or until they are slightly cooked and the edges are lightly crisped.

Remove the fillets from the skillet. Tip: The fish should not be fully cooked. Similarly, when heating the oil, make sure it is only shimmering and not smoking hot.

Transfer the fillets to the greased glass baking dish. Spoon in the garlic and ginger to the remaining lemon mixture and stir. Pour the sauce over the fish fillets and brush it on all sides. Tip: For more lemony flavor, you can keep lemon wedges alongside the fish.

Finally, bake them for 8 to 10 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove from the oven and top it with parsley. Spoon over the juices from the bottom of the pan over the fish.

Garnish with the chopped red chili and parsley leaves. Tip: To check whether the fish is cooked properly, make sure the internal temperature of the fish is 145◦ C or 295 ◦ F.

Serve immediately and enjoy. You can serve it along with fresh lemon wedges.

Nutritional Information per calories:

  • Calories: 312Kcal
  • Carbohydrates: 16.1g
  • Proteins: 23.1g
  • Fat: 18.4g
  • Sodium: 286.6mg

Baked Lemon Cod with Garlic Tips

  • Serve it along with Mediterranean chickpea salad or Mediterranean Greek salad. Or you could pair it with cauliflower rice or simple pilaf along with roasted vegetables and mashed potatoes.
  • You can store the leftover in an air-tight glass container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. But then make sure, to cool the fish and not to keep the fish at room temperature for more than 1 hour outside. To reheat, reheat at low heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until it is warmed through.
  • If possible, get the Pacific Ocean cod which gives you thicker and large pieces.
fresh fillet cod
  • You can use both fresh & frozen cod for this recipe. If using frozen cod, make sure to thaw them completely.
  • You can grease the baking dish either with olive oil or butter or garlic butter. This ensures that the fish will not stick to the dish.
  • If you like briny flavor, you can try adding capers to the butter sauce.

Baked Lemon Cod with Garlic FAQ

For best results, follow the recipe as it is.

However, some common substitutes would work well in this recipe. They are:

  • Instead of cod, you can use any white fish like grouper and snapper.
  • Instead of all-purpose flour, you can use gluten-free flour to make it gluten-friendly.  
  • Instead of fresh parsley, you can use one teaspoon of dried parsley.
  • Instead of all-purpose flavor, you can use panko breadcrumbs, if you want an, even more, crunchier outer covering.
  • Instead of parsley, you can use fresh basil or cilantro.

How can you do the flake test on the fish?

prick in fish using fork

To check whether the fish is cooked properly, prick the hardest part of the fish with a fork at a 45 ◦ angle. Now, gently twist it and pull up the fish. If the fish doesn’t flake with a gentle push, it means that the fish is not cooked properly and it will be still translucent. Whereas if the fish is cooked properly, it will be opaque and bright white.

How can we determine the baking time for the fish?

You need to first weigh your fillets. For every ounce of fish, you would need to bake them at 350 ◦ F or 175 ◦ C for 6 to 9 minutes approximately.

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[wprm-recipe id= 5874]

Tammy Kennedy
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