This baked cod is hands-down my favorite fish dish. It turns out perfectly flaky every time. The flavorful, creamy sauce puts it over the top!
Baked Cod in Cream Sauce
Fish is often overlooked when planning dinner, though we have no idea why. When prepared well, fish is incredibly delicious. It pairs well with rice and potato side dishes.
This baked cod is one of the easiest fish dishes you can make, and easily one of the most delicious! You get perfect, flaky cod every time and the cream sauce kicks it up to the next level. Even your pickiest eaters will love this dish! Cod baked in cream sauce loses all traces of fishiness. You are going to love it!
How to Buy Fish
About 10 years ago I took a cooking class from a renowned chef in Salt Lake City. The entire class was all about how to cook fish. The chef gave some excellent pointers on how to find and buy the best fish. For instance, if you must buy fish from a grocery store (rather than a fresh fish market), always buy it FROZEN.
Don’t buy the fish that has already been thawed and sitting in the case. If you go home and freeze the fish for later, the fish will be frozen twice. That is not ideal. When you request fish at the seafood counter, ask them to wrap up fish that is still frozen. Or to simplify things, just buy the frozen cod at Costco. It’s delicious!
Substitutions for Cod
For this recipe you can use any kind of mild white fish, not just cod. Halibut, tilapia, mahi mahi… these will all work great! Just be sure that when you are cooking them to check for doneness. Tilapia will typically cook faster than, say, halibut because it is usually not as thick of a cut. Use whatever fish is “in season” and you won’t be disappointed! Click this FRESH FISH AVAILABILITY CHART to see which fresh fish is in season any month of the year.
Can I reheat baked cod?
Yes, if done correctly. The best way I have found to re-heat fish is to put it in a frying pan with a lid and bring it up to temperature on the stove (slowly). If you heat it on too high of heat it will burn, so watch it closely. You definitely don’t want to throw it in the microwave. Fish does NOT re-heat well in the microwave! It will turn rubbery and the flavor will just not be there.
What goes well with baked cod?
Easy Lemon Rice Sweet Sautéed Asparagus Baked Potatoes Green Peas
We like to serve this particular dish with a rice or potato side dish and steamed vegetables. Try one of these simple, yet delicious recipes for a side dish.
How to Make Baked Cod in Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 6 cod fillets
- 1 tsp. kosher salt or to taste
- 4 Tbsp. butter melted
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 c. breadcrumbs seasoned
For the cream sauce:
- 3 Tbsp. butter
- 3 Tbsp. cornstarch
- 2 c. whipping cream (or half and half)
- 1 c. milk
- 3 Tbsp Parmesan cheese grated
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400-degrees.
- Prepare cream sauce (see instructions below) and set aside, keeping warm.
- Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray and place cod fillets in the dish. Sprinkle with salt.
- Combine melted butter and garlic and brush over fillets, reserving any leftover butter mixture.
- Sprinkle seasoned breadcrumbs over fillets and pour remaining butter mixture over the top.
- Pour cream sauce in the spaces between the cod fillets so it fills up the baking dish and just the tops of the fillets are visible.
- Place in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cream sauce starts bubbling.
- When the sauce starts bubbling up, set oven to “broil” and broil for about 3-5 minutes or until the fillets start to turn golden brown.
- Keep a CLOSE eye on it to make sure it doesn’t start to burn.
- Remove from oven and serve with potatoes, rice, or vegetables.
For the cream sauce:
- Melt butter in a medium sized sauce pan over medium heat.
- Slowly add the cornstarch and stir for about 1 minute.
- While whisking constantly, slowly add whipping cream and milk until well combined. Stir in Parmesan cheese.
- Reduce heat to low and whisk occasionally for about 10 minutes until sauce becomes rich and creamy, adding more milk, if needed. You want it to be the consistency of a thin gravy.
- Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Carrie says
Could you use sea bass as an option? It is a much thicker peice, how should I adjust the time?
Favorite Family Recipes says
I haven’t cooked with sea bass as much, so I am not sure! I would just keep checking it with a meat thermometer.
Sara Hess says
Delicious dish. Will definitely make again.
Rob says
I chunk up my fish and add some shrimp. I also add a few tablespoons of roasted garlic to the sauce. It is marvelous over some pasta with a side of asparagus. I made it for thé forth time tonight, I think. Thanks!
Lisa S. says
Had a lot of heavy cream leftover from a baking project and decided to try this to use it up. Adjusted “Servings” to 4 and guessed the fillets would be about 6 oz. each, so 1.5 lb total cod. Swapped about 1/4 cup of the milk with dry white wine & added zest of 1 lemon after sauce finished cooking. Was very rich & delicious despite not looking as pretty as yours – my fillets were fresh & not as thick. Would make again, but cut back a bit on volume of sauce and add minced parsley or chives. YUM!
Erin says
This recipe was a mixed bag. Half of the family loved it and the other half, myself included thought the sauce didn’t bode well with the fish. Easy to make. Ended up throwing away a lot of the cream sauce. Wish I would have saved it and thrown it over some pasta or something.
Elaine Riel says
Im so eager to try this. Sounds wonderful. What would 6 cod filet’s weigh for this rdcipe?
Favorite Family Recipes says
Cod filets are typically about a half pound each. Hope this helps!
Heidi Pierson says
My family loved this dish. Thank you for the great recipe!
Echo Blickenstaff says
I’m so glad this recipe was a success for you and your family! Thank you for your comment!
Leah says
I think this is a good foundation for a recipe for people who don’t love fish. It’s slathered in so much butter and cream, you barely notice the cod. It’s decadent and worth making, but it desperately needs a hit of freshness, like chopped parsley or cilantro or scallions or all of the above. I typically serve lemon with any seafood dish but with such a thick cream sauce, I hesitated. It seemed like it might clash. If I make it again, I would definitely throw a bunch of fresh herbs at it.
Tabetha Lord says
I loved the music of North and South too! I’m yet to see or read Wuthering Heights though.
Pat says
I made this recipe with out the bread crumbs and drowned the cod the cream sauce! I also added a little dry mustard,
Next time I may try a bit of nutmeg(?) as well. I served it with homemade shredded
gold potatoes (quick stir fry style) & fresh English peas w/ mint.
TY for the great recipe!
Patricia says
Looks yummy! All our favorite ingredients! For assembly, could you not pour the cream sauce into the pan first, then add the cod filets and then finish the butter and breadcrumbs steps? I would hate to accidentally “drown” the filets with the sauce….
Favorite Family Recipes says
I think that would work! Let us know how it goes if you try it.
Jennifer says
I made this for the first time tonight and it was a big hit! I’m not a big fish eater so I am leery about preparing it. However, this recipe is near foolproof! I used frozen Cod fillets (thawed) and adjusted the seasoning to taste as suggested. My boyfriend who LOVES fish gave this rave reviews. And my 12 yr old stepson who is not a big fish eater, cleaned his plate and declared he’d eat it again. High praise for sure! Will be adding this to our meal rotation as it’s also easy to make and so flavorful!
Katie-Mae Taylor says
Hey!
Can I use frozen fish without thawing first? Thanks
Favorite Family Recipes says
I haven’t used frozen fish with this recipe before, so I am not sure! Let us know how it goes if you do try it!
Deborah Nelkin says
My husband is not a fish lover. But for the 7 weeks of lent, I try my best to find recipes he likes. He just about licked the plate clean with this one. I hit it out of the ballpark with this recipe. We both loved it and will definitely be making it again.
Sally Peterson says
delicious!! had a ‘Bit’ of sauce ‘accidently’ left over==so== had it over angel hair pasta yum!!!!
Maureem says
I have just tried on this recipe for cod in cream sauce. I was unsure about using Parmesan and garlic but went with it. We have really enjoyed our meal tonight. The sauce is so subtle but very tasty. This will become a family favourite for sure.
Laurie Collins says
This is my husband FAVORITE fish recipe! If I say we are having fish, he always says” can we have the one with the cream sauce? “ Seriously. It is the best for family or company. Thank you!
Echo Blickenstaff says
I’m thrilled he likes it so much! Thanks for sharing!
Kellie Wallace says
Our weather was too sketchy to grill so I was surfing and found this recipe. I was advised by the hubby that it needs to stay in the dinner rotation. Haha! We loved it.
Joseph says
Did you thaw out the frozen cod filets first?
Favorite Family Recipes says
Yes!
Marsha Fischer says
This is delish. It is very easy and looks good enough for quests. I used halibut and it cooked perfectly in the time mentioned in the recipe. I have trouble with time and recipes.
Echo Blickenstaff says
I’m so glad you liked it! I’m sure it was wonderful with halibut!
Faye says
I want to make this but I will add lemon zest and some capers.. Yummy!!
Yvonne says
Wow. Made this for dinner this evening and we thought it was fantastic! Did not change anything. Will definitely make this dish again
S K R says
My Mom made this Creamed Codfish in the 50’s but her thing was to put it on toast and it was so good. I remember the taste even though I was just a child💖
Chandra says
Loved it! Just what I was craving. I didn’t have enough cream on hand and eczema flares when I consume too much dairy. I substituted milk for coconut milk and for 1/2 of the cream. And I just sprinkled Parmesan on the fillets instead of breadcrumbs (AID diet). It turned out so lovely. Very enjoyable meal! (Served with steamed broccoli.)
Christine says
Do you have to thaw the fish first or do you bake it from frozen?
Favorite Family Recipes says
It’s best if you thaw the fish first!
Chris in KC says
A terrific recipe! I had some leftover garlic Alfredo sauce, so I added and lemon zest to that instead of making my own sauce. We loved the flaky and crunchy fish and the creamy sauce ❤️
SJolie says
Excellent! Loved this dish. Served with roasted asparagus. Will definitely make again. Thinking the sauce can be used with with other dishes as well. Maybe with pasta!
Cathie says
Loved the recipe. I had about a pound of Cod loin. I made the sauce as if I had more fish. Lot leftover it so good hate to throw it out. Got any ideas for leftover sauce only?
Favorite Family Recipes says
It would be delicious over pasta!
Suz says
Amazing flavor and so easy to prepare. Thank you!
I made our bread crumbs by seasoning with “Everything Bagel” seasoning. It was all so very yummy…First recipe made from your web page and will continue from today on.
Served it with homemade vinegar fennel coleslaw and baked white & sweet potato fries for a chilly Friday night special in Wisconsin.
Bravo ladies!
Favorite Family Recipes says
Thank you so much for the kind review! Glad you liked the recipe!
Leeann says
Delicious!! I just made this and it was fantastic. I will definitely play with the recipe next time to really amp up the flavour profile and hit it out of the atmosphere. Company worthy dish and so simple.
Carolyn Sawatzky says
Sounds wonderful. Can I add prawns as well?
Favorite Family Recipes says
Sure!
JeanB says
Made this tonight but I had to do a little creative reimagining. I didn’t have any cornstarch so I used Instant Blending gravy flour instead. It worked awesome although we had to add about 1 more cup of milk by the time I was ready to use it.
Also someone had accidentally opened a can of crab today so I added that to the sauce before pouring it over the fish. I will definitely be using this recipe again!
Favorite Family Recipes says
That sounds like the happiest accident! Glad you liked the recipe!
mike says
this was the second time I tried baking with a sauce.
The broiling worked great.
The recipe is forgiving as I used less cream (I was lacking), more starch and a lot more cheese. The sauce turned out great for potatoes and broccoli too and the texture of the cheese made a difference. Also much better than the very buttery one I made the first time.
thanks for the work on this, I will do it again!
Margaret fennelly says
Hi this is my second time
To use this recipe. I would highly recommend it its fabulous.
Umber Nadeem says
Hello , can I use basa instead of cod, I already buy ,Thanks
Erica Walker says
Any white fish should work well for this dish. Since the basa filets may be a little smaller than cod it might cook quicker. Just be sure to check for doneness. Hope this helps!
Leann says
Definitely a keeper in our home ~ it was a drizzly cool evening and this hit the spot. We like a bit of savory/spice flavor so I sprinkled fillets with lemon pepper and sweet paprika and squeezed a bit of lemon juice over each before topping with toasted Panko breadcrumbs. Added a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to the cream sauce. Cooking time is dependent on thickness of the fillets ~ finished with sprinkling of fresh flat-leaf parsley. Thanks for sharing this wonderful dish – easy for a weeknight, too!
Erica Walker says
HI Leann- Thank you so much for this nice comment. Also I love all your suggestions. YUM! So glad this was a hit for you and your family!
Sandy says
Made this and it is totally awesome. Just love cod and this is a another great way to prepare cod. Again this recipe is awesome.
Erica Walker says
So glad you liked it! Thanks so much for the 5-stars!
Marcie Cooperman says
Can I use almond milk instead?
Erica Walker says
We have never tried it that way before so I can’t tell you for sure how it will turn out. If you try it, please come back and let us know how it turns out for you!
TRacy Barks says
Can you use light cream instead of the whipping cream
Erica says
Yes, the cream sauce just won’t be as thick. Hope this helps!
mike says
I was lacking whipping cream (I only had 1/2 cup) and topped up with milk, added more corn starch , a lot more cheese and cooked it longer while whipping till it bubbled. It thickened right up in the pot and I didn’t use what I cooked the fish with.
Kristen Kay Smith says
Made exactly according to directions and it was amazing! So glad I tried this recipe; it’s a keeper!
Favorite Family Recipes says
So glad you liked it! Thank you so much for the 5-stars!
Judith says
Hi can’t wait to try this recipe, can i use frozen cod, ?
My mom used to make this when i was a child, it was so good..
thanks for sharing.
cheers Judith
Favorite Family Recipes says
Yes, you can use cod that has been frozen.. you will just want to thaw it out first before preparing. Hope this helps! I’m excited for you to try it!
Theresa says
Can you prepare in advance.
Favorite Family Recipes says
Usually fish doesn’t re-heat well. You can definitely try but I probably wouldn’t recommend for this recipe. It is best made fresh. Hope this helps!
Dixie says
Just wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing.
Favorite Family Recipes says
You are very welcome! So happy to hear you liked it! Thanks for the 5-stars!
kathleen Wilson says
this came out amazing.Thank you for sharing.
Edie says
Made this recipe last week and my
Husband just loved it and asked for it again. I am using flounder and assuming it will take less time to bake since they are thinner than the cod. I don’t have flavored crumbs so added Italian season omg to Pablo crumbs.
This is definitely a keeper!
Glenn says
I made this Keto friendly, I used less corn starch and more cheese and substituted ground up pork rinds with Italian seasoning for the bread crumbs. It turned out delicious, thank you for the recipe even if I had to adapt it a little for my diet. It was a family hit and I will be making it again. I even put asparagus spears in the sauce to cook with the fish, turn out wonderful.
Sarah says
Did you put the asparagus in the pan for the entire time?? I have asparagus on a separate pan in the oven at the same time but I love the idea of one pan
audg says
I could not be happier with the way it turned out. I used panko crumbs, a dash of Italian spices, and garlic powder. Thank you!
Favorite Family Recipes says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for the 5-star rating!!
Brad R... Australia says
Beautiful.
April says
This is a wonderful fish recipe—fast, easy, low carb and super tasty. I will be making this quite often. Thanks!!!
Favorite Family Recipes says
So glad you like it! Thanks April!
Mashel says
Do you have any of the nutritional information on this recipe?
Favorite Family Recipes says
Sorry, we don’t have nutritional information with our recipes yet. You can always use a nutritional calculator or online app such as My Fitness Pal or Livestrong to find this information. Hope this helps!
Feletsa says
How many calories per serving is this?
Favorite Family Recipes says
Hi Felesta- we aren’t able to provide nutritional information for all of our recipes, but you can plug the recipe in any nutritional app such as My Fitness Pal or Livestrong and be able to find what you are looking for. Hope this helps!
gene says
can I use Havarti or gouda cheese in the place of parm since I don’t have any right now?
Favorite Family Recipes says
You could definitely try! My only concern is that it will get too gooey, but that may not be a bad thing! If you try it, let us know how it turns out!
Adam says
Thank you! This recipe was a wonderful jumping off point and one that I could make quickly after work!
Delicious
Favorite Family Recipes says
So glad that you liked it! Thank you for the nice comment!
WILL says
Followed Paul’s suggestions and did potatoes in a chili olive oil on the side. Paul’s recipe for the first was spot on the only thing I did different was add lemon with the onion and mushroom. Also instead of regular seasoned panko I did the spicy. My girl said it was the best dish i ever made!
Favorite Family Recipes says
I am so happy to hear this recipe was a hit for you! Love the addition ideas as well 🤩 yum!
Carolw says
What kind of seasoned breadcrumbs did you use?
Favorite Family Recipes says
Italian works well!
Paul says
400 degrees is way too hot for cooking cod and will dry out the edges. 360 is best, 380 if you have less time. And forget the old wives tale of not refreezing fish or meats. Restaurants do it all the time. What they don’t sell that day goes into the freezer overnight.
Lastly, I like to play with my food and these online recipes are just a guide. I slice onions, mushrooms, and celery to make a bed to lay the the fillets on. (Makes cleanup easier too.) That also adds flavor to the sauce as they cook. I use heavy cream, and grate enough cheese as I think is good. Three tablespoons of cheese is nothing. I also combine different cheese for flavor. Parmesan is good, but I may add swiss and mozzarella as well. Pour the sauce over the fillets and then add the breadcrumbs. The sauce will make them stick to the fillets.
Cook up some pasta to put on your plate, spoon some sauce with the veggies over the pasta, place your fillets on top and you have a delicious and easy meal.
Christine Scanling says
I wonder why people think it necessary to pick fault in a recipe that another is sharing…its very demeaning and unkind…..
Also i have been cooking fish twice a week and brought up in the food industry
The higher the temp and faster you cook it is always best ,it comes out so light tender it melts in your mouth…..
If one does not care for a recipe viewed ..just move on to another
If you already know best.. why look at all !
Favorite Family Recipes says
Thank you for sharing- I have also been taught that a higher temp is just fine. That is what makes this recipe so good! 🙂
Christine Scanling says
Yes there is no other way with fish..I cook salmon and fish st 425 ..
It always turns out perfect…chefs also cook it at the temp of course when fish is in sauce it’s slightly lower 400 is spot on..
Thank you for this great recipe it’s so delicious and I shall make it often ! 😊
Karla Meadows says
I agree!!!
Erin says
Very simple and easy. What i do now with bread crumbs is brown them in butter in a pan on stove first. Then i put toasted bread crumbs on top. I use panko and store the extra in a zip lock in refrig.
Favorite Family Recipes says
YUM!
Pam says
I’ll try that tomorrow making this recipe for six
What did u serve with it?
Stacy says
Making this dish for company tonight, just want to double check the length of time to cook, seems a little long to me. I am also cooking in individual serving dishes, any comments on the cooking time???
Erica says
This cooking time worked out great for us but you can always check it sooner if you would like. You just want that internal temp to be 145-degrees. Hope this helps!
Sunnygirl says
Nobody is picking fault. They are giving other ideas. And in some cases, some of us who have been cooking for years can see when there are extra steps in a recipe that are unneeded…such as simply pouring the sauce over the cod, and eliminating the butter and garlic. Put the garlic in the sauce, and it will still turn out great.
Also, what you said about the temp is correct if you don’t have the fish in the oven for 30-40 minutes. Cod cooks quickly.
You can view these as negatives, but most probably see them as tips.
Judy says
I agree with you 100%
Shaz says
This recipe sounds delicious, I want to make it for my kids’ dinner today, can I make the cream sauce in advance to save time later on?
Erica Walker says
It is so easy to make the cream sauce, it is probably best just to make it while you are cooking. I really don’t think you will see that big of a difference in time by making it ahead of time. Hope this helps!
Netty says
I agree, I get great satisfaction from reading recipes and tips, cooking that creation and then recording what I did differently or would do next time I make it.
For example: I also made approximately half the amount of sauce, loved adding the tarragon and dill, but I also added lemon juice to the sauce just so it pops with freshness. Served the fish over an arugula salad and offered warm sourdough bread.
Enjoy. This is a nice preparation for cod.
X904man says
I agree. When cooking fish especially grilling, you cook on the hottest place on your grill. I cooked this dish as per the recipe at 450f and it was moist and delicious. I cooked on my propane bbq so to finish I used a torch to brown the breadcrumbs. My family absolutely loved it. I also grilled cheddar cauliflower and my family all dipped the florets in the extra sauce. I have this recipe saved.
Thank you for providing it.
Erica Walker says
Oh yum! Thank you for all the tips! So glad you liked this recipe!
Susan J says
You are absolutely correct, Christine! Thank you. I am glad when people address the food snobs!
Rowdy1 says
I added dill and tarragon to olive oil and garlic to brush the fish. And the cream became ff plain Greek yogurt, half the amount, with a little skim milk. Wonderful
Favorite Family Recipes says
Oh yum! That sounds wonderful! Thanks for sharing!
Kenn says
This fish is delicious, next time I will.make 1/3 of the sauce. Made 6 cod loins, way too much sauce
Favorite Family Recipes says
We like serving the extra sauce over rice or potatoes 😉 It is such a rich, creamy sauce, my kids lap it up!
PatHToLogic says
Can never have too much sauce….🙂
Lisa says
Should I defrost the cod or can I cook it from frozen?
Thanks
Favorite Family Recipes says
You will want to defrost it first. Let it defrost slowly in the refrigerator if you can. Fish (or any meat, really) will taste best when defrosted slowly. Hope this helps!
Valerie says
Can’t wait to try this recipe sounds outstanding
Cindy says
Please tell me the method to defrosting and prepping frozen fish before cooking. I buy the individually wrapped fillets of cod & flounder and the cooked result is always mushy when I fry it. Not confident enough to try this recipe. I defrost in the frig, lightly press with paper towels until it stops immediately soaking the paper towels before cooking. What am I doing wrong?
Favorite Family Recipes says
I’m not sure what you could be doing wrong. Is your pan hot enough before adding the fish to it? Are you using enough oil? Those are the two things I can think of right off the bat…
Benjamin Facer says
There is also a tendency to overcook fish for fear of it being raw which often results in it becoming mushy. It only needs to cook until it is flakey and opaque. Use a fork at a 45 degree angle to twist gently into the fish and check the flakeyness. If it’s still translucent cook a little longer checking regularly.
Erica says
Thank you for sharing this great way to check for doneness!
Gigi says
Trying giving it a good dear stovetop. That will give a crunchy outside and it deals in juices:-)
mike says
Fish that is not flash flash frozen is mushy.
I buy fresh fish that was shipped properly, at a reliable source and never had a problem with it being mushy.
Amy says
This was awesome!
One tip is to serve the fish over mashed potatoes and drizzle the sauce over both.
My favorite meal in the world is Halibut over mashed potatoes with a similar sauce at a 5 star restaurant in New York. This was just as good and didn’t cost me $75.
Amy says
Sorry THIs should be five stars…
cheryl holt says
So good! Made garlic toast and green beans in leftover sauce.
Favorite Family Recipes says
So glad you liked it!!! Great idea to put green beans in the extra sauce… YUM!!
Gina says
I made this tonight, with slight changes in the recepie, but turned out amazing. will definitely make this again.
Erica Walker says
So glad you liked it! Glad it was a hit!
Yasmeen says
The recipe as is, I would rate 4 stars. It’s a great base to then personalize to your own taste and add more flavor.
Based on some of the other comments, I made a few tweaks as cooks tend to do 😉. I put sliced onions, sliced baby bella mushrooms, a few pats of butter, and herb seasoning on the bottom of the baking dish. The whole time I was making this I kept thinking how great this sauce would taste with leeks. But, I didn’t have any so oh well. I added the juice from a lemon, garlic powder, onion powder, and S&P to the sauce. I feel like any good cream sauce needs some kind of acid… white wine, lemon juice, something!
Then I placed the fish on top of the veggies, poured the cream sauce over everything and baked. Once I took the dish out I turned the oven on broil, topped the fish with panko bread crumbs, a few dashes of cayenne pepper, and a sprinkle of smoked paprika, then followed the directions to crisp the bread crumbs under the broiler for a few minutes. This might just be the BEST cod I’ve ever made 😋!!! I served it with roasted potatoes. I think grilled asparagus would’ve been a perfect side dish, but of course I didn’t have any so instead I made a side salad.
Tara says
La-la-love this recipe! I make this about every 3wks and even my picky teenage boys enjoy it. Simple and light flavors. Thanks so much for sharing this!
Favorite Family Recipes says
I am jealous that you can get your picky eaters to eat fish!! Thanks for the 5-star rating!!