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This baked cod is light, flaky, with a savory creamy sauce that puts this dish over the top. It’s hands-down, my favorite fish dish and it turns out perfectly every time.
Featured with this recipe
- Ingredients for Baked Cod
- Additional Seasonings for Fish
- How to Buy Fish
- Substitutions for Cod
- How Long to Bake Cod
- How to Know When Cod Is Done?
- Frequently Asked Questions about Baked Cod
- More Fish and Cod Recipes
- Try These Side Dishes with Baked Cod
- How to Make Baked Cod with Cream Sauce
- Baked Cod with Cream Sauce Recipe
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 easy baked cod recipe is one of the most delicious fish dishes you can make! You get perfectly flaky cod filets every time, and the cream sauce kicks it up to the next level. Even your pickiest eaters will love this baked cod recipe! Cod baked in cream sauce loses all traces of fishiness. Your whole family will love it!
Ingredients for Baked Cod
This is one of the best baked cod recipes I’ve ever tried! And it’s easy to make, with easy to find ingredients. Here’s what you need:
- Cod filets – about six for this recipe. You can easily double or cut the batch in half for your family. Cod is an excellent lean protein that tastes delicious!
- Kosher salt – about one teaspoon or one and a half teaspoons salt, to taste
- Butter – four tablespoons, melted
- Garlic – two cloves, minced
- Breadcrumbs – you can use plain or Italian seasoned crumbs
Cream Sauce for Cod:
- Butter – a few more tablespoons
- Cornstarch – three tablespoons
- 2 cups whipping cream – you can use half and half too
- Milk – one cup
- 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese grated
- Kosher salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- Garnish with lemon wedges, if desired
Additional Seasonings for Fish
Cod, like other types of white fish, is a blank slate and can be flavored up all sorts of ways. In addition to the simple seasonings in this recipe, you might try a few other ideas to add flavor to your next fish dish:
- Lemon juice – fresh lemon juice is the best way to add zest and flavor to fish. Yum!
- Shallots
- Garlic powder
- Cajun seasoning
- Thyme
- Lemon zest
- Onion powder
How to Buy Fish
About ten 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 put the fish in the freezer for later, 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 loin 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, check for doneness. Tilapia will typically cook faster than, say, halibut because it is usually not as thick of a cut. Using an “in season” fish will make you happy every time! Click this FRESH FISH AVAILABILITY CHART to see which fresh fish is in season any month of the year.
How Long to Bake Cod
Cod bakes up really fast in a 400 degree oven. Depending on the thickness of the fish, it should only take about 10-12 minutes, or longer if baked in a sauce. Baking at a lower temperature, like 375, will take plain fish 15-20 minutes to cook through. Fish should always be cooked to an internal temperature of 145-degrees F and flake easily when pulled apart with a fork.
How to Know When Cod Is Done?
Knowing when cod is done in the oven is essential to ensure it’s cooked perfectly. Here’s how you can tell:
- Check the Color: Cod goes from translucent to opaque as it cooks. When it’s fully cooked, the flesh turns white and easily flakes with a fork. The center should not be translucent, and it should have a consistent color throughout.
- Internal Temperature: You can use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of the cod. It’s done when the internal temperature reaches 145°F (63°C).
- Flaking: Gently insert a fork into the thickest part of the cod fillet and twist it slightly. If the fish flakes easily and the flakes are opaque, it’s done.
- Texture: When you touch the cod with a fork, it should be firm but still moist. Overcooked cod can become dry and tough, so be cautious not to leave it in the oven too long.
Remember that the cooking time can vary depending on the thickness of the cod fillets and the oven temperature, so it’s important to monitor it closely, especially the first time you cook it in your oven.
Frequently Asked Questions about 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). Fish does NOT re-heat well in the microwave! It will turn rubbery, so avoid the microwave.
In a 400 degree oven, cod takes about 10-12 minutes to cook depending on the thickness of the cod. Always check for doneness with a meat thermometer 145°F (63°C).
No, you shouldn’t need to flip the fish. Fish that has been baked may flake apart easily and fall apart if you try to turn it.
READ MORE: 35+ Quick and Easy Dinner Ideas
More Fish and Cod Recipes
Try These Side Dishes with Baked Cod
How to Make Baked Cod with Cream Sauce
Baked Cod with Cream Sauce
Video
Ingredients
- 6 cod fillets
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt or to taste
- 4 tablespoons butter melted
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs seasoned
For the cream sauce:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 cups whipping cream (or half and half)
- 1 cups milk
- 3 tablespoons 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. Pat fish dry with a paper towel if needed 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. The internal temperature of the fish should be 145-degrees F and should flake easily when pulled apart with a fork.
- 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.
Notes
- Don’t buy the fish that has already been thawed and sitting in the case. If you go home and put the fish in the freezer for later, 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 loin at Costco. It’s delicious!
- Re-heat fish in a frying pan with a lid and bring it up to temperature on the stove (slowly). Fish does NOT re-heat well in the microwave! It will turn rubbery, so avoid the microwave.
- You shouldn’t need to flip the fish during baking. Fish that has been baked may flake apart easily and fall apart if you try to turn it.
I made this recipe which was my first time eating Cod. It was the best baked fish I have ever eaten. I have been boasting of this dish since. I almost want to say I don’t know if I like it more than Salmon and I love salmon.
Hi, love this recipe and was a hit with the family! Just wondering if it can be made ahead and frozen, need to take some meals to a friend having surgery.
Thanks!