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!
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 is such a mild fish anyway but when it is baked in this cream sauce, any trace of fishiness disappears. 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, one of them being 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. Most likely, they took fish that was frozen already and put it in the case. If you go home and freeze the fish for later use, that will be the 2nd time it has been frozen. That is not ideal. If you must, ask the person at the seafood counter to wrap up some fish for you 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! Here is a great chart to see what fish are in season at any given time (click HERE).
What goes well with baked cod?
We like to serve this particular dish with either baked or mashed potatoes. You can also serve it with plain or seasoned rice. Our favorite vegetables to serve with baked cod is sautéed sweet asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, or peas. You really can’t go wrong with any kind of steamed vegetable!
Can baked cod be re-heated?
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 re-heat well in the microwave! It will turn rubbery and the flavor will just not be there.
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 9x13 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.
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!!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
Carolw says
What kind of seasoned breadcrumbs did you use?
Favorite Family Recipes says
Italian works well!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
Brad R... Australia says
Beautiful.
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!!
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
kathleen Wilson says
this came out amazing.Thank you for sharing.
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!