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So you may have noticed by now that I don't make a lot of seafood. A little shrimp here and there, some battered cod, but that's about it. I do dabble in scallops but those are usually reserved for special occasions. However, I'm here to tell you today that I have an actual not fried fish recipe that I LOVE! Ready for it? Lemon herb butter baked cod!
Lemme just say one more time how until now I'm really not a fan of fish unless battered and fried and served with chips. This recipe has 100 percent won me over! If you're like me and just don't have a big taste for seafood, cod is the perfect fish to start with. It's very simple in flavor (not too "fishy"), and super easy to cook.
This is literally one of the easiest dinners ever. Throw some cod fillets and cherry tomatoes into a baking dish, drizzle with a simple and quick butter sauce aaaaand bake. That's it! Oh and it only takes 15 minutes to cook. Speaking of...
Cod secret: do not over cook it! Overcook cod and that's where the gross rubber texture comes in. Just 15 minutes in the oven should do it. Err on the side of a little less baking time and check it. If it flakes easily with a fork and is opaque throughout it's good to go.
Now as good as a nice fresh fillet of fish can be, it's really oh so much butter when drenched in butter amiright? Add a little garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, and herbs and we're in business!
Serve this lemon herb butter baked cod with a little pasta, rice, or a crusty slice of bread to soak up the delicious pan sauce. Recipe coming up!
Lemon Herb Butter Baked Cod
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Fresh cod fillets baked with cherry tomatoes and smothered in a lemon garlic herb butter sauce.
Ingredients
- 4-6 cod fillets (about 1 ½ lbs of cod)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon parsley, minced
- 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
- 4-6 lemon slices
- 1 teaspoon dill leaves, minced
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- ½ Fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 9X13 baking dish.
- In a small bowl, whisk together butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, paprika, thyme, dill, and parsley until combined.
- Pat cod dry. Season fillets on both sides with salt and pepper. Brush with butter mixture and place in the baking dish.
- Add tomatoes and lemon slices to the dish. Drizzle evenly with remaining butter mixture.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cod is opaque and flakes easily with fork.
- Garnish with any remaining herbs and serve with sauce from the pan.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
Valerie Long says
Would this work for halibut??
Ann says
This recipe was super easy and so delicious! I used dried herbs instead of fresh since fresh are hard to come by these days and halved the amounts. My 4 year old loved it as did the adults. We will for sure be making this again when cod is available. I bet it would taste great with any type of mild white fish or maybe even salmon.
Aberdeen says
Thank you! So happy you enjoyed it.
Calista says
Loved this! We served it with Pearl Cous Cous and Asparagus on the side. It made a perfect light evening meal. Thanks!
Rebecca B says
Super easy and delicious! Thank you
Martha says
Amazing dish, super fast abs easy to make. So much flavor to it.
Alicia T says
Amazing. Added a bit of Rosemary as I didn't have Thyme or Dill handy. My family loved it and no leftovers so that that's a great sign. Will have to make more next time. Served with Parmesan Risotto and grilled zucchini and yellow squash. Will definitely make again.
Amanda says
Super easy and fast! Perfect for a hungry family that wants something tasty & fast. Would definitely recommend to family and friends . Thank you for the WIN!!!!!
Melanie says
Simple and delicious!
Aberdeen says
Thank you 😊!