Lemon Garlic Baked Cod (Print Page)

Tender cod baked in bright lemon-garlic butter sauce ready in 25 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Fish

01 - 4 cod fillets (about 5 ounces each), boneless and skinless
02 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
03 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce

04 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
05 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
06 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
07 - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
08 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
09 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
10 - 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

→ Garnish

11 - Lemon wedges
12 - Additional chopped parsley

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a baking dish large enough to hold the fillets in a single layer.
02 - Pat cod fillets dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and black pepper.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, olive oil, minced garlic, chopped parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes (if using).
04 - Place the cod fillets in the prepared baking dish. Pour the lemon garlic butter sauce evenly over the fillets.
05 - Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork and is opaque throughout.
06 - Garnish with additional parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The cod stays incredibly tender because it bakes in its own sauce, never drying out like some fish preparations do
  • From start to finish in under 30 minutes with cleanup that takes about two minutes flat
  • That bright lemon-garlic butter somehow manages to taste fancy enough for company but casual enough for Tuesday dinner
02 -
  • Overbaking is the enemy of cod since it turns from tender to rubbery in literally one minute, so start checking at 12 minutes
  • If you have extra time, letting the fish marinate in the sauce for 15 minutes before baking makes it even more flavorful
  • The sauce will separate slightly in the oven but that is completely normal and still tastes incredible
03 -
  • Bring your fish to room temperature for 15 minutes before cooking for more even results
  • Making a double batch of the sauce keeps in the fridge for a week and makes weeknight cooking even faster

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