Best Baked Cod Recipe Ever
This cod recipe is one of the best meals I’ve ever made, but don’t just take my word for it! With over 100 ratings and a 5-star review, it’s loved by readers, too. In fact, it has continued to be one of the most popular recipes on the site since I first posted it in 2016, getting millions of page views on a regular basis.
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Buttery Cod Fish Recipe
A quick, easy meal, it features tender, flakey cod coated in a decadent tomato herb butter sauce and is ready to eat in under an hour.
I love to prepare it for friends and family, and they always beg me for the recipe, because they don’t believe it didn’t come from a restaurant! It’s so tasty that even those who don’t love fish ask for seconds.
We love to serve it with rice, quinoa, or crust bread to soak up all the sauce. And you can never go wrong with a side salad, too.
My Take on The Butter and Tomato Cod Recipe
So I changed the recipe up a bit and put my own little spin and it’s seriously the best cod recipe out there.
It’s basically garlic, shallots, tomatoes, spices and broth simmered until tomatoes burst and release their juices. Then you stir in the butter and fresh herbs and OMG!
The result is velvety, thick, slightly spicy and sweet butter that you will want to eat by a spoonful.
Plus all those juices on the bottom of the pan…(my heart) ♥
Cod Recipe Ingredients
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Aromatics: Shallot and garlic.
- Oil: I like to use olive oil, but avocado oil will also work.
- Tomatoes: Grape or cherry tomatoes.
- Chicken stock: Use homemade chicken stock or store-bought stock.
- Herbs and spices: Kosher salt, red pepper flakes, fresh chopped herbs (basil, parsley, chives, cilantro, etc.)
- Granulated sugar: Helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Butter: Unsalted butter is best.
- Lemon: Lemon juice adds brightness and helps tenderize the fish. Freshly squeezed is best, but bottled varieties will also work.
- Cod fillets: Look for fresh cod that is bright, moist, and firm.
How to Make The Best Baked Cod Recipe Ever
You’ll need a small saucepan and a casserole dish for this recipe. The recipe card below has all the details you need.
Step 1: Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic, and sauté until soft, stirring occasionally.
Step 2: Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, sea salt, red pepper flakes, and sugar. Simmer uncovered until the tomatoes break down and release their juices and the liquid has almost evaporated.
Step 3: Remove the saucepan from the heat, and stir in the butter and fresh herbs. Cover to keep warm while preparing the fish.
Step 4: Drizzle the bottom of the casserole dish lightly with olive oil.
Step 5: Use a clean paper towel to pat the cod dry, and arrange it in a single layer in the dish. Season generously with salt and pepper, and drizzle the top with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Step 6: Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil, and bake until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove the cod from the oven, and spread the tomato butter on top.
Step 7: Cover the casserole dish again, and let it stand for a few minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh chopped herbs, if desired, and enjoy warm.
How to Serve This Recipe For Cod
You can serve it with rice, quinoa, or my favorite…crusty bread to soak in all the juices. I mean does it get better than that!?
I’m really hoping you give this baked cod with butter a try and even if you’re not a fish lover, I think it will change your mind.
Storing and Reheating Leftover Baked Cod
Store leftover cod with tomato herb butter in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days. I do not recommend freezing this recipe.
More Baked Cod Recipes
- Cod in Creamy Roasted Pepper Sauce
- Baked Fish and Vegetables in Foil Packets
- Blackened Salmon Lettuce Wraps – you can easily sub cod for this recipe
- Bruschetta Baked Cod with Panko
Video: How to Make Cod with Tomato and Herb Butter
Recipe for Baked Cod
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Most tender, flakiest, and flavorful cod you will ever make! This tomato and herb butter compliments the mild tasting cod in the most delicious way ever. It will be the only baked cod with butter you will crave time after time.
Ingredients
Tomato and Herb Butter
- 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1/4 tsp. granulated sugar
- 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, sliced
- 3 Tbsp. fresh chopped herbs (basil, parsley, chives, cilantro), plus extra for garnish
Cod
- 2 – 2 1/4 pounds fresh cod fillets, cut into 6-8 oz. portions*
- 1 lemon
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
Tomato and Herb Butter
- In a small saucepan heat olive oil over medium heat. Sauté shallot and garlic for 4-5 minutes or until soft, stirring occasionally.
- Add tomatoes, chicken stock, sea salt, red pepper flakes, and sugar. Simmer, uncovered, for 15-17 minutes or until tomatoes break down and release their juices and liquid has almost evaporated.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the butter and fresh herbs. The herb butter should be velvety and thick. Cover and keep warm while the cod is baking.
Cod
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Drizzle the bottom of a casserole dish lightly with olive oil. You want a dish big enough to fit the cod in a single layer with some room around or you will get too much juice during baking.
- Pat dry the cod really well and place in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper to taste but be generous. Drizzle the top lightly with olive oil and squeeze of fresh lemon. I used about 1/2 lemon. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 12-18 minutes or until easily flaked. Baking time will depend on the thickness of the cod.
- Remove from the oven and evenly spread the tomato butter over the cod. Cover back with aluminum foil and let stand at room temperature for 1-2 minutes before serving. You just want all the flavors to come together.
- Garnish with fresh chopped herbs, if desired, and serve immediately.
Notes
*I used about 2 1/4 pounds of cod that I was able to cut into six (6-8 oz.) individual portions
**This cod serves really well with cooked rice, quinoa, or crusty bread to soak up all the juices.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 (6-8 oz.) fillet plus sauce
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 3.1 g
- Sodium: 383.3 mg
- Fat: 11.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 6.8 g
- Protein: 57.7 g
- Cholesterol: 168.7 mg
Hi! I'm Katya -- a former corporate paralegal turned full-time recipe developer and blogger behind Little Broken. Here you'll find family-friendly and seasonal recipes made from real ingredients.
Have not yet made this recipe, but the reviews sound awesome.
I do have to compliment you on your great photos and layouts!
Thanks so much! Hope you get a chance to make it.
This is awesome. I used a combination of Roma anc cherry tomatoes. Will make again.
Thanks so much Jan! So glad you loved it.
Just discovered this recipe; it really is an easy and elegant dish that I’d highly recommend!!
I didn’t have chicken stock/broth or cherry tomatoes on hand, so I substituted with water and a couple chopped tomatoes from our garden (it’s the tail end of tomato season, here in SC, and this recipe does a fabulous job of showcasing the tomato in all its sweet, tangy glory). For the fresh herbs, I used a generous combination of parsley, garlic chives, a couple varieties of basil, and tarragon (I went lighter on the tarragon since it’s flavor can easily overwhelm). Otherwise, I followed the recipe to a T, and it turned out beautifully! Will definitely make again!
Thanks so much for sharing Kelly! So glad it worked out for you with few tweaks. Thanks so much again 🙂
Followed the recipe but deleted the sugar and salt, the fish was delicious!
So easy! Definitely a five star meal!
Thank you Lisa! So glad you loved it.
Great recipe! My husband thought it was as good as Nobu’s miso cod. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much for the compliment! So happy you all enjoyed it.
This recipe is so delicious. Followed every ingredient and it came perfectly great! Next on the list is are the salmon with red pepper sauce. I’m pretty sure my family will love it as well.
That’s great Odette! Thank you so much. I hope you love the salmon wtih red pepper sauce too!
I didn’t have cod on hand, so substituted with swai.
It was exceptional and pretty light for dinner. The sauce was so good with all those herbs mixed together. Really like this recipe. Ate it with gretchka, pouring some of the herb butter sauce on top. Delicious:)
Thank you! So happy you loved it, especially over gretchka 🙂
I made this a couple hours ago. Didn’t have shallots so I used chopped onion, plus I added some mushrooms. Everything else I followed to a tee.
While eating this gourmet meal, my wife Janet kept saying “Oh My Gosh!” over and over. I paired it with jasmine rice. This, by far, is my favorite recipe of all. Thank you for publishing the recipe.
Thank you so much Norm for such a sweet comment! So happy you and your wife enjoyed this recipe. I bet the addition of mushrooms was delicious too.
I’m looking forward to making this tonight. Do you think diced roma tomatoes would work?
I think you should be okay with using diced roma tomatoes. You may have to add a little more than what the recipe calls for though.
and simmer a little longer to get the moisture out.
I made it with the Romas, and simmered it longer though I hadn’t read your comment yet. 🙂 Absolutely delicious, and fantastic recipe! I agree with Maggie’s comment…it is restaurant worthy! Thanks so much for the recipe.
Thanks for letting me know! So glad it worked out for you.
This was great! I used cod loin & doubled the sauce recipe. We soaked up the leftover sauce and juices with garlic ciabbata bread….Fantastic. Thank you for the recipe
Thank you so much Nanette! So glad you enjoyed it and that garlic ciabbata bread sounds sooo good!
Can I use frozen cod or does it have to be fresh??
You can use frozen but I would de-frost the fish first.
Saw this on Instagram the other day and made it today, it was delicious!!! I added some spinach and served over mashed potatoes. My husband loved it! Thank you
That’s great! LOVE that you added spinach and mashed potatoes…I mean you can’t go wrong there 🙂 Thanks so much for your feedback. So glad you guys loved it.
This is SO good! The market didn’t have cod when I went so I substituted for tilapia and it still tastes wonderful. I wasn’t prepared for sides but I think I would do a Caesar salad and crispy bread. And wine of course!
So happy you made it work with tilapia! And crusty bread for all that sauce sounds SO good!
Joyce: I’m so happy you enjoyed the cod! Thank you so much for such a sweet comment. I’m not going to lie, I’m a little jealous of your warm weather and abundant supply of fish 🙂
Are we supposed to pick which of those fresh herbs to use or are we supposed to use all four, thr basil, parsley, cilantro, chives?
Hi Kate: you can use all of the herbs or just couple of them. Thanks!
How much of each herb?
You need a total of 3 Tablespoons, mixed in any amount you like.
I’ve made this and shared with several friends we all agree this would be a $30 entree in a nice restaurant. I didnt change anything the first time and the second I added a few kalamata olives and serve with a side of angle hair. Truly great recipe! Thanks.
Maggie that is the SWEETEST compliment! THANK YOU so much! So happy to hear you are enjoying this cod and thank you for sharing with your friends.
I agree, a restaurant quality recipe. I’m definitely going to use this for my next dinner party! Served this in a pasta bowl so none of the wonderful sauce would escape. Served with crusty bread and angel hair pasta. Thank you for sharing.
Could I put the mixture on the cod and bake all together?
You can but the herb butter will lose its creaminess and break down. So you’ll have more “oily” sauce if that makes sense.
Can you make this for meal prep or will it be too oily the next day
I think if you’re going to serve it over rice or quinoa it will be okay to reheat/meal prep. The sauce will break down a little but since it’ll be served over something, you wont really taste the difference.
how many calories/carbs is this meal?
We tried it this way last night and its not as good. The sauce thins out and loses its flavor a little.
Wow! Made this dish this evening and it was absolutely delicious! Followed the recipe- So easy and quick. Paired with basmati rice. Can’t wait to make again!
So glad you loved it Laura! We love pairing it with rice as well. Thanks so much for your feedback.
I made this tonight and it was delicious. I did make a few tweaks. I used cod loin and basically doubled the recipe. I put in much more garlic, used onion, added fresh spinach and muscles. Awesome!
That sounds so delicious! So glad you enjoyed it Rosemary.