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.
Can you make the sauce hours ahead then just reheat when the fish is cooking?
It’s best served immediately just because fish, especially white fish can get tough when reheated.
Not make the fish ahead, just the sauce? Is the sauce ok to reheat
You can make the sauce in advance but when reheating, I would heat over low heat to avoid the sauce becoming really oily.
This was soooo good. I made it exactly as written. Smooth, sauce that compliments the fish perfectly.
Thank you so much!!!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you.
This recipe rocked the house on Good Friday. My husband loved it and I must agree, it was so flavorful. Thank you for this recipe. We will make it on a continuous basis. Yummy!
Thank you so much! I’m so happy to hear that.
My husband and I haven’t been connecting lately. When I made this recipe he started to tear up, kissed me with a renewed passion and told me how much he loves me and my cooking. Will make again soon.
I’m so happy to hear that!
AMAZING!! Wow the best fish recipe ever. Thank you for sharing.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for the feedback Kelly.
So delicious! Served it with roasted potatoes, a hit with the whole family, Going to try the sauce on roasted asparagus next time!
Yum! That sounds good. So happy you enjoyed it.
This was incredible! So flavorful and easy. My family loved it!
So happy to hear that Dawn! Thanks for the feedback.
I plan to make this on Christmas Eve as part of the “seven fishes” tradition of my family. It would be great if I can make it the day before & heat it up the next day. Can I do that?
You could but cod is best when served immediately. A lot of times when you reheat it, it can dry out a bit.
I cant find red pepper flakes. Can I use chilli flakes
Yes you can.
This recipe is perfect! Simple to make and so delicious! I added a chopped yellow pepper to the onions & garlic (I didn’t have a shallot). I also put a pinch of ground fennel with the onions/garlic/pepper as it works really with fish. Thank you Katya, for providing such a superb recipe 🙂 We thoroughly enjoyed it, and ate it with roasted sweet potatoes. I will definitely make this again.
That’s so great! Thank you Julie.
… forgot to mention we like it with gnocchi
I’ve made this almost a dozen times, and I just had to leave a review because it is so simple, but so good. Thyme, basil and parsley FRESH herbs are my fave, but as the recipe states, almost any fresh herbs will work. I cook the fish on the grill in a cast iron pan with a little butter and lemon. I do add a splash or two of white wine to deglaze the pan after sautéing shallots/garlic. My wife and I are foodies, and this fairly simple recipe is one we keep coming back to. Thank you Katya!
Thank you for feedback! Glad you are enjoying the recipe.
Not a fish fan, can you use chicken instead?!
I think it could be a topping for chicken but I would recommend you bake the chicken using your own method and then add the tomato mixture on top.
Excellent! I followed the recipe exactly and will definitely make again.
Thank you!
Soooo good!! I’ve made this twice and loved it both times. Followed the recipe, it’s perfect.
Thank you.
Thank you! So glad to hear that.
Delicious! The bright flavors of the sauce pair perfectly with this mild fish. This will become a regular in our household. My entire family loved it. Thank you for the recipe!
Fantastic, super bright flavours! Will make again.
Thank you!
Best recipe ever!
Just wanted to add that I made this with orzo which I added olive oil & capers too & then asparagus tips – delish
Gosh that sounds delicious!
Thanks so much!
This recipe was amazing, my son who is home from college due to covid-19 went back for seconds until it was all gone. I cant wait until covid-19 is over so I can prepare this for guest. Amazing!!!
So happy to hear that! Thank you Sedalia.
This recipe is amazing, my fiancé LOVES it! He wanted me to cook this when his friends came over.
That’s so great! Thank you Christy.
So so so good! This is going into my recipe file. There isn’t a thing I would change in the recipe 😊
Thank you Leah!
Big Hit. so easy and delicious. I w ill definitely do it again . I might add a little anchovy paste with the shallots and garlic to give it a bit more depth, but then I add anchovy paste to many things.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for feedback.