Cod with Tomato and Herb Butter
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 tomato recipe you will crave time after time.
Serve this baked cod over Cauliflower Mash with Ricotta and Roasted Garlic with a side of Roasted Garlic Green Beans for a complete meal.
Baked Cod
Okay friends. So this recipe has been a long time in the making. Three months is a long time for me and don’t ask why it took so long to share.
But I came across a tomato and herb butter recipe beginning of the summer in the Cooking Light magazine and let me tell you, it was everything, plus more!
You guys know that I try to limit butter and processed foods on this blog but believe me when I say a little goes a long way here.
I can’t get over how flavorful the herb butter is, especially when paired with a mild and lean fish like cod.
Best 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. It truly is.
This melted butter sauce over baked cod is one delicious baked cod with butter dinner. Plus all those juices on the bottom of the pan…(my heart) ♥
To bake the fresh cod. All you need to do is pre-heat the oven to 400 F degrees. Toss the cod fillets with little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place in a baking dish and bake for 15 minutes or so, depending on the thickness or until easily flakes with a fork.
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.
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
Cod with Tomato and Herb Butter
- 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
Made this tonight with roasted cauliflower & it was wonderful & so easy! The only thing I added was a small amount of capers, only because the almost empty jar caught my eye when I was looking in the fridge. And, I put the fish into the sauté pan with the sauce (heat off) to hold for the final two minute rest instead of pouring the sauce over the fish while in the baking dish. Sheer perfection.
This was delicious! I added spinach to the sauce, added a bit of cornstarch slurry and heavy cream at the end. I served the cod on the spinach and then added the sauce. It was heavenly! AND easy!
So good!! I must say, this is one of my new favorite meals, and my picky fiancé loved it. You have to try it, there’s no way to describe how good it is. I’ve been branching out cooking cod in different ways other than the basic New England style cracker crumb topping. So happy I found this
So happy to hear that! Thank you for the feedback Lindsay!
Do I have to use sugar?
Sugar cuts through the acidity of the tomatoes. You can substitute sugar with another sweetener if you like.
This was delicious!!! I served this as a fish pasta for a good friday lunch this past easter and it was a huge hit!!
I’ve even made the herb butter as just a pasta base its that good. With some fresh crusty bread on the side, delish!
I have made this recipe three times in the last month and I am not one to frequently repeat recipes. It is wonderful and always makes my husband very happy besides being very easy to prepare. This one is a true winner.
Thank you Debbie! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it.
Would frozen cod be okay?
Yes but you would need to thaw out the cod and pat dry before baking.
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!