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This Crispy Baked Cod is flaky, golden brown and ready in less than 20 minutes! Breaded in seasoned cornmeal and flour, then coated with butter, the oven baked fish is flavorful, tender and healthier than deep fried seafood. It’s an easy dinner recipe that the whole family will love!
While salmon is one of the most popular seafood options in our house, sometimes we like to mix it up with other types of fish, too. A simple Baked Cod recipe is a great way to add variety to our diet with a dish that’s healthier than frozen fish sticks!
How to make Baked Cod:
Cod is a popular fish for feeding families, because it has a mild flavor and a dense, flaky white flesh. The two most common species of cod are Atlantic Cod, which lives in the colder waters and deeper sea regions throughout the North Atlantic, and Pacific Cod, found in both eastern and western regions of the northern Pacific Ocean. Haddock and Whiting belong to the same family as cod, and are sometimes sold as cod.
Cod is often used to make the popular fried dish, “Fish n’ Chips.” This Baked Cod recipe achieves that same buttery, crispy texture without actually deep-frying the fish. Just coat with breading, toss with melted butter, and let the oven do the work! Let’s get started…
Ingredients for Crispy Baked Cod:
- Cod fillets
- Butter
- All-purpose flour
- Cornmeal
- Seasoned salt
- Garlic powder
- Pepper
Step 1: Melt Butter in a Baking Dish
Place the butter in a baking dish and stick it in the 450-degree F oven for a few minutes — just until it melts.
Step 2: Prepare Breading
I use the same flavorful breading to season the baked cod as I use to season my favorite Crispy Southern Fried Catfish. To make the breading mixture, combine flour, cornmeal, seasoned salt, garlic powder and pepper in a shallow dish.
Step 3: Dredge Fish
Dredge the fish in the flour mixture to coat on all sides. Shake off any excess breading.
Step 4: Coat Cod with Butter
Place the breaded fish in the dish, gently turning to coat with the melted butter.
Step 5: Bake Cod in the Oven
Bake the cod at 450 degrees F for about 7-8 minutes. Then place the fish under the broiler for the final 1-2 minutes to achieve that really crispy exterior.
How to know when cod is done:
To know when the fish is done, gently insert the tines of a fork into the thickest part of a fillet. Twist the fork at a 45 degree angle. If the flesh of the fish flakes easily, it’s done!
You’re also looking for a nice golden brown exterior on this crispy baked cod.
What to serve with Crispy Baked Cod:
This is a really basic cod recipe, which pairs well with almost any of your favorite sides. Garnish the fish with a lemon wedge and some chopped fresh parsley. Here are a few easy sides that go well with the cod:
- Baked Potato Wedges {make Fish n’ Chips!}
- Tartar sauce for dipping
- Skillet Cornbread or Jiffy Corn Casserole
- 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits or Cheddar Bay Biscuits
- Coleslaw
- Southern Collard Greens or Sauteed Kale with Bacon
- Sauteed Spinach with Garlic
- A simple green salad tossed with Pepper Jelly Vinaigrette {shown here}
- Stovetop Mac and Cheese
- Arkansas Green Beans with Bacon
Nutrition — Baked Cod with Butter:
Baked cod is healthier for you than deep-fried cod because the baked version has much less saturated fat. You’re cooking the fish in butter for flavor and a crispy exterior, but you’ll only actually consume a small amount of that butter.
Cod is a low fat white meat fish that is a good source of protein, phosphorus, niacin, and Vitamin B-12 (source). One serving of the crispy baked cod has about 282 calories, 7 grams of fat, 11 grams of carbohydrates and a whopping 39 grams of protein! This nutrition information is merely an estimate, as each fillet will vary depending on how much breading is used and how much butter adheres to the fish.
Preparation and Storage Tips:
- The cooked fish will keep in the refrigerator for about 2 days. If you need to store the fried fish longer, you can freeze the leftovers for up to 1 month. It’s important to note, though — this baked cod is best when served warm from the oven. The crispy exterior tends to get mushy as it sits in the refrigerator.
- How to reheat Baked Cod: The oven is the best way to reheat your baked cod in order to keep that crispy exterior. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Allow the fish to come to room temperature on the counter while the oven heats. Place the fish fillets on a baking sheet and warm in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or just until heated through.
Cook’s Tips and Recipe Variations:
- Cooking just for two? Cut the ingredients in half to prepare just two fillets. The rest of the instructions remain the same.
- Make fried fish sandwiches by serving the fillets on hoagie rolls with lettuce, tomato and tartar sauce.
- Serve fish tacos by putting the fillets in taco shells or tortillas with fresh salsa, guacamole and all of your favorite Mexican-inspired toppings!
- This is a mild fish. If you prefer some kick, you can add a dash of cayenne to the breading.
- For a Parmesan Baked Cod recipe, try adding some grated Parmesan cheese to the breading mixture.
- Air Fryer Cod: While I much prefer the oven-baked method, you can also prepare this recipe in the air fryer. Skip the melted butter and spritz the fillets with olive oil spray. Again, it won’t be as buttery and flavorful as the baked version, but it does get nice and crispy. The full instructions for the air fryer method are included in the recipe below.
More baked cod recipes that you might enjoy:
- 5-Ingredient Garlic Lemon Cod
- 4-Ingredient Baked Cod with Tomato and Basil
- Dump-and-Bake Italian Cod with Rice and Broccoli
Crispy Baked Cod
Ingredients
- 4 cod fillets (about 6 ounces each)
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon seasoned salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- Garnish: fresh lemon wedges; chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Add the butter to an 11 x 7-inch baking dish (or another similar size dish that easily holds all of your fillets). Place the dish in the hot oven, just until the butter melts (it will only take a few minutes).
- In a shallow dish, combine flour, cornmeal, seasoned salt, garlic powder and pepper. Dredge the fish in the flour mixture to coat on all sides, shake off excess breading, and place in the hot dish. Very carefully turn the fish to coat with butter. You can also use a spoon to drizzle the melted butter over the top of the fish.
- Bake for 7-8 minutes. Turn the broiler to HIGH and broil the fish for 1-2 more minutes, until the top of the fish is crispy and flakes easily with a fork. Keep a close eye on the fish while it’s under the broiler to make sure that it doesn’t burn.
- Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the fish and sprinkle with parsley just before serving.
AIR FRYER METHOD:
- Preheat an air fryer to 400 degrees F. In a shallow dish, combine flour, cornmeal, seasoned salt, garlic powder and pepper. Dredge the fish in the flour mixture.
- Spray the basket of the air fryer with olive oil cooking spray. Working in batches, arrange cod in the basket, leaving space between each piece so air can circulate. Spray the top of each piece of cod with olive oil spray.
- Cook for 10-12 minutes, carefully flipping halfway through. The fish is done when it’s crispy and flakes easily with a fork.
- Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the fish and sprinkle with parsley just before serving.
Notes
- Cooking just for two? Cut the ingredients in half to prepare just two fillets. The rest of the instructions remain the same.
- Make fried fish sandwiches by serving the fillets on hoagie rolls with lettuce, tomato and tartar sauce.
- Serve fish tacos by putting the fillets in taco shells or tortillas with fresh salsa, guacamole and all of your favorite Mexican-inspired toppings!
- This is a mild fish. If you prefer to some kick, you can add a dash of cayenne to the breading.
- For a Parmesan Baked Cod recipe, try adding some grated Parmesan cheese to the breading mixture.
- Air Fryer Cod: While I much prefer the oven-baked method, you can also prepare this recipe in the air fryer. Skip the melted butter and spritz the fillets with olive oil spray. Again, it won’t be as buttery and flavorful as the baked version, but it does get nice and crispy. The full instructions for the air fryer method are included in the recipe.
Yum this sounds really good & easy too! And I like the idea of being able to make fish sammies out of them! Thanks ! 🙂
Thanks, Tess! I hope you enjoy the sandwiches! 🙂
Thanks for the quickest, simplest and yet most delicious cod recipe! I love white flakey cod, and your recipe delivered delicious tidbits in under 20 minutes!
Excellent. I’m so glad to hear that, Regina. Thanks for your note!
So good! Used corn muffin mix instead of corn meal, didn’t add flour since it’s in muffin mix. Turned out great!!
That’s a great “hack,” Erica! Thanks for sharing your tip. I’m so glad that you enjoyed the fish!
The cod was delicious. Even my husband enjoyed it. Another time I might try this with straight cornmeal for when our celiac granddaughter is around. Thanks.
Thank you, Joan! I’m glad that it was a hit!