Garlic Herb Baked Cod
Flaky cod fillets baked under a garlicky compound butter and roasted lemon slices — a foolproof, weeknight-easy main that comes together in about 25 minutes with almost no cleanup.
- 4 (6-ounce) cod filets
- 3 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons parsley, chives, thyme or other herbs, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 lemon, thinly sliced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and set the cod fillets into a baking dish. Pat each fillet very dry with paper towels first — any surface moisture left on the fish will keep the compound butter from clinging properly and can leave the pan watery once it bakes.
- In a small bowl, mash together the softened butter, olive oil, minced garlic, chopped herbs, paprika, salt, and pepper until fully combined into a smooth, fragrant compound butter. Stirring the garlic and herbs directly into the softened butter, rather than adding them separately, lets the flavors distribute evenly through every bite of the topping.
- Spoon and spread the compound butter mixture evenly over the top of each cod fillet, covering the surface as fully as you can. An even layer here means every fillet bakes up equally buttery and golden rather than having bare, dry patches.
- Tuck lemon slices both underneath and on top of each fillet. The slices underneath keep the delicate fish lifted slightly off the hot pan and perfume it from below, while the ones on top slowly soften and release their juice into the butter as everything bakes.
- Slide the dish into the oven and bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until the cod turns fully opaque and flakes apart easily when you press a fork into the thickest part. Cod overcooks quickly once it's done, so start checking around the 13-minute mark rather than waiting for the full 15.
- Before serving, spoon the melted, garlicky pan juices from the bottom of the dish back over each fillet. Those juices carry all the flavor that's rendered out of the butter and lemon during baking, so don't leave them behind in the pan.
Chef's Note: Cod is about as forgiving a fish as you'll find for baking, but it still rewards a little attention to detail — patting the fillets bone-dry before they ever meet the butter is the single biggest factor in whether the topping stays put or slides off into the pan. The compound butter itself is deliberately simple, letting the garlic and whatever fresh herbs you have on hand do most of the talking rather than masking the fish's naturally mild, flaky texture.
Feel free to swap in whatever soft herbs you have in the fridge — parsley, chives, and thyme all work well together or on their own. Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for two to three days and reheat best in short 30-second bursts in the microwave or gently in a 300°F oven; the texture is at its finest fresh from the oven, so this isn't the best candidate for freezing ahead if you can help it.
A few tools that make this recipe easier to get right.
As an Amazon Associate, Salt & Simmer earns from qualifying purchases made through these links, at no extra cost to you.