15 Minute Lemon Herb Baked Cod

Flaky, lean cod baked in a buttery lemon and parsley sauce. A highly nutritious, low-calorie protein source.

By Cressio Rinaldi

Cod is a mild, lean white fish, and that is both its strength and its challenge. It tastes clean and sweet and goes with almost anything, but because it has so little fat, there is not much margin for error. A minute or two too long, and it turns dry.

This recipe handles that with a simple trick: baking at 400 F with a lemon butter that bastes the fish as it cooks. The butter and olive oil add the richness that cod lacks, the lemon brightens it, and the garlic and parsley give it a savory, fresh finish.

It is a recipe for two, and it takes about 15 minutes from start to table. It is one of the easiest ways to put a healthy fish dinner on the table on a weeknight.

Read this first

1. Pat the cod dry. Wet fish steams and tastes watery.
2. Check at 10 minutes. Cod is lean and overcooks quickly.
3. Spoon the pan juices over the fish when you serve it.

Prep time: 5 mins · Cook time: 10 mins · Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 (6 oz each) Cod fillets
• 1 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 tbsp Butter, melted
• 1 tbsp Lemon juice
• 1 clove Garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp Fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a small baking dish with parchment paper. Look for: A hot oven and a lined dish, with the fish dry and ready.
2. Place the cod fillets in the dish and season lightly with salt and pepper. Look for: Fillets that look dry and matte, with a light sprinkle of seasoning.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and parsley. Look for: A fragrant, glossy butter with green flecks of parsley.
4. Pour the lemon butter mixture evenly over the cod. Look for: The flesh turns from translucent to opaque white, and flakes into layers when pressed with a fork.
5. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the fish is completely opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Look for: Moist, flaky fish sitting in a lemony pool of butter.

Nutrition

Amount per serving. Nutritional values are estimates calculated from the ingredients above and can vary.

• Calories: 270
• Fat: 15g
• Saturated Fat: 5g
• Carbohydrates: 1g
• Fiber: 0g
• Sugar: 0g
• Protein: 31g
• Sodium: 100mg
• Cholesterol: 90mg

Notes

• Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
• Watch the Time: Cod is done the moment it turns opaque and flakes easily — a minute or two past that and it turns dry, so check at the 10-minute mark.
• Swap: Any mild white fish like haddock or tilapia works well in place of cod.

Cook It With Me

Preheat and prep

Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C). Line a small baking dish with parchment paper, so nothing sticks and the cleanup is easy.

Season the fish

Pat the 2 cod fillets dry with paper towels. Place them in the dish and season lightly with salt and pepper.

Make the lemon butter

In a small bowl, whisk together the 1 tablespoon of melted butter, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, the minced garlic clove and the 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley.

Pour and bake

Pour the lemon butter evenly over the cod. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the fish is completely opaque and flakes easily with a fork.

Serve

Spoon the juices from the dish over the fish and serve right away, with a lemon wedge if you like.

The Ingredients, One by One

Cod fillets

Two 6 oz fillets. Choose even thickness, about 1 inch, so they cook evenly. If your fillets are frozen, thaw them in the fridge overnight and dry them very well.

Butter and olive oil

The butter gives flavor and the olive oil stops it from browning. Together they baste the fish as it bakes.

Lemon juice

Fresh is much better. It cuts through the richness and wakes up the fish.

Garlic

One clove is enough. It cooks gently in the butter and turns sweet.

Fresh parsley

A fresh, grassy flavor that finishes the dish.

The Technique Behind It

Why pat it dry

Surface water keeps the fish from roasting properly and dilutes the butter. A few seconds with paper towels is worth it.

Why 400 F

A hot oven cooks thin fillets in about 10 minutes, before they have time to dry out.

Why the parchment

It keeps the fish from sticking and gives you easy cleanup.

How Do You Know the Cod Is Done?

Cod goes from perfect to dry very quickly. Check at 10 minutes.

Check	What you see	Notes
Color	Opaque white all the way through	Translucent in the center means it needs more time.
Texture	Flakes easily with a fork	The flakes should separate into large pieces.
Temperature	145 F in the thickest part	The USDA safe temperature for fish.

Mistakes That Cost You the Dish

• Not drying the fish The fish tastes watery.
• Overbaking Cod becomes dry and tough.
• Using bottled lemon juice It tastes flat.
• Thick and thin fillets together The thin ones overcook.
• Not checking early The window is very small.

Fix It: If This Happens, Do This

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Fish is dry	Overbaked	Pull it at 10 minutes next time, and spoon sauce over it now.
Fish is watery	It was wet or frozen	Thaw and dry the fish well.
Fish is bland	Not enough seasoning	Add salt and a squeeze of lemon.
Fish falls apart	Handled roughly	Lift it gently with a wide spatula.
Fish is translucent	Not cooked enough	Bake 2 more minutes.

What Each Ingredient Does (and What You Can Swap)

Ingredient	Its job	Swap, and what changes
Cod	Mild, flaky white fish	Haddock, halibut or tilapia work.
Butter	Richness	Use all olive oil for a dairy-free version.
Lemon juice	Brightness	Lime juice works.
Garlic	Savory	Garlic powder works in a pinch.
Parsley	Freshness	Dill or chives work.

Plan Ahead

• Prep ahead: Mix the lemon butter ahead.
• Fridge: Up to 2 days.
• Reheat: Gently in a low oven.
• Freezer: Not recommended after cooking.

What to Serve With It

Serve with rice, roasted potatoes, steamed green beans or asparagus. A simple salad also goes well.

Questions People Ask

About the Author

Cressio Rinaldi

Cressio Rinaldi is the recipe developer behind Cressio Recipes. He cooks, tests, and writes every recipe on the site himself — refining each one until it's simple enough for a weeknight and good enough to make again. He's not a trained chef, just someone who cooks constantly and pays close attention to what actually makes a recipe work.